Building Capacity of Occupational Therapy Practitioners to Address the Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth: A Mixed-Methods Study of Knowledge Translation

Abstract

PURPOSE. We explored the meaning and outcomes of a 6-mo building capacity process designed to promote knowledge translation of a public health approach to mental health among pediatric occupational therapy practitioners participating in a Community of Practice. METHOD. A one-group (N = 117) mixed-methods design using a pretest–posttest survey and qualitative analysis of written reflections was used to explore the meaning and outcomes of the building capacity process. RESULTS. Statistically significant improvements (p < .02) in pretest–posttest scores of knowledge, beliefs, and actions related to a public health approach to mental health were found. Qualitative findings suggest that participation resulted in a renewed commitment to addressing children’s mental health. CONCLUSION. The building capacity process expanded practitioner knowledge, renewed energy, and promoted confidence, resulting in change leaders empowered to articulate, advocate for, and implement practice changes reflecting occupational therapy’s role in addressing children’s mental health.

Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Involvement in School Mental Health: A Pilot Study

“…The demand for school-based mental health providers is rapidly rising as the need for such services increases (Rossen & Cowan, 2015;Sopko, 2006;Weist et al, 2012). Occupational therapy practitioners have historically provided mental health services in other settings (Bazyk, 2007;Patterson, 2008) and are equipped to collaborate with other school professionals to provide preventative and responsive services to support students' mental health needs (Bazyk et al, 2015;Cahill & Lopez-Reyna, 2013). However, there are few accounts in the literature that describe Limited knowledge by school personnel about the scope of occupational therapy has been previously cited as a barrier to full participation in school systems practice (Cahill & Lopez-Reyna, 2013).…”

“…Occupational therapy practitioners are highly qualified professionals who can help school districts provide preventative and responsive services to support students with myriad needs (Cahill & Lopez-Reyna, 2013). Occupational therapy practitioners have a rich history of working in mental health practice (Bazyk, 2007;Patterson, 2008) and, more recently, occupational therapy practitioners have begun to gain a foothold in school-based mental health services (Bazyk et al, 2015). Through partnerships with other providers, occupational therapy practitioners can collaborate to integrate services that are provided in students' natural learning environments and aligned with best practice guidelines (Swinth & Hanft, 2002).…”

“…The IST members in this study were asked to answer the eight more general questions (see Table 1) and rate their responses to each of the statements using a 5-point Likert scale with higher scores reflecting greater agreement (i.e., 5 = strongly agree, 4 = agree, 3 = undecided, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree). The eight Likert items were then organized into three scales (i.e., knowledge, beliefs, and ability/skill) so that they could be treated as interval data as presented in Bazyk et al (2015).…”

Becoming Critical Consumers of Evidence in Occupational Therapy for Children and Youth

“…CoPs are formalized social learning systems that consist of three elements: (1) an understanding and sense of a common purpose, (2) mutual engagement of members, and 3production of a shared repertoire of resources (Wenger, 2000). Bazyk et al's (2015) Every Moment Counts project is one of the most expansive applications of CoPs to build the capacity of school practitioners to address the mental health needs of children and youth in schools. Grajo and Candler (2017) have used a CoP approach to collaboratively develop and translate knowledge on the use of an occupation-based reading intervention for children with literacy challenges.…”

Paying It Forward: Honoring Jane Case-Smith for Commitment to Occupational Therapy Education and Research

“…Two articles included in this special issue pay this work forward. Bazyk et al (2015) report the results of their efforts to increase occupational therapy practitioners' capacity to intervene in ways that support the mental health of children and youths. By using communities of practice to promote knowledge translation, Bazyk et al demonstrate that it is possible to change the capabilities of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners on a statewide level.…”