Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto

02/04/2019

To the Occupational Therapy Community ~ Please consider checking out this community-based project called Hero Camp, created and led by Matthew King (Matte Black) of Heroes in Black.

It provides a great opportunity for inspiration, growth and meaningful occupational engagement for youth in shelters who are struggling to find their place...

Hero Camp is...
A 3-Day holistic-healing and self-development camp for youth in shelters.

Friday May 31, 2019 - Sunday June 2, 2019

From Matthew King:

It's that time of year again when I believe in the impossible and rely on the kindness of the community to help my team bring 30 youth from shelters on a three day camping trip of a lifetime. If you haven't heard about it yet, it's called Hero Camp, and nothing short of fun, inspiration and dreams becoming true takes place on these trips.

We bring motivational speakers, self-development Guru's, and positive role models to help give these youth the know-how, tools and life-skills to become there best self, get off the streets, and find their place in society.

But I can't do this on my own, so yes, I'am asking for your financial support. However there is no donation too small, or too big. Everything helps. Please consider supporting this cause today, as without your help, it won't be possible.

Heres a news clip of what we do on CityNews:
https://www.facebook.com/citynewstoronto/videos/10154338435911175/

Please, donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/herocamp2019

Anyone who donates $125+ will be given a free invitation to join us as a volunteer. Cheers.

Also, sharing is caring. ❤

16/11/2018

Check out today's feature article in Faces of U of T Medicine - recognizing OT Professor Angela Colantonio and her tremendous research work and influence on current practice in mental health!

Professor Angela Colantonio understands the complexity of mental, physical and cognitive conditions related to traumatic brain injury, particularly among under-served populations. Colantonio is the Director of the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and a faculty member of the Department of Occupation...

29/08/2018

The Voices of Youth Research Project:
Check out this interview excerpt with members of OT Prof. Rebecca Renwick's research team at U of T.

They used an inclusive approach to understand what really matters to youths with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) in the “Voices of Youths” project.

The message? Belonging matters! Youth with IDD want to and can have a valuable voice in research and in evaluating the programs and service that affect them; youth want to belong, and pathways to belonging play an integral role in how youth engage in community life.

We are proud to celebrate and honour the achievements of the Voices of Youth team!

For more information about the VOY, check out these links:

1. Website: voicesofyouthresearch.com

2. Film: Belonging Matters (https://youtu.be/brAsG2CidwA)

3. Plain-language report: What the Youth Told Us: A Final Report (https://voicesofyouthsresearch.files.wordpress.com/…/voices…)

24/08/2018

For more information about the Voices of Youth research project and team:

1. Website: voicesofyouthresearch.com

2. Film: Belonging Matters (https://youtu.be/brAsG2CidwA)

3. Plain-language report: What the Youth Told Us: A Final Report (https://voicesofyouthsresearch.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/voices-of-youths-final-report-what-youth-told-us.pdf)

The Voices of Youths was a multi-year research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The goal of this project, led...

24/08/2018

We are proud of and thankful for the achievements and contributions of the Voices of Youth research team!

10/07/2018

Congratulations, Dr. Patty Rigby!

Congratulations to Dr. Patty Rigby, who has just been honoured with the 2018 Life Membership Award from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the profession of Occupational Therapy in research, practice and teaching.
Patty obtained a Diploma in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta in 1976, her MHSc from McMaster University in 1991 and her PhD in Health Sciences from Utrecht University, in the Netherlands, in 2009. She joined the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (OS&OT) in 1994. Upon her retirement in 2017, she was awarded Professor Emeritus status, in recognition of her long service and exemplary leadership.

Patty’s research was critical in the development and advancement of one of the most widely recognized OT practice models, the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, which recognizes the importance of environment as a contributor to occupational performance and health.
Through her own research, practice and writing of textbook materials, she also contributed to a ground-breaking shift in our occupational lens: transforming it to encompass and promote the development of children’s ‘play’ as a meaningful occupation, developmental process, and outcome of importance. Her work helped uncover the value in children’s playfulness, influencing the focus and development of future treatment programs and evaluation tools. She has contributed extensively to the literature and evidence base for occupational therapy, producing many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters over the course of her career.

Dr. Rigby is a highly skilled instructor. Her teaching methods and content expertise are greatly valued by students in both the OS&OT program and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute. She was the Graduate Coordinator of UofT’s new MScOT program, from its inception in 2000 until 2007. Her efforts led to the Department awarding her its 2007 Excellence in Service Award. She also oversaw the development of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC), which administers recruitment and admissions, student awards and bursaries, the student handbook, student resources and supports, convocation awards and career preparation sessions for our graduating students.

In her clinician and clinical researcher roles, Patty made significant contributions to pediatric practice during her time at Holland Bloorview, where she worked from 2005 to 2013. Her work has led to advancements in the development and evaluation of assistive technology for children with physical disabilities, which in turn, facilitates their engagement in daily life. As a valued Senior Scientist at Holland Bloorview for 8 years, Patty was awarded their highest honour, the Circle of Honour Award, in 2008.

Beginning in 2011, Dr. Rigby assumed leadership of the OS & OT Department’s alumni relations at U of T, despite earning all her degrees from other universities. Through her organization of events and oversight of media broadcasts, she has been responsible for attracting greater interest and involvement of alumni. She created a page within the Departmental website to profile alumni achievements and assembled groups to plan and organize events, more actively engaging OT alumni in the Department’s affairs and networking. Patty continues to take a leadership role in planning and organizing events and activities to celebrate the centenary of occupational therapy education at the University of Toronto throughout 2018. Her mentoriship of others through these service activities, and her teaching and research, has been extraordinary.

Dr. Rigby is truly a gift to our profession. Her work and personal influence has been and continues to be important to the development and advancement of occupational therapy, both within Canada, and on an international level.
We could not be happier or more proud to celebrate the achievements of this worthy recipient of CAOT’s Life Membership Award!

06/07/2018

Judi Weisman Wagman’s career in occupational therapy stands as an exemplary model of leadership that contributed to foundational expansion in our profession’s boundaries. Read more about why her story is worth recognizing and celebrating! ....

Throughout Judi’s education and career, she actively took on many roles and opportunities to advance and influence clinical OT practice, policies, and public awareness of the value of our profession.

Early Education & Background:

She first earned her Diploma in Physical and Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto in 1961. She and her 45 classmates made up the smallest ever graduating class from that program. Not long after obtaining her first OT position in psychiatry at Toronto Western Hospital, Judi was actively partaking in efforts to allow P&OT grads to upgrade their qualifications and earn a BSc by helping to draft a proposal to the University. After it was accepted, she and her colleagues were permitted to take additional courses on a part-time basis at U of T, where she eventually completed her BSc (OT) degree in 1982.

While maintaining a full-time OT practice and having a family of her own, Judi still had continual interest in pursuing further education and leadership opportunities. Thus, after completing a program of study in Hospital Administration at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in 1983 and a Canadian Hospital Association extension course in Departmental Management in 1985, she went on to achieve the academic designation of Fellow of Health Services Administration (with Distinction) at the Canadian School of Management. Through this process, she also earned an MSc degree in Health Services Administration in 1996. Always keen to further develop her career skills, she took professional development courses in financial management, managerial decision-making, research methodology, and strategic planning.

Judi reflected that her motivation for ongoing skill development came out of a direct desire to become a leader who could influence the direction of the OT profession. She was proud of being an OT and felt strongly about this profession’s value in addressing health care needs at both personal and societal levels.

Judi’s Impact on Clinical Practice:

After working at Toronto Western Hospital for approximately 2 years, Judi moved on to Baycrest Hospital, as the head of OT for over 2 years. After having 2 children, she returned to work at the Workman’s Compensation Board Rehabilitation Hospital for 5 years before accepting a Senior OT position in the veterans’ section at Sunnybrook Hospital, where she practiced for 10 years. Directly applying her multi-disciplinary education, training, and experience, Judi made her greatest impact on clinical practice at Scarborough Grace Hospital, where she worked for over 12 years.

Initially hired on when the hospital was still being built in 1985, she began as their first Occupational Therapy Manager – playing a key role in planning and developing their early programs in several departments, including general medicine, surgery, rehabilitation, palliative care and psychiatry. She took pride in building the OT and Recreation Therapy departments from the ground up.

Throughout her time at this hospital (which later merged with Scarborough General Hospital), she progressed to become the Director of Rehabilitation Services, overseeing the management of the OT, PT, SLP, Audiology, Chiropody, and Recreation Therapy departments.

As Director of Rehabilitation Services for almost 3 years, Judi Wagman made quite a mark on the 35 various health professionals under her supervision. She was recognized by most of her employees as a positive example of a supportive, fair leader who made a tremendous difference in their ongoing professional development and lives. As a testament to the level of connection she developed with her staff, to this day Judi continues to attend social get-togethers with some of the OT staff, and they continue to express appreciation for all they have learned from her. Judi shared her passion for ongoing professional development with her staff and advised them to continue to update their qualifications, in the best interest of their future career paths.

Judi reflected on the value she gained for a ‘real’ interdisciplinary team approach during her initial years at the hospital. It involved true collaboration among different health professionals, and everyone was regarded as worthy of contributing to patient care and decision-making. She attributes the development of this truly inter-disciplinary collaboration to the influence of the Salvation Army on the hospital’s administration during its early years.

Judy’s Active Role in OT Policy and Public Awareness:

Throughout Judi’s career, she has held many positions of political influence and has taken great initiative in advancing public awareness of the OT profession. Judi was actively involved in professional associations in a variety of capacities: President of OSOT’s Toronto branch, and also serving on the board of the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists. On a national level, Judy was also an active board member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) since 1980, becoming Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee (from 1984-88). She was honoured by CAOT with an Award of Merit, in recognition of her positive impact on its fiscal growth and as an OT advocate with outstanding accountability. She was an early board member of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO), where she remained actively engaged for 2 terms.

As an example of her initiative and influence, while Judi was on the CAOT Board, she organized a collective professional response to a published work (OT, The Diffident Profession) that had mischaracterized and provided a scathing review of occupational therapy, which significantly disheartened CAOT members. As part of the program for the annual OT conference that year, she led the way in restoring the professional pride of OTs across Canada by staging a mass ‘funeral’ for “diffidence” – restoring pride in the value of OT.

Judi’s Ongoing Community Level Influence:

Though she has officially retired from the profession, Judi continues to exert her OT influence in her community. Recognizing the poor accessibility to the lower level of her own synagogue for older adults, those with physical disabilities, and families with children in strollers, Judi took action. She met with her rabbi, the Chairman of the synagogue, and 2 Board members to discuss the need for and the potential benefit of, installing an elevator on the premises. Her efforts led to the approval of this proposal by the synagogue’s Board of Governors. Judi initiated the fund for the elevator project and pledged an annual contribution to get the project started. The good news: construction of the elevator is now on its way to success! Judi credits her OT knowledge and skills with equipping her to both identify and act effectively on this need for change.

Final Thoughts:

Judi’s lasting impact on OT and beyond is best captured in her own words. She stated that ‘she wants to be remembered as contributing to mankind – as truly making things better for other people.’ She believes ‘we are put on this earth for a reason, and that when we leave, it would be nice to have made things better for those we impact.’

Thank you ever so much, Judi! You have touched the lives of so many, in and beyond the profession of OT, with a truly positive impact.

14/06/2018

We're continually amazed and very proud of our grads who expand OT practice and research to better address the needs of their communities.

We think you'll marvel, like we do, at what Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia (MScOT, 2006) is achieving in his work!

Dr. Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia has a passion for both clinical practice in OT and research related to return to work populations in northern Ontario. Mining is essential to the resource-based economy of these communities, thus much of Behdin’s research and clinical work has focused on mining populations.

As part of his post-doctoral work through the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health at Laurentian University, Behdin is currently the only OT on a team of researchers exploring return to work and mental health in mining communities. The Mining Mental Health study is the first of its kind and is funded by a large mining company with sites throughout the province. This unique study is receiving attention internationally as well, as other nations with prominent mining industries are interested in its findings.
Behdin has also been pursuing clinical work with workers in this industry, as many individuals are interested in paying for private rehabilitation services due to a lack of available services, and their strong desire to accelerate recovery and return to work.

Behdin’s passion for his work is evident, as he has fully invested himself in both clinical practice and research and has even experienced the mines firsthand!
Behdin was drawn to the profession early on in his academic career when he had the opportunity to shadow an OT. He quickly realized his interest in the diverse scope of practice of the profession and was particularly fascinated by workplace-related injuries and return to work. More specifically, he found the field to be relatable as we spend the majority of our adult lives working, yet often know very little about the impact of that work on our health. The OT program at U of T was well-suited to Behdin, as he had always had a passion for research and strived to use evidence to guide his practice.

Upon graduating, Behdin was ready for a new adventure and headed to northern Ontario to work in general rehabilitation with marginalized populations. At the same time, Behdin chose to pursue a research-based Master’s in Public Health at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. That Master’s thesis aligned with his interests, as it focused on return to work for individuals living with cancer. He then decided to continue his academic pursuits and complete his Ph.D. in occupational health in Sudbury at Laurentian University. This research involved a multi-site study exploring the occupational health of nurses in northeastern Ontario.

Throughout his work in the northern communities, Behdin witnessed the limited access to care and OT services firsthand, especially in return to work populations. As such, upon moving to Sudbury, Behdin began working clinically with these population through his private practice, OT Services North, and continues to do so today. In this capacity, Behdin provides clinical services including return to work, home safety assessments, and education. He has also completed research with various communities, including a 5-year program evaluation of health programs offered for indigenous populations on the reserves, through his consulting company. Recently, he began leading a study examining individuals with a serious mental illness using the Ontario Common Assessment of Needs data at the Canadian Mental Health Association (Toronto branch).

Despite his extensive involvement and integration in the northern communities, Behdin still finds time to stay connected to UofT. While completing additional post-doctoral work with Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Behdin was connected with the Department of OS & OT and was hired to teach and inspire first-year occupational therapy students in an occupational therapy practice course, and more recently in the structure and function course. We admire Behdin’s passion for his work and congratulate him on all his achievements thus far!

09/06/2018

Did you know that the Vulpe Assessment Battery (VAB) for children was developed by our alumna Shirley Vulpe?

Shirley Vulpe is considered by many to be a “legend” in occupational therapy. Her impact on our profession has been huge across the span of her multi-faceted career. And her creation of the VAB for children in 1968 stands as her most momentous contribution to OT practice.

In the 1960’s, Shirley pioneered a new approach to the evaluation of occupational performance in children with developmental disabilities - involving a comprehensive analysis of varied skills (including balance, strength, play, language, social functioning, ADL performance, and sleep). .

She developed the VAB while working at Montreal Children’s Hospital, where a need was identified for an assessment for children with developmental delays. Shirley not only created this needed assessment tool, but she also developed and implemented courses to educate other health professionals on how its results could inform treatment planning. Shirley’s subsequent graduate level research involved an investigation of the VAB’s psychometrics, as she studied the inter-rater reliability of the Vulpe Performance System.

Not only was the VAB novel in its comprehensiveness, but it was also unique in its form of administration, gathering information through play-based interactions from both therapist observation and parent/teacher report. Another valuable feature of the VAB was its utility in providing therapists with direct guidance in treatment planning, stemming from the results of the assessment. The VAB has withstood the test of time and is still in use today in a revised format, the VAB-R.

Shirley graduated in 1961 from the University of Toronto’s Physical & Occupational Therapy diploma program and went on to complete her PhD in Educational Administration in 1984 at William and Mary College in Virginia, USA. She actively transferred her research-based development to other OTs and other health professionals across North America. Shirley taught VAB courses in several different Canadian provinces and US states, educating OTs, nurses, PTs, SLPs, social workers, and psychologists in assessing and treatment-planning for children with developmental disabilities.

When interviewed, Shirley reflected upon the challenges she encountered throughout the development of the VAB. She recounted that the multi-disciplinary nature of her assessment was not initially well-received by some psychologists, who perceived it as involving professional territorial boundary-crossing. She also found herself questioned by professionals who had higher levels of education than her. They expressed initial doubt that they could learn something new from her. However, with time, many psychologists and other health professionals came to appreciate both her teachings and the VAB’s usefulness in providing new pieces of information and in facilitating joint collaboration and understanding between all members of health care teams.

In creating the VAB, an assessment with a strength-based focus, Shirley also transferred her belief to many others, that society should continue to focus on bringing out what each child is capable of doing, rather than focusing primarily the child’s weaknesses or difficulties.

Despite the labour-intensive process of both creating and administering the VAB, Shirley found that it was completely worthwhile and appreciated by health professionals across Canada, who valued its provision of more effective ways to assess and facilitate occupational success in children with developmental disabilities. In sharing her approach, Shirley helped to transform many health professionals’ perspectives to include a strength-based focus (as opposed to zeroing in on weaknesses that need to be fixed) in their work with children. In particular, many social workers in foster care commended her teachings and the VAB, which helped them to facilitate more therapeutic and engaging interactions between children and parents in their foster families.

In addition to the VAB, Shirley also developed the first pre-school special education program in Hampton, Virginia, USA. And many years of her career were dedicated to setting up and expanding early childhood special education and rehabilitation programs across the USA, where she continues to reside.

Shirley is still very active post-retirement. She is now involved with the American Association of Retired Persons, providing anti-fraud education to seniors, and counselling them in choosing health care plans. She is also active in writing and contributing to journals dedicated to helping others who have immune deficiency medical conditions, as she does.

What has Occupational Therapy given to Shirley?

She credits her extensive OT education and professional experiences with best equipping to provide long-term caregiving for her late husband, following his experience of multiple medical conditions, including a brainstem stroke (CVA).

She feels that the diverse training OTs receive is the best for meeting the demands of life, especially when providing for the safety and well-being of a family member with an illness or disability. Shirley states that her OT education has provided her with “a foundation of joy and purpose in her life” and she can’t speak highly enough about it.

What an inspiration she is!!! Congratulations Shirley.

04/06/2018

Did you know that one of our grads helped to create the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) administered by the Ontario Ministry of Health?

Yes - it was Marg Shaw (class of 1949) whose expertise was put to good use in the development of ADP in Ontario. She was an exceptional leader and pioneering OT throughout her career. After her retirement she joined the executive of the PT-OT Alumni Association at UofT for well over a decade. We greatly appreciate the many many hours that she volunteered on the executive to support the Department and our relations with alumni.

You'll enjoy reading more about her storied career and leadership achievements in a story posted on the Alumni Association's website. https://ptosotalumni.com/2018/05/alumni-profile-margaret-shaw/

24/05/2018

Our students have a broad variety of fieldwork opportunities to choose from, including international placements with a variety of partners from around the world. Many students express that these placements in such places as Africa, India, and the Carribean provide them with transformative life experiences.

Nikita (MScOT’15) is now working as a paediatric OT in Trinidad and Tobago. Upon graduating she decided to fulfill her dreams of working abroad, and has been running her own practice, Occupational Therapy & Me (OT&ME), for two years.

Nikita was first introduced to Trinidad and Tobago through her international fieldwork placement during her second year in our program. During that placement she worked at a school/prevocational centre for children and adults with special needs. Together with peers, she helped implement various groups and individual treatments sessions focusing on self-care skills, handwriting, and vocational skills. In addition, she helped develop an in-depth program and task analysis of the prevocational course the school offers, in order to eventually expand the program. Nikita says this experience was life-changing and a real challenge for her as it forced her to think creatively and adjust her practices to complement the new culture in which she was immersed.

She admits that “the warm weather and beautiful climate definitely infulenced my decision,” but that it was the efforts of the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Therapy Association (TTOTA) that really inspired her to want to move to Trinidad and help build the OT profession in a country that is very underserviced by OTs. She has recently taken on the role as vice President of TTOTA, and is helping increase the visibility and value of OT in more publicly funded settings within Trinidad and Tobago.

Nikita’s passion for travelling and cultural immersion lead her to join the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) http://icdr.utoronto.ca/. She was involved in the continuing development of the student handbook for the Trinidad OT placement, but more importantly continues to connect with those students who are on a fieldwork placement there each year. Nikita expressed that practicing OT in a developing country such as Trinidad, was challenging as a student because of the sometimes limited resouces and cultural differences. Therefore, she hopes she can continue to be a resource for UofT students on placement, and hopefully enhance their experience.

Nikita expressed gratitude to University of Toronto’s OT program for teaching her to think innovatively and then providing her with the opportunity to use that knowledge during an international fieldwork placement. In the future, Nikita is looking forward to continuing to build her skills and confidence as an OT and new business owner. She looks forward to hopefully expanding OT&ME to an interdisciplinary practice, and reach more families in need of rehab services in Trinidad and Tobago.

Congratulations Nikita! Your work has potential for such broad, positive, and very meaningful impact!!!