Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Parkinson's Wellness Project: An 8-Part Educational Video Series, Samantha L. Stevenson

OTD Capstone Projects

The Parkinson’s Wellness Project is an 8-part educational video series created by Samantha Stevenson, a student in Belmont University’s Doctorate Program in Occupational Therapy. Purpose: This project was created to benefit all persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners who attend Rocksteady Boxing (RSB) in Franklin/Nashville, TN. Methodology: The student conducted research to identify the salient issues experienced by people living with PD. The issues were then synthesized into 8 separate categories including the following: facial expression, mental health, sexual health, self-care, sleep, diet and nutrition, meditation, and postural alignment. Experts in the healthcare field produced specialized content …

Illuminate Academy Kindergarten Market Research And Shine Shop, Shauna Rocha

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed through a partnership with Illuminate Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. Illuminate Academy is a not-for-profit alternative to a public or private school for children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. One of the primary foci of this project was to develop a kindergarten market research guide comparing Illuminate Academy with other inclusive kindergarten programs as a resource for the agency as well as current and prospective families in Middle Tennessee. Another primary focus of this project was to create social media and marketing materials for Illuminate Academy’s Shine Shop, a transition service that provides students …

Educational Guides To Assistive Technology And Digital Literacy For Older Adults And Caregivers, Cheney D. Hess

OTD Capstone Projects

This capstone project consisted of the development of a variety of educational resources to assistive technology and digital literacy for older adults and caregivers to aid this population in the process researching, selecting, and accessing assistive technology.

Applying Self-Compassion And Stress Management Techniques To Increase Healthy Behaviors Among Women At The New Beginnings Center, Payton Knupp

OTD Capstone Projects

The New Beginnings Center is a nonprofit organization that serves as an empowerment program for women from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Nashville area. Current curriculum includes a 12-week program focused on nutrition, exercise, and positive lifestyle changes that provide a holistic approach to long-term behavior change and a lasting support system. The objective for this project was to provide updated programming based on current research and relevant topics for the population, utilizing the cognitive behavioral frame of reference to facilitate behavior change, reframing negative and distorted thinking into healthy and productive habits. The subjects of the two workshops focused on …

Coaching For Independent Living Skills In Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities At Friends Life Community, Ashley G. Raby

OTD Capstone Projects

Friends Life Community is an organization that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Nashville, TN. They provide a day program, drama therapy, social clubs, career coaching, and life coaching. The life coaching program is an individualized service provided to clients who are striving to become more independent in life skills. This project focused on creating resources and assessments to aid in the coaching process. Resources were created in the following categories: activities, cleaning, hygiene and routines, nutrition and exercise, and budgeting.

Promoting Community Accessibility Through Advocacy And Networking With The Ability App, Chloe C. Moore

OTD Capstone Projects

Promoting Community Accessibility Through Advocacy and
Networking with The Ability App Networking with The Ability App

Vehicle Modification Resources For Families Of Tucker’S House, Heather Ribolla

OTD Capstone Projects

• Tucker's House is a nonprofit providing construction, retrofitting, and home accessibility services for families of children with disabilities
• Mission: To create safer, more accessible homes and environments for children and young adults with disabilities
• Vision: For every child with disabilities to feel at home

Promoting Occupational Well-Being Through Program Development At Rock Steady Boxing, Meredith F. Maines

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed through a partnership with Rock Steady Boxing (RSB), a non-profit organization which aims to provide hope to people with Parkinson’s Disease and strives to improve quality of life. The goal of this project was to create resources for RSB that support business growth and promote occupational well-being amongst participants. Resources include updated intake assessment forms, workout templates, and an organized Google Drive for storage and dissemination of resources.

Burnout Solutions Through Wellness And Outdoor Adventure, Cassidy Bizzell

OTD Capstone Projects

For this doctoral capstone project I partnered with Abundant Life Adventure Club, a wellness company that curates group travel and outdoor events for Black professionals and entrepreneurs to experience the connection and self-care needed to thrive in life and work. The purpose of this project was to determine the club’s points of service, show the club’s effectiveness of providing burnout solutions, and support the mission for Abundant Life Adventure Club to expand membership and provide nature-based wellness interventions to Black professionals and entrepreneurs. Through research and collaboration, I created a member survey to determine the effectiveness of the club in …

Promoting Client-Centered Learning And Education Of Teenage Mothers, Katie R. Hartline

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nurses for Newborns, a nonprofit organization that sends registered nurses to the homes of families who have a greater risk of infant mortality. By delivering prenatal/postnatal care, education, infant developmental assistance, educational resources, community resources, and facilitating long-term plans with the families, Nurses for Newborns takes active measures to prevent child abuse, neglect, and infant mortality. This project was driven by the organization’s need to increase engagement, participation, and learning outcomes by their teen mother clientele. The primary focus of this project was to create a client-specific booklet to promote …

Developing Resources To Promote Proficient Telehealth Service Delivery And Increase Knowledge About Making Changes To A State’S Practice Act, Cassandra M. Howe

OTD Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to provide up-to-date resources for occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students about legislative updates to the Tennessee occupational therapy practice act regarding the emerging area of telehealth practice. The pandemic was a catalyst for further legitimizing telehealth and telemedicine as a method of occupational therapy service delivery to be included in a state’s practice act as well as, being worthy of payment parity. The Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association(TNOTA) seeks to provide their constituents with timely, meaningful resources to assist in guiding practice and providing exemplary OT services. The TNOTA Telehealth …

Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Skills Handbook, Brooke Edwards

OTD Capstone Projects

The focus of this capstone project was to create a pediatric manual wheelchair skills group for the Vanderbilt Pediatric Seating & Mobility Clinic. Most current literature focuses on adult manual wheelchair mobility skills programs and this project seeks to contribute to the resources for the pediatric population. This was done through collaboration with stakeholders, review of manual wheelchair skills programs already developed, a literature review to identify skills needed for independent functional mobility and assessments of skills, and acquisition of manual wheelchair skills. The result was a handbook including both beginner and advanced pathways with instructions for skill acquisition and …

Community Accessibility For Individuals With Disabilities, Marshall Dumas

OTD Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of individuals with disabilities and to identify what accessibility barriers may exist in community settings. Individuals with disabilities may face increased environmental barriers that influence their ability to successfully access and fully participate in community settings. This project attempts to provide community accessibility resources for individuals with disabilities in order to make community outings as successful as possible for all persons.

Occupational Therapy Newsletter, Spring 2022, Occupational Therapy Department

News, Magazines and Reports

Letter from Department Chair and Program Director, Sharon McCloskey -- This academic year includes the 20th cohort attending -- The OT program remains fully accredited -- Letter from the newsletter editor, Carissa Scheier -- Dr. Jody Bortone, founding chair retires after 22 years -- Emma Bass receives Christine E. Bushar Award -- Dr. Jaimee Hegge receives the CHP Alumni Leadership Award -- Dr. Lola Halperin facilitates trainings on the use of play to foster development among children exposed to adversity -- Dr. Halperin also provided an online workshop Understanding Schizophrenia and Occupational Therapy for Individuals Affected by It, for the …

How Occupational Therapy Can Assist With Successful Aging In .Place For Baby Boomers, Paige W. Vissman

MOT Student Capstones

Aging in place is an emerging concept within the occupational therapy (OT) profession and is described as "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level" (CDC, n.d.). It can be successfully achieved with early planning, appropriate home modifications, community and family support, and available resources. Aging in place is desired in the senior population, specifically the Baby Boomer generation, and can positively affect one's life satisfaction and quality of life. As an emerging area of practice within OT, professionals can play a role in the success of …

Preventing Occupational Imbalance With Seniors Living In The Community During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carrieanne Allegri

MOT Student Capstones

When COVID-19 shut down the world in March of 2020, nobody knew what to expect. What we discovered was seniors no longer had the opportunities to engage in social events, attend classes, or participate in the community. Understanding that engagement in leisure and social activities are important in preventing depression and isolation amongst seniors, finding alternative activities via virtual delivery and socially distanced were identified as a need. 3 An in-service was provided to senior citizens at a community center to address areas identified as a need by community center staff and members. The main objective of the in-service included …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of The Interdisciplinary Engagement Of Teacher's And Therapist's Providing Virtual Services To Children With Disabilities, Giovanna Rossi

Transformations: Presentation Slides

In this research project, my goal was to determine if using the sensory-based equipment, used in Sensory Fit Families, as a bridge helped promote interdisciplinary discussions leading to a better or more effective service delivery model. I did this research through virtual interviews and transcribing the data. I examined teachers’ and therapists’ perceptions toward interdisciplinary collaboration when delivering online (virtual) instruction to preschool-aged children with disabilities. With this, I was able to triangulate key information on relevant content, activities, and feedback that focus on a unique collaboration between Physical Education teachers, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech Pathologists, and Special Education …

Believe In All: Adaptive Gymnastics Program, Pooja Patel

OTD Capstone Projects

This poster is part of the doctoral capstone project completed with the gymnastics facility, Believe Gymnastics. The project focused on developing a gymnastics program for children with cognitive, physical, or neurological needs or impairments. The goal of this project was to increase the opportunity for children with disabilities to participate into the leisure activity of gymnastics.

Assessment Of Independent Living Skills For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: The Brightstone Experience, Amy Mack

OTD Capstone Projects

Mission: ”To provide a comprehensive work, social
support, and residential community for adults with
special needs, expanding their potential and helping
them develop mentally, physically, socially, emotionally,
and spiritually.
- Vision: “Our vision is to provide whole life care,
meeting the needs of job, home, recreation and social,
physical, and health in a God-centered, caring
environment.”
- Background: BrightStone recently purchased 138 acres of land in Williamson County, which will be used to
provide job training, life skills classes, therapeutic
activities, and community living opportunities for adults
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Occupational Therapy's Role In Serious Mental Illness, Sam Sutton, Anabelle Scalora, Tina Deangelis

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program Capstone Presentations

The intent of this electronic manual is to provide a client-centered and evidence-based resource to inform students, clinicians, and educators of occupational therapy’s unique role in working with adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and those experiencing psychosis. This manual, while not exhaustive, is designed to serve as a user-friendly resource for providing valid, equitable care to those with serious mental illness.

Objectives:

1. Provide an electronic resource that outlines the occupational therapy process when working with individuals with serious mental illness and supports inclusion and reimbursement for occupational therapy practitioners in this setting.
2. Define the multiple roles occupational therapy practitioners …

Comparative Kinematic Gait Analysis In Adults With Multiple Disabilities, Lauren Rumbalski

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify abnormal gait parameters or patterns amongst young adults with multiple disabilities enrolled in a work transition program sponsored by a public-school system. Gait disorders are commonly seen in individuals with neurologic disorders, with significant research in children with autism. Gait disorders have been linked with fall and injury risk, with significant research in elderly populations. Gait analysis technology can be used to identify gait characteristics in populations that are abnormal or contribute to gait disorders. In an observational design, students from the transitional program promoted by Westerville City Schools, housed on Otterbein …

Psycho-Emotional Education For Occupational Therapists Supporting Individuals Assuming The Role Of Family-Caregiver For People With A Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi), Laura Dawn Lippman, Caitlyn E. Baird, Natalie L. Billharz

2022 Celebration of Scholarly Works

The purpose of this research was to identify the psycho-emotional needs of family-caregivers of individuals who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and measure if there was a change in knowledge among occupational therapists, and occupational therapy students following a two-hour seminar covering topics identified in the literature. The topics covered in the seminar included the concept of ambiguous loss, the importance of validating emotions, the caregiver grieving process, and the importance of providing caregiver resources. To measure the change in knowledge, researchers utilized primarily a quantitative research design using pre- and post-test questionnaires with Likert- scale questions. The questionnaire …

Quality Of Life For Pediatric Prosthetic Users, Courtney Wild, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The population of children with limb loss fall into a category of children with chronic physical disability and are vulnerable to functional challenges resulting in adverse impacts on their participation and performance of life activities, known as occupational participation. A mixed method research study was aimed at answering the following research questions: (a) is there an impact on the engagement in meaningful everyday activities for children with prosthetic limbs, considering the functional, emotional, and social challenges they might encounter? (b) does their level of engagement in meaningful everyday activities have an impact on their quality of life (QoL) and (c) …

Entrepreneurship And Ot, Alex Heumann, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to discover the perceived and actual barriers to business ownership through research with current OT businesses and create a deliverable supporting OTs entering business ownership.

Occupational Rights Workshops: Critical Reflection, Discussion, And Collaboration With Occupational Therapists, Michelle Arakaki

Student Capstone Papers

In the summer of 2020, occupational therapy organizations condemned systemic racism and called on the profession to improve its’ practices in promoting justice and enhancing efforts in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020; World Federation of Occupational Therapists). Since then, there have been formations of DEI committees, opportunities for continuing education in justice and antiracist practice, and more discussion in the literature on how therapists could support the occupational rights of their clients. Occupational rights are “the right of all people to engage in occupations that contribute positively to their well-being and the well-being of …

Supporting The Transition Out Of The Family Caregiver Role: An Occupation-Centered Approach, Whitney Wilbanks

Student Capstone Papers

Engagement in meaningful and valued occupations can be used as a means to help former family caregivers cope, heal, and grow following the loss of their loved one (Pickens, 2011). Occupational engagement can be used as a means to help former family caregivers reshape their personal identity, experience a sense of wholeness, and reestablish purpose and balance in their lives (Hocking, 2016). The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to educate hospice care staff on ways to support individuals with transitioning out of the family caregiver role following the death of the care recipient. An educational resource was developed …

Covid-19 And Telehealth Use Among Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, And Speech-Language Pathology Practitioners In The United States, Caesarinne Sprianu, Dragana Krpalek, Julie D. Kugel, Gurinder Bains, Lida Gharibvand

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To explore occupational, physical, and speech-language pathology therapists’ perceived effectiveness of telehealth and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their professional roles. Method: Participants were recruited for the study through a research flyer distrusted via postal mail, emails, social media, and national association websites. An anonymous electronic 19-item survey was developed for this study by the researchers based on a review of the literature and clinical experience. Results. In total, 186 survey responses were obtained, with 152 meeting the inclusion criteria. The average age of participants was 38.6 years with an average work duration of 12.7 years ± 12.5 …

Effectiveness Of Interprofessional Education Modules On Cultural Competency Of Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy Students, Ayse Ozcan Edeer, Nadia Rust

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The United States is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures. Graduate-level teaching methods must prepare students to work with diverse populations and in various contexts. The outcome of instruction should be technically competent and culturally humble health care providers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative interprofessional instruction on cultural competency levels of Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) and Master of Science Occupational Therapy Program (MSOT) students. Methods: This was a pre-posttest quasi experimental study. A total 58 students from the DPT (28) and MSOT (30) programs participated and provided demographic …

Promoting Therapist’S Use Of Iadls: Establishing A Pet Care Protocol With Stallworth Inpatient Rehab, Christa Schmieder

OTD Capstone Projects

Inpatient rehabilitation at Stallworth has shown a need for a comprehensive overview of pet care as an IADL along with resources to assist in guiding patients in determining the appropriate steps to ensure their pet is well taken care of. This need was found through surveying the therapy team as well as shadowing therapists and connecting with patients. This project was centered around creating tools such as an IADL kit with instructions for therapists to use with patients, a resource bank containing adaptation recommendations and pet care service apps, a resource explaining how to certify animal as service animal, emotional …

Muscular Dystrophy And Quality Of Life: A Critically Appraised Topic, Raegan Avrit Mot/S, Courtney Aycock Mot/S, Keelie Johnson Mot/S, Lindsay Lampkin Mot/S, Cassady Ozanich Mot/S

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

Muscular dystrophy causes progressive muscle disease that affects both children and their families. This poster describes a critical appraisal and synthesis of the literature describing factors affecting quality of life for children with MD. Identification of these factors can help professionals educate and support individuals and their families.