Embedded Files
OT6103: Occupational Therapy Program Development in the Community
OT6103: Occupational Therapy Program Development in the Community
This semester, we were tasked with collaborating with a community site partner and developing an innovating program unique to the site and that achieves both the site and our goals as students. The process of completing this project was transformative for my learning as well as rewarding for both the site and us as students.
Fall Prevention & Beyond:
Fall Prevention & Beyond:
A Holistic Blend of Wellness and Technology at Marin Villages
The community partner we collaborated with this semester was Marin Villages. Having worked with Marin Village members in the past for assignments in other courses in our curriculum, my two peers and I were very familiar with the organization and their values. Although familiar, we were committed to learning about the values of the organization and learning about what the organizational and member needs currently are. Marin Villages is an organization that helps older adults in Marin County be active, connected, and independent in the place they call home. They prioritize maintaining social connection between village members, support overall wellbeing, promote activity in the community, and healthy aging/aging in place. Although we would have loved to implement our program across all 6 villages, we chose to focus our attention on the San Rafael Village. Through a combination of attending an in-person walking group with the San Rafael Village members and having discussions with John Powers who is the executive director of Marin Villages, the organization as well as us as the students identified the need for fall prevention as well as enhancing technology skills. We had also heard from John that Dominican OT students had done fall prevention programs with Marin Villages before, however nothing ever really stuck. Therefore, we decided to create an innovative fall prevention program through the utilization of an online website resource. When implementing this program, we facilitated an in-person workshop with both Marin Village members, group leaders (who lead Marin Village events), and key stakeholders (John) in order for all party members to have an interactive and meaningful experience with our programming.
Our Program's Mission:
Our Program's Mission:
To expand the Marin Village members’ perspectives on fall prevention through education on physical and environmental risk factors within meaningful activities of everyday life. By implementing this curriculum, we aim to bridge the gap between technology and wellness by developing an online fall prevention website to follow and expand upon the values upheld by Marin Village members.
How did our occupational lens inform our programming?
How did our occupational lens inform our programming?
Utilizing an occupational lens, we wanted to offer holistic programming that aligned with the Marin Village and its members values and priorities. For this reason, we implemented our programming in such a way that it could be imbedded into the events that Marin Village members already participate in. As OT students, we understand the value of remaining active, maintaining social relationships, and engagement within the community. This understanding shaped how we organized our content within our website as we tailored the language we used to appeal to members and group leaders. A big part of this project also had to do with access. We worked to adapt our website with universal design elements that would be accessible for our population.
Key Takeaways from the Program Development Process
Key Takeaways from the Program Development Process
My biggest takeaway from this program development process was the importance of remaining client-centered and adapting to the needs of the organization and its members. This piece, I believe, is truly what made our project so successful and why we were met with such great responses from those who participated. Some of the skills I developed through this process was interprofessional communication and how to utilize language to really sell the programming you are pitching. Additionally, the grant writing process was extremely beneficial for me to have practiced as this a key method of acquiring the funding needed to run an effective and successful program. I am looking forward to bringing these skills with me into my clinical practice so that I can continue to develop programming that is beneficial for my clients as well as the greater community.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse