Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Occupational Therapy Curriculum: Implications for Students and Faculty

Introduction: The field of occupational therapy lacks diversity which furthers the importance for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and cultural humility learning outcomes for faculty and students. Aims: This capstone project aims to improve DEI concepts and cultural humility within the St. Catherine University occupational therapy curriculum by educating occupational therapy faculty and students in the Human Occupation course. Approach: This capstone project is completed with St. Catherine University’s entry-level occupational therapy program to meet the university’s strategic plan and AOTA’s Vision 2025. The participants of this capstone project included first year students taking the Human Occupation course and faculty members within the occupational therapy program. Students were provided pre-class and in-class materials related to culture and DEI. Faculty members were recruited via email to participate. Faculty members were provided a video lecture and resource guide on DEI and cultural humility pedagogies. Students and faculty completed pre and post surveys containing qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of the teachings. Outcomes: Four out of five questions were statistically significant for student quantitative responses. Students provided qualitative feedback of considerable new learning. Faculty members who agree to participate demonstrated improved knowledge in DEI and cultural humility, improved comfort level teaching DEI material, and an increase in the number of times they will use DEI and cultural humility concepts in their courses. Faculty provided qualitative feedback of concepts they would use in their courses and additional questions related to the materials. Implications: Students would continue to benefit from DEI and cultural humility training throughout the entire coursework. It is recommended that all occupational therapy faculty members complete DEI and cultural humility training on an annual basis

Training in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC): An Evidence-Based Practice Project

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project examined the following question: What are the characteristics and effectiveness of trauma-informed care (TIC) training on the performance of health professionals and organizations who provide services to populations who have experienced trauma (traumatic events or ACE)