Submission Date

4-25-2021

Document Type

Entry Level Capstone

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

First Mentor

Ylice Bridges, DPT

Abstract

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) focus areas chosen for my capstone project were advocacy and administration. Long-term rehabilitation programs are essential for the quality of life (QOL) of people living with long-term neurological conditions (LTNC). Unfortunately, these programs are hard to come across and are seldom covered by insurance in the United States (U.S.). Stay in Step is a spinal cord injury (SCI) and brain injury outpatient clinic offering these long-term rehabilitation services. Stay in Step is a non-profit, veteran-founded facility mainly running on grants and donations. About half of the clients are self-pay, since insurance companies do not recognize the value of these services. The first part of my capstone project brings awareness to the importance of these services through a series of video testimonials highlighting the clients’ experiences at the clinic. The series will also be utilized to increase funding and inform potential new clients. The second part of my capstone project was the creation of a business proposal for the addition of occupational therapy (OT) services to the facility. Currently, Stay in Step only offers physical therapy (PT) and exercise training services. A gap of need for long-term, intensive OT services for the population living with LTNCs was identified through research, virtual meetings with experienced OTs, review of clients’ evaluations, and conversations with staff and clients. The addition of an OT program at Stay in Step would fill this gap at the facility by addressing a different set of client needs.

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