Occupational Therapy Groups for Addressing Mental Health Challenges in School-Aged Populations

A new resource for school-based occupational therapists, Occupational Therapy Groups for Addressing Mental Health Challenges in School-Aged Populations: A Tier 2 Resource is a collection of occupation-based group interventions and tools that can be used to support students at risk for or with identified mental health challenges.

School-wide mental health programs are increasing and expanding. School-based occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to collaborate with traditional school mental health practitioners and provide an occupational perspective on how mental health can impact school performance and participation in academic occupations.

Occupational Therapy Groups for Addressing Mental Health Challenges in School-Aged Populations is organized into different sections to assist the occupational therapy practitioner or occupational therapy student in considering different aspects of providing mental health services in schools. The text serves as a flexible compendium of group activities and interventions designed to promote positive mental health for all students and support students at risk for or with identified mental health challenges.

What’s included in Occupational Therapy Groups for Addressing Mental Health Challenges in School-Aged Populations:

• Cases to help recognize the occupational impact of internalizing and externalizing behaviors
• A quick reference of common assessments and screening tools
• Occupation-based Tier 2 group protocols and data collection tool templates
• An online section for occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educators with ideas for learning assignments, rubrics, and classroom activities to prepare prelicensure learners for addressing school mental health needs once they enter practice

Occupational Therapy Groups for Addressing Mental Health Challenges in School-Aged Populations: A Tier 2 Resource expresses the valued contribution that occupational therapists make to school mental health initiatives while also addressing a major gap―a Tier 2–focused resource with intervention ideas and tools for answering this urgent call to practice.

Brad E. Egan, OTD, PhD, CADC, OTR/L, is a tenured associate professor of occupational therapy at DePaul University and former founding site coordinator and associate professor of occupational therapy at Lenoir-Rhyne University's Columbia, South Carolina campus. He has worked extensively in community-based mental health with adults and children. He currently enjoys using chess in after-school programming to promote mental well-being for at-risk youth. Dr. Egan has been an occupational therapist for 20 years and a certified alcohol and drug counselor for 7 years. His research interests include homelessness, substance use, after-school programming, the impact of occupation-based interventions on building resilience, and protective factors. Dr. Egan received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of South Carolina, master’s degree in health studies from the University of Alabama, a doctoral degree in occupational therapy from Creighton University, and a PhD in education from Northcentral University. He enjoys coffee around the clock, faux taxidermy, podcasts, and skylines.

Cindy Sears, OTD, MA, OTR/L, BCP, is an assistant professor and director of curriculum at Hawai'i Pacific University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Prior to this role, she was an assistant professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Columbia, South Carolina campus. Cindy has more than 30 years of clinical practice in pediatric occupational therapy with 20 years devoted to school systems therapy. She received her American Occupational Therapy Association board certification in pediatrics in 1999 and again in 2021. She received her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in occupational therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in business from Webster University. Dr. Sears is passionate about occupational therapy, mental health, person-centered measurement, and the science of hope. She loves yoga, running, trips to Walt Disney World, and time spent with her family, her husband, Jeff, and her twin Maltipoos, Tyler and Sophie.

Allen Keener, OTD, MS, OTR/L, ATP, was a fifth-grade classroom teacher before becoming an occupational therapist. He has practiced occupational therapy in a variety of settings, including outpatient adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, inpatient mental health, home health, and rehab management. He became certified as an assistive technology professional through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in 2017 and maintains assistive technology as a scholarship interest. Dr. Keener also holds specialty certifications in online course development and teaching and physical agent modalities. Before joining the faculty at Eastern Kentucky University, Dr. Keener was tenured faculty and director of the occupational therapy assistant program at Wallace State Community College. In 2016, he received the Alabama Community College System Chancellor's Award of Excellence for his work in the occupational therapy assistant program at Wallace State and service to the college. In 2019, he was awarded a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Award of Excellence for Teaching and Leadership at the annual National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development conference in Austin, Texas. His interests in occupational therapy include but are not limited to occupation-based practice, teaching and learning, and enabling occupation through assistive technology across the lifespan.