ipl-logo

Occupational Therapy Essay

914 Words4 Pages

Throughout history, the treatment for individuals with mental illness has been influenced by prevailing beliefs in medicine and society. Between World War I and II, occupational therapy was seen as a crucial part of the treatment for individuals with mental illnesses. Our profession emerged from the Moral Treatment movement of the early 19th century, which advocated for individuals with mental disorders should be treated humanely and in safe environment (Gutman, 2011). In stating that, occupational therapy practitioners have a long history of providing mental health services and have a distinct value in promoting full, productive lives through mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], …show more content…

This is a result of the stigma behind mental health and the medical model dominance affecting the current application of OT in this field. History has shown us that the way we treat people with mental illnesses is influenced by the beliefs we hold. If people with mental illnesses are stigmatized as being dangerous and incapable of controlling their behavior, this could have a negative annotation in providing treatment. Occupational therapists face barriers in providing and billing for services that do not address physically related performance deficits. Additionally, there is a lack of understanding regarding the function of occupational therapists in mental health, and our presence in community settings for mental health is not ensured. Several of these barrier’s stem from the lack of knowledge from congress and Federal agencies understanding the benefits of occupational therapy in mental health. I believe having the inclusion of OT in federal, statutory definitions of “mental health profession” will help make the argument that states should recognize OT practitioners as qualified mental health professionals (QMHP). States will then follow the federal statute and make changes in their policies. In addition, in 2022, U.S. senators introduced the Occupational Therapy Mental Health Parity Act (S. 4712). By passing this legislation, more individuals with mental and behavioral health illnesses will be able to obtain OT services via Medicare and Medicaid (Parsons, 2022). I believe this will create an opportunity to emphasize the value of occupational therapy beyond addressing only physical health needs. This bill will provide the proof that including spending for occupational therapy in mental health setting will improve patient

Show More
Related
1567 Words | 7 Pages

She demonstrated the first large-scale occupational therapy program and also founded an annual training institute for state therapists that became a model program throughout the country. Webster’s dictionary defines occupational therapy as a form of therapy for those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life. This paper is intended to demonstrate the interaction among a person’s inner

Read More
487 Words | 2 Pages

Founded in 1883 by James C. Hawthorne, the Oregon State Hospital previously referred to as The Oregon State Insane Asylum has contributed to the success of present day society’s perception of mental health. Legislature passed an act in 1880, which allowed the Oregon state government to run a psychiatric facility (Mental Health Ass). The late 1800’s placed individuals determined to be a burden to society within the hospital to receive treatment. Mental health is currently accepted within American society and viewed as a disease rather than a mental disturbance and danger to civilization.

Read More
1537 Words | 7 Pages

Cultural norms and healthcare regulations may have some impact on how some interventions are executed but, ultimately, all Occupational Therapists have the same goal, and that is to provide client centered, purposeful, and meaningful interventions that will ultimately improve the quality of life those that we serve. Establishment of The field The Theories used in the fieild that we now know as Occupational

Read More
374 Words | 2 Pages

In order for Monti to make effective progress and reach potential outcomes selecting and implementing appropriate assessments and treatment strategies is vital. A key element in the occupational therapy profession is using a holistic approach to treating to enhance quality of life. Therefore, during the evaluation process the implementation of one assessment will not target all the skill areas Monti is deficient in. Additionally, when treating the body as whole it is important to analyze how Monti interacts and completes the task by observing motivation, body position, movement patterns, coordination, attention, sensory processing functions, visual functions and awareness within his environment. After the completion of the evaluation process

Read More
153 Words | 1 Pages

One of the assignments for the Introduction to Occupational Therapy is to select an article and write a review about it. The article that seized my interest is “Starting a Private Practice: The First Steps” by Tara J. Glennon. In this response paper, I am going to discuss about how to start a private own business. My discussion will include the fate of small businesses in the United States. However, this effect will less likely to impact potential occupational therapy practice entrepreneurs because of the higher demand of occupational therapy, and therapists in the future.

Read More
535 Words | 3 Pages

OTA’s need to have physical endurance and be able to assist patients in activitys to help them regain strength. Communication and social skills are imprtant, as they need to be able to hold conversations with their patients and their coworkers. OTA’s also need to encourage patients, and be a postive mentor to them. Compassion is a key value that is necessary for OTA’s, and understanding the patient is going through a difficult time, in order for their patient to have a postive attitude and a want to attend their therapy

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

I have always wanted to work in healthcare as I feel it is important to help others and provide a service that can have a significant impact on someone’s life. Occupational Therapy provides me the opportunity to have an impact on people’s lives because of the way that they can work with their clients. Unlike most professions in the healthcare field, OTs work together with the client rather than strictly telling them what to do during their treatment. This is important as it helps build a connection between the OT and the client and helps the client feel more empowered in the treatment process. Another reason why Occupational Therapy is a field that I want to pursue is the many areas of practice and opportunities to work with people of different

Read More
759 Words | 4 Pages

According to Aas & Bonsaksen (2022), while occupational therapists are built on valuing and focusing on the occupation-based practice approach, they seem to spend less time on it and more time on impairment-based practices due to several barriers to the occupation-based approach. Occupational therapists' roles are to encourage and promote health and well-being through occupation-based practices for everyday occupations that are meaningful to the client and to provide the occupational therapist with an understanding and perspectives that will help contribute to the participation of the persons, the groups, and the populations for occupational engagement (Boop et al., 2022). According to Aas & Bonsaksen (2022), this study was cross-sectional on occupational therapists. The participants were occupational therapists, and the questionnaire was based on what was meant by occupations and occupation based through open-based questions. The study found that occupational therapists self-reported high levels of occupation-based practice daily.

Read More
400 Words | 2 Pages

Those with difficulties processing sensory input can learn how to filter through the multitude of information bombarding them throughout the day and coping strategies to minimize the amount of incoming messages. What are the benefits of receiving occupational therapy services? Patients referred to an occupational therapist gain self-esteem through mastery of tasks that appeared overwhelming beforehand. Those who remain engaged in therapy can develop and meet daily schedules.

Read More
1211 Words | 5 Pages

and intrigued by the mind-body connection as well as the importance of human activity and occupation in maintaining mental and physical well-being. At the same time, my desire to work directly with people and be able to make a positive and lasting change to their lives by empowering them and helping discover their strengths and confidence in themselves to achieve their goals, led me to a realization that a career in occupational therapy would be a perfect fit for me. To me occupational therapy is a dynamic, rewarding, challenging, and inspiring field where I can fully realize my skills and knowledge. Having always been a firm believer in the patient-centric approach, I am passionate about providing excellent service to patients by improving their performance, preventing illness and disability and promoting adaptation to life

Read More
651 Words | 3 Pages

Prior to my junior year of high school, Occupational Therapy was foreign to me. I was on a field trip that year when I was first exposed to an Occupational Therapy session, and I was not sure what was taking place. However, I was certain that I was beyond intrigued and immediately wanted to learn more. After extensively searching for information and continuously exposing myself to opportunities of learning, I knew that pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy was my desire, and I would do whatever it took to be successful in fulfilling it.

Read More
1023 Words | 5 Pages

As an occupational therapist I would like to help individuals who are differently abled gain quality of life and independence by improving upon both mental and physical challenges to function as a whole person, as this is what I understand the role of the occupational therapist from both personal and observational experience to be. I believe this is accomplished through providing encouragement and support, educating each client and their loved

Read More
911 Words | 4 Pages

Pagliano (1999) reasserts this by stating “The occupational therapist needs to play a foundation role in the initial design and construction of the MSE in order to ensure that the environment is designed to maximize opportunities for learning and development of functions and skills necessary for daily living”

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

I worked directly with patients diagnosed with various psychiatric illnesses in groups designed to assist in rehabilitation and teaching activities of daily living. In these groups I helped with a wide range of activities such as assisting the patients with stimulating crafts, and encouraging them to participate in exercises and games, and answered questions related to the activities. Continuing my volunteer experience with occupational therapists I worked at Encore, an assisted living and rehabilitation setting. Here I worked with geriatric clients with both neurological and orthopedic impairments. I also spent time volunteering at Therapeutic and Recreational Riding Center, Inc. working with an occupational therapist in facilitating Hippotherapy to incorporate equine movement into treatment.

Read More
745 Words | 3 Pages

I have always had the intense desire to care and look after people from a very young age. I firmly believe that everyone deserves the best quality of life possible and this is what had drawn me to occupational therapy as a career path in the first place. It is so easy to take for granted all the everyday tasks we can do and we seldom consider the effect of not being able to complete them. As an occupational therapist I would be able to make a positive impact on someone’s life and make it possible for them to enjoy their life. I want the opportunity to provide support to people, help them gain independence and watch them grow more confident in their own ability.

Read More

More about Occupational Therapy Essay

Related Topics

Open Document