Document Type (Journals)
Original Research
Abstract
Occupational therapy services offered in behavioral health remain low despite the growing number of individuals with behavioral health and psychosocial needs who could benefit from these services. Concurrently, in academia, all occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students must complete at least one fieldwork focused primarily on mental health, behavioral health, and/or psychosocial needs. Research is limited regarding these fieldwork experiences, especially among occupational therapy assistant students. This project aimed to understand this gap better and comprehend how these experiences impact readiness to work with individuals labeled with a serious mental illness. Forty-five occupational therapy assistant students completed pre- and post-questionnaires regarding their experiences working with individuals with mental health, behavioral health, and/or psychosocial needs. Conventional content analysis and dialogic analysis revealed notable improvements in student perceptions and competencies as a result of their fieldwork experiences. Persistent safety concerns from pre- to post-fieldwork highlight the need for occupational therapy assistant programs to incorporate targeted educational content and experiential learning to address this issue. Responses underscore the critical role of this fieldwork in promoting holistic practice and reaffirming occupational therapy’s foundational roots in supporting mental health and well-being.
Biography
Dr. Tiffany L. Benaroya, OTD, OTR serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and an Assistant Professor for the Rutgers, Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. Her research focuses on fieldwork education, pedagogy, and mental health.
Dr. Michelle Zechner, PhD, LSW, CPRP is faculty at Rutgers, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Programs where she conducts inter-professional health research about people diagnosed with severe mental health conditions. Her research includes health provider attitudes, multi-dimensional wellness, aging well with psychiatric conditions, and oral health quality of life.
Dr. Meredith Cimmino, PT, DPT is an adjunct instructor in the Physical Therapy and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs at Rutgers University. Dr. Cimmino is interested in interdisciplinary care. Her research focuses on the impact of physical rehabilitation on persons with serious mental illness.
Dr. Ann Murphy, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, School of Health Professions. Dr. Murphy conducts research on interventions to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses, teaches within the Department’s graduate programs, and previously provided psychiatric rehabilitation services.
Dr. Margaret Swarbrick, PhD, FAOTA is the Rutgers ScarletWell Director, Research Professor in the Applied Department Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey Wellness Institute Director. She developed a strength based wellness model and co-created self-care wellness programs for caregivers, families, youth, and professionals.
Dr. Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, EdD is a Professor of Qualitative and Qualitative-Oriented Mixed Methods Research at the Rutgers School of Health Professions.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Benaroya, T. L., Zechner, M., Cimmino, M., Murphy, A. A., Swarbrick, M., & Rothpletz-Puglia, P. (2025). Exploring Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Experiences in Mental Health, Behavioral Health, and Psychosocial Level I Fieldwork. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 9 (4). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol9/iss4/15
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