Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Debra Hanson

Keywords

Faith-Based Organizations; Occupational Therapy; Spirituality

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to provide a framework for use by an occupational therapist providing integrated services from a Christian worldview perspective within a faith-based setting.

Methodology: An extensive literature review was completed on the topics of occupational therapy in integrated faith-based settings, with an emphasis on spirituality, experience of practitioners, current tools of the profession, and the basic tenants of the Christian faith. The search databases used included: CINAHL, OTSEARCH, Pubmed, SocIndex, and PsycINFO. The literature review revealed that nearly 80% of Americans identify spirituality as an important part of their life (Williams-Reade, Lobo and Gutierrez, 2018). Within occupational therapy, spirituality is a valued component of a person and should be included in evaluating and treating someone to provide holistic and client-centered care (Maley, Pagana, Velenger & Humbert, 2016). Guidelines for spiritual integration have been outlined in the fields of social work and counseling. However, there are few guidelines in occupational therapy education for spiritual sensitivity and practice. Humbert (2016) introduced a model for integrated spirituality in occupational therapy, but the model does not explicitly provide guidelines for integrating spirituality expressed through a Christian worldview into occupational therapy practice.

Results: A framework was developed for alignment of occupational therapy tools within the Christian faith perspective for a local faith-based institution (Stable Days Youth Ranch). Using Humbert’s Conceptual Model for integrated spirituality as a guide, a framework for an integrated worldview was developed. The product was organized into six sections which included: an overview of the mission, values, goals, and programming provided by Stable Days Youth Ranch; the population being addressed; an introduction to Humbert’s Conceptual Model; aligning key elements of the Christian worldview emphasized at Stable Days Youth Ranch with each of the five categories of Humbert’s Conceptual Model; a role for occupational therapy in each of Humbert’s categories; and vignettes illustrating the unique role of occupational therapy in providing integrated faithbased services.

Conclusion: This project developed a framework for alignment of occupational therapy tools/models within the Christian faith perspective for a local faith-based institution (Stable Days Youth Ranch). This framework can be used as a guide for integrating occupational therapy services into the therapy framework of other Christian faith-based institutions.

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