The Clinical Experience Of An Emergency Homeless Shelter...

Usually the fieldwork clinical experience is done in which a student is placed under the direct supervision by an established on-site occupational therapy practitioner (Mattila Dolhi, 2016). Over the past ten years, there has been a shift in occupational therapy concerning emerging practice areas and non-traditional settings, where occupational therapy services are not currently provided (Mattila Dolhi, 2016). These various types of settings support the shift toward wellness and recovery, psychosocial services, and community health.(Mattila Dolhi, 2016). In this study, five graduate students were assigned to an emergency homeless shelter for young men in a suburban community for their fieldwork clinical experience (Mattila Dolhi,†¦show more content†¦The graduate students intended on providing meaningful programs that were in line with the young men future goals (Mattila Dolhi, 2016). The overall programming implemented at the shelter throughout fieldwork clinical experience sought to develop life skills and vocational skills to meet the goals of the young men. In addition to their stated needs and desires, the interventions provided were centered on the occupational deprivation expressed by the young men who participated (Mattila Dolhi, 2016). During the occupational therapy sessions each group completed a unique session that would focus on having the clients reflect on their experience. These sessions provided a way for the young men to share their talents and express themselves. The sessions stimulated self-esteem, group cohesion, and forming healthy relationships. The group sessions provided the young men at the shelter with the necessary resources, education, and the transitional stages the young men were going through (Mattila Dolhi, 2016). These changes are important components that will help to prepare the young men for the transition into adulthood, and out of the homeless shelter. By the end of the fieldwork experience the graduate students found three emerging themes as well as the outcomes: clinical reasoning and self-reflection; personal and professional development; and further understanding of the role of occupational