Establishing a Case for Occupational Therapy in Meeting the Needs of Children with Grief Issues in School-Based Settings

Abstract

The researchers conducted a needs assessment survey of practicing school-based occupational therapists to determine the incidence of grief within existing caseloads, current awareness of the issue, related concerns, and willingness or resistance to address grief in the intervention environment. The survey was administered to a representative sample of 150 school-based therapists throughout the state of Ohio. Fifty-six therapists responded with usable data. The results suggest that the students who are currently on occupational therapy (OT) caseloads face a large number of grief issues. Although a majority of therapists reported addressing grief issues, only a small percentage typically do so for a variety of reasons. The school therapists offered a number of explanations for the limited follow-through on this issue. These findings support the profession's recent efforts to further establish occupational therapy as a well-recognized and respected provider of interventions to address the mental health and psychosocial needs of children in school settings.