OTA faculty members published article in professional journal

Occupational Therapy Assistant Technology (OTA) faculty members Antoinette (“Toni”) Durban and Claudia Miller are co-authors of an article in the May issue of OT Practice Magazine, a monthly publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

The article, titled “Creative fieldwork solutions: Shifting the paradigm,” discusses new methods used by the Cincinnati State OTA program, starting during the early months of the COVID pandemic, to provide meaningful fieldwork experiences and give students hands-on practice they need to be successful in the workforce.

• The article describes innovative approaches to fieldwork the OTA program developed during the pandemic when traditional fieldwork locations such as hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinics were closed to students.
   
• The new approaches included partnerships with community recreation centers and community organizations that provide mental health services, such as homeless shelters.
   
• The continuation of these new partnerships is giving Cincinnati State OTA students more diverse options and opportunities “to gain skills needed to treat any person, group, or population without bias” and “to implement interventions in nontraditional settings.”
   
• Additionally, community organizations that were not previously aware of benefits of working with Occupational Therapists have discussed and/or are taking action to add Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants to their staff– in some cases leading to employment opportunities for CState graduates.
   
• The article’s conclusion noted:

  “What began as a temporary fix turned out to become a standard of practice for our fieldwork program at Cincinnati State College, and truly ended up as a positive outcome for everyone involved. This opportunity has shown our students how to use their skills and training in a nontraditional setting and to advocate for occupational therapy in the local community.”

OTA Program Chair Claudia Miller said, “Toni was a new Fieldwork Coordinator who did a great job handling the challenges of the COVID pandemic and helping the community at the same time.”

“It was very impressive work, and we are pleased to be able to share this success story with our professional colleagues,” Claudia added.

(Article PDF and graphic from OT Practice Magazine)