Reflecting The Communities That We Serve: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives In Occupational Therapy Education

Background There is a current lack of diversity seen in OT classrooms across the country. It is paramount we create a diverse occupational therapy student body in order to meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve. Students, educators, and therapists, need to develop cultural reflexivity, humility and safety when serving patients of various background (Taff & Blash, 2017). Through establishing diversity and inclusion initiatives within OT education we can increase awareness and provide education that will radically shape the OT workforce in coming years. Efforts to diversify OT programs is key to progressing as a profession, and reflecting the populations we serve (Taylor, 2007); thus achieving AOTA’s vision for 2025

Addressing Chronic Homelessness & Mental/Behavioral Health Needs in the Community: Collaborative Level II Fieldwork and Doctoral Experiential Programming

OT students worked with a diverse population in a variety of living environments including permanent supportive housing, and safe havens