Capstone
Located here is a brief description of my upcoming capstone project to be completed in Fall 2025.
Focus Areas: Policy & Program Development; Advocacy
Problems:
While the discussion around mental health has been more prevalent in recent years, school systems have not taken enough action to address the issue. Teachers and students alike struggle to understand mental health and the root cause of behavioral issues in the classroom. Occupational therapists show great potential to teach emotional regulation interventions and coordinate care for students at high risk for behavioral issues. However, occupational therapists are underutilized in this area, so advocacy for this role is needed.
Faculty Mentor: Leah Dunn, OTD, OTR/L
Site Mentor: Nicole Pfirman, M. Ed., OTR/L; MindPeace Cincinnati
Capstone Development
Identifying a capstone can be daunting, especially because I am a very structured individual who likes to know what is coming next. However, I followed my passion for pediatric mental health and reached out to my role model in the field. I was fortunate enough for her to agree to be my site mentor and help me on my journey to address mental health issues within school systems. She also helped me to find a passion for advocacy for occupational therapists to be considered mental health practitioners since we hold such a great ability to connect mental health conditions to daily functioning.