Structuring Role-Emergent Level II Fieldwork Placements for Success: A Framework Grounded in Collaboration, Accountability, Supervision, and Site Integration (The CASS Framework)

Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

We propose a framework for implementing role-emergent fieldwork grounded in four structural principles identified in the literature and refined through professional reflection: collaboration, accountability, supervision, and site integration. Occupational therapy students report positive experiences with role-emergent fieldwork placements, citing benefits such as professional development, increased autonomy, and opportunities for innovation. However, studies have found that role-emergent placements often lack the structure students need to develop traditional documentation skills, manage complex practice dynamics, and implement occupational therapy programs in a novel setting. Consequently, occupational therapy students describe challenges with role-emergent placements in defining their professional role, managing high levels of responsibility, and navigating fieldwork with limited direct access to a full-time occupational therapy supervisor. By focusing on the structure of role-emergent Level II placements, academic fieldwork coordinators and educators can provide students with fieldwork experiences that preserve their autonomy and creativity while honing the interprofessional and pragmatic skills that prepare them for a broad range of entry-level practice contexts. The Collaboration, Accountability, Supervision, and Site Integration (CASS) Framework was developed and refined over eight years using an educational design research approach, integrating evidence-based literature with iterative analyses of student fieldwork experiences and expert reflection from occupational therapy faculty. This educational innovation proposes the CASS Framework for role-emergent Level II fieldwork placements. We review the literature foundational to the design of the CASS Framework and provide examples of its implementation by describing two role-emergent fieldwork programs developed at campus-based early childhood education centers.

Biography

Dr. Lisa Fyffe developed the pediatric curriculum for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate at Colorado State University. Dr. Fyffe’s research and practice interests center on universal access to early intervention through population-focused, place-based approaches. Dr. Fyffe is the author of the Occupational Therapy Embedded in Early Childhood (OTEEC) Partnership Model.

Dr. Amy B. VanCamp is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of New Hampshire and was previously the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. She co-developed the role-emergent fieldwork program at UNH’s on-campus early childhood education center. She also serves as an AOTA Fieldwork Program Instructor for the New England region.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Recommended Citation

Fyffe, L. A., & Van Camp, A. (2026). Structuring Role-Emergent Level II Fieldwork Placements for Success: A Framework Grounded in Collaboration, Accountability, Supervision, and Site Integration (The CASS Framework). Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 10 (2). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol10/iss2/15