Community Development in Occupational Therapy Education

Abstract

Occupational therapists consider community-centered practices such as community development essential practice domains. In some parts of the world, community development is strongly embedded in occupational therapy practice, while in other places this approach is emerging and need strengthening. This chapter outlines the synergy between occupational therapy, community development, sustainable development, and critical citizenship. In doing so, it will consider the profession's understanding of the value of an occupational perspective in critically addressing community issues and aiming for sustainable development. A module to prepare occupational therapy students for their potential role in community development processes is associated with case studies from three different continents. These examples give a rich image of community development approaches within occupational therapy practice.

Perceptions of occupational therapists in the United Kingdom on the applicability of the reflective framework for community development in occupational therapy

“…Injustices occur when individuals cannot participate in meaningful occupations due to external factors (Bailliard and Alrdich, 2016), such as discrimination or systems of authority and power in society affecting access to physical, social, economic or cultural opportunities or resources they need in order to engage in occupations (Whiteford and Townsend, 2011). Various scholars discuss the positive impact of community projects on occupational injustices, health and well-being (Bryant et al, 2016; Engelen et al, 2021; Whatley et al, 2015).…”

“…However, evidence for the effectiveness of occupational therapists using community development approaches is limited and mostly descriptive (e.g. Engelen et al, 2021).…”

“…The occupational therapy profession is increasingly focused on working with community groups to improve the health and well-being of individuals and their community through meaningful occupational engagement (Engelen et al, 2021). Community development is a role-emerging area of practice, with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists et al (2017) identifying it as one of the top global research priorities due to its potential to promote population health and well-being.…”