Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Commons^™

Development Of A Mental Health Program For Work Rehabilitation, Vannida M. Nguyen, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Work-related injuries often result in decreased work performance and extended recovery time. This can lead to mental health challenges and a risk of re-injury. Typical work rehabilitation focuses on physical recovery while overlooking psychosocial factors. This capstone project developed a wellness program to support emotional wellness and improve return-to-work (RTW) outcomes. The program incorporated educational content, coping strategies, and interventions targeting emotional wellness for injured workers receiving physical therapy. Occupational therapy has the ability to address both physical and psychosocial factors and increase interdisciplinary efforts during work rehabilitation. Improved confidence reflected in the self-reported RTW-SE scores suggests that occupational therapy …

Occupational Therapy Interventions Supporting Return-To-Work After Cancer Treatment: A Systematized Review​, Kateryna Brichka, Jordyn Spotanski, Kara Warner, Danielle Westmark, Stacy Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematized Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Return to work (RTW) is a key milestone in cancer survivorship, supporting identity, stability, and quality of life. Many survivors face physical, social, and psychological barriers (Wilson et al., 2023). Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are well positioned to address these challenges through energy conservation, environmental modification, and work reintegration strategies (Désiron et al., 2016). This systematized review synthesized evidence on OT interventions that support RTW for adult cancer survivors.

DESIGN: A systematized review was conducted by a medical librarian from the McGoogan Health Sciences Library. Articles were included if published in English between 2003–2024 and classified as Level I–VI …

Fostering Autonomy And Self Efficacy: An Informal Caregiver's Guide To Encouraging Participation In Self-Care, Jade A. Evans, Steven M. Gerardi, Precious Osuoha

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Helping Hands and Active Lives is a practical guidebook designed to empower informal caregivers to support senior independence and well-being. It offers evidence-based strategies to enhance communication, mobility, and daily function while emphasizing the impact of caregiving approaches on occupational success.

An Occupational Therapy Perspective Of Post Secondary Transitions For High School Students: Considering Socioeconomics And Opportunities, Aubrie Howell, Mary Greer, Kelley Spell-Hernandez

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

In most cases, an occupational therapist’s role in a post-secondary transition includes improving adolescents with disabilities’ functional preparedness to transition from a special education setting, into adult-based roles. Much of this work is explained by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and only encompasses occupational therapy’s role in post-secondary transitions for adolescents with a diagnosed disability. Unfortunately, these resources, programs, and services are not available to adolescents who do not have a disability. This barrier of not providing similar services or programs to adolescents without a disability creates a lack of opportunity for these individuals to explore possible career paths. …

Promoting Academic And Social Well-Being For Young Adults With Asd Towards Post-Secondary Education And Employment, Theresa Holcomb, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This program and policy-type capstone addresses the gap in inclusive services for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in post-secondary education (PSE). It resulted in developing and implementing a Social Engagement program designed to enhance communication skills, self-advocacy, and workplace preparedness—key factors for academic and vocational success. Guided by the Occupational Adaptation Model (OAM) and the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model, the program used a board game-based format to facilitate interactive learning and the practical application of social skills. Targeting young adults with ASD involved in vocational training, the program emphasized developing professional communication and workplace social interaction. The findings indicate …

Occupational Therapy Return To Work Program For Individuals Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Kalynn R. Johnson, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience difficulty returning to the workforce and lack the necessary resources to facilitate a successful return to work. This capstone project focuses on developing a resource that equips occupational therapists with tools and resources to provide valuable and effective return to work services for this population.

Individuals With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities And Meaningful Employment, Bethanie Hernandez, Angela Labrie Blackwell, Evan Edward Dean

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals with disabilities tend to face poverty at a higher rate compared to those without disabilities (Kelley, 2016). Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) benefit from a variety of supports to work in their communities. Not providing services to address these needs can cause increased unemployment rates and dependence on others. Currently, there is a lack of attention by OTP on supporting individuals with IDD (14-26 years) when acquiring meaningful employment. Increasing OTP’s awareness about the relationship between self-determination and employment can promote more services. Self-Determination is about acting or causing things to happen in your life as you …

Lessons From The Field: Kinship As An Intervention (Library Resources), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to “Lessons from the Field: Kinship as an Intervention,” a lecture by Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J., founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, held at the College of the Holy Cross on February 6, 2017.

Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world

Combination Of Music And Aromatherapy To Improve The Efficiency Of Motor Functions And Speech In Patients Paralyzed From Stroke., Mounica Bevara

Undergraduate Research Posters

With the rapid development of medical technology, millions of dollars are being spent on discovering innovative methods of treating fatal diseases such as stroke that may also result in temporary paralysis. Physiotherapy treatments aimed at restoring brain function in patients paralyzed following a stroke is subjective to the patient and does not guarantee complete rehabilitation. While many practitioners have attempted to employ complementary and alternative methods of treatment such as massage therapy, acupuncture therapy, siddha, and marma therapy, none of them proved to be equally as effective as physiotherapy. However, prior studies support the notion that aromatherapy used in combination …