51С�Ƴ�

The University of 51С�Ƴ�’s Occupational Therapy Department was well represented at the 2015 International Institute on the Model of Human Occupation conference on October 23 and 24 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Students and faculty gave two presentations. The first, “Volition, Habits and Performance Capacity Outcomes of L.L. Bean Employees Enrolled in a Wellness Program,” was presented by Jane O’Brien, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Jan Froehlich, M.S., OTR/L, O.T., graduate students Samantha Curran ‘16 and Faith Swenson ‘16, as well as Joel Hinshaw, wellness coordinator for L.L. Bean and Scott O’Brien, student at Norwich University. The presentation analyzed the outcomes of the JumpStart conditioning program to improve health and wellness of employees at L.L. Bean, including findings regarding volition, habituation, performance abilities and environment.

O’Brien and O.T. student volunteer Janelle Tumbleson ‘17 also presented “Teaching Students to Apply Model of Human Occupation to Occupational Practice.” It provided an overview of case-based intervention courses including course design, materials and experiential learning activities that can easily be replicated at other institutions.

Jane O’Brien served on the organizing committee of the Institute and Curran, Swenson, Tumbleson, and Scott O’Brien volunteered at the conference alongside students from the University of Illinois and Indiana University.

The conference, which included attendees from 18 countries, was dedicated to the late Dr. Gary Kielhofner, one of the most influential and multifaceted occupational therapy scholars of the past 30 years.  Dr. Kielhofner was a frequent visitor of 51С�Ƴ�and the O.T. Department.