Abstract
Recent literature suggests potential expansion into higher education student mental health support departments; this research aimed to explore counseling staff perceptions of OT’s role in providing services to improve students’ mental well-being.
Primary Author and Speaker: Andrea L. Garcia
Additional Authors and Speakers: Jessica Gershenow
Occupational therapy providers (OTPs) play a crucial role in enhancing students’ well-being and academic success within school-based environments addressing diverse educational support needs (Arnold, 2019; Beiter et al., 2015; Schindler, 2017). While OTPs have traditionally focused on physical and academic aspects, recent literature suggests potential expansion into higher education student mental health support departments (Arnold, 2019; Jalaba, 2022; Oswalt et al., 2020). By incorporating OTPs into existing student support offerings it is hypothesized that universities may be able to provide better support to students in achieving their academic and personal goals while creating a more inclusive and supportive campus environment. The purpose of this research was to establish foundational information related to counseling staff perceptions about integrating OTPs into the university’s student mental health support department at a private, non-profit university. The research utilized a single-subject case study design targeting four staff members through purposive sampling. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews to investigate counseling staff perceptions after providing advocacy and education efforts to influence these perceptions. Overall, participants acknowledged potential advantages of incorporating OTPs services into the department to increase capacity to address daily living skills, promote mental well-being, and enhance students’ coping mechanisms. Practical concerns were raised including staffing, resource allocation, and financial constraints. These results may inform future efforts to integrate OTPs within existing student support services and contribute to the literature on the value of OTP roles in higher education to promote student well-being while highlighting unique contributions or OTPs to interdisciplinary mental health teams.
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