Perceptions and Knowledge Around Substance Use Disorders and the Role of Occupational Therapy: A Survey of Clinicians.

Background: Today's healthcare system requires practitioners to acquire a level of confidence, knowledge, and personal desire that enables them to treat a growing clientele with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although SUDs impact millions of Americans, there are many barriers to receiving treatment. It is important to understand how occupational therapy (OT) practitioners' perceptions of working with clients who experience SUDs relate to the knowledge and skills required to identify and provide treatment. Method: Two surveys, the Medical Regard Scale and modified Drug Problems Perceptions Scale, were utilized to analyze participants attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge around working with individuals with SUDs. Data was collected from 116 practitioners with a variety of experience, practice settings, and backgrounds in understanding SUDs. Results: The majority of respondents reported no formal training in treating clients with SUDs (72.4%). In terms of attitudes around working with this population, a fraction reported a preference not to work with patients experiencing SUDs (16.0%) or finding them "irritating" to work with (12.9%), while 62.0% reported they felt especially compassionate toward this population. The majority of respondents felt that insurance plans should cover patients like this to the same degree that they cover patients with other conditions; however, only 48.3% had a clear idea of their responsibilities in helping individuals with SUDs. In regard to knowledge around working with SUDs, just over half of respondents reported a true working knowledge of SUDs and SUDs related problems (53.4%). Conclusion: Occupational therapy practitioners would benefit from additional training, resources, and support related to provision of services to individuals with SUD. In addition, training to continue to reduce stigma within the profession can potentially increase access to care.

Meeting Vision 2025: Enhancing Civic Competency, Attitudes, and Engagement Among Occupational Therapy Students.

The American Occupational Therapy Association's Vision 2025 (2017) challenges the occupational therapy profession to understand and address public health problems impacting communities. In response to this call to action, educators must design curricula that helps occupational therapy students build upon foundational civic knowledge. Faculty in an entry-level occupational therapy program created a curriculum to increase students' civic competency and engagement. This article provides a thorough description of this curriculum and a summary of an assessment to measure civic learning over time. Occupational therapy faculty may use this model to better prepare students to provide culturally responsive services to clients across diverse community contexts.

U.S. Army combat operational stress control throughout the deployment cycle: a case study.

As military conflicts around the world persist, a comprehensive approach in managing behavioral health issues will continue to be a key component of military healthcare. Deployed military personnel frequently exposed to trauma are well-known to be at high risk for developing behavioral health disorders, including combat stress reactions and posttraumatic stress disorder. In the U.S. Army, members of combat operational stress control (COSC) units have unique skills to assist soldiers and their families not only throughout all phases of a deployment, but also throughout a soldier's entire career. The purposes of this article are twofold, first to describe the role of COSC operations with an emphasis on interventions in a deployed environment. The second purpose is to present a case study from Operation Iraqi Freedom highlighting the efficacy of the COSC approach to meet a Soldier's behavioral health needs in a deployed environment.