Family engagement in occupational therapy (OT) can reduce caregiver burden, improve child skill, participation, or behavior, and increase parental empowerment and quality of life. Although OT practitioners (OTPs) and receiving families recognize the importance of family engagement, participation in the service delivery model remains limited. A thorough literature review reveals three primary barriers to effective family engagement: (a) systemic factors, including insufficient administrative support, limited funding to provide training, current service delivery models and standards, (b) therapist factors, including high caseload demand, limited family engagement training, negative experiences or perceptions on the adopted service delivery model, and (c) family-related barriers including an invitation for involvement, time and energy, reported level of knowledge and confidence, and life context.
The Engaged Family program was developed to mitigate these barriers necessary to improve family engagement in OT services. This is a theory-driven, evidence-based, and web-based program for families of children receiving pediatric OT. The Engaged Family will directly serve the guardians and caregivers of children aged birth to 18, receiving OT services in any pediatric setting for any diagnosis. The program aims to engage and empower families through prioritization of families' need for information, skill development, and connection to support the health and wellness of families and children. Sample topics include understanding their child's diagnosis, communicating with their child's healthcare team, and advocating for their child. The website also consists of The Family Academy: monthly online family workshops which provide education and support through virtual conferencing. The website and family workshop topics will be based on family-identified needs. The website will offer free content and resources and allow the option to purchase a three-month subscription service to receive more targeted information.
While educational websites currently exist, they may be challenging to navigate and discern the level of evidence supporting the information and resources. For this reason, The Engaged Family was developed using motivational, learning, and family-centered models. Evidence regarding the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model of parent involvement, Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory, and Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory informed the content and structure provided, as well as King's framework showing a continuum of family-oriented services.
The program evaluation includes constant connection with the participants to assess their needs and how they are met. Content is designed according to the participant families' prioritization of needs gathered from the Occupational Therapy Family Profile. Pre-post participation changes will be captured using the Efficacy to Connect subscales of the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM), participant surveys, and individual interviews. The Engaged Family program and the program evaluation findings will be disseminated among families of children receiving OT services and OTPs in the United States.
The author hopes that The Engaged Family will foster family engagement in pediatric OT services by guiding families in the skills and confidence needed to improve participating family’s and child’s health and well-being.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/46176 |
| Date | 08 May 2023 |
| Creators | Martello, Alexandria |
| Contributors | Gafni-Lachter, Liat |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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