Promoting positive mental health in children in the elementary school-based setting to increase student participation and self-esteem is a critical area for occupational therapy (OT) to provide intervention. This capstone project includes a 2-hour lecture for entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students and a 15-week course syllabus equipped with objectives and Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards. Through an interactive lecture, the class investigated the public school multi-tiered support system, evidence-based interventions and programs, sensory processing and environmental adaptations to reduce maladaptive behavior and increase participation in school-based occupations. In this capstone project, the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model (PEOP); the Synthesis of Child, Occupation, Perfomance, and Environment-In Time (SCOPE-IT) frame of reference and the application of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s, Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process 3rd edition are used to guide OT clinical reasoning and evidence-based interventions to promote positive mental health in childre. The American Occupational Therapy Association discusses the importance of school-based occupational therapists to use their skills and knowledge to increase youth participation in the educational environment which contributes to better mental health and quality of life. Upon completion of the lecture, participants will have an understanding of the role of OT in promoting positive mental health within all three public-school tiers of support to increase youth participation in school-based occupations and decreasing maladaptive behaviors through the use fo client-centered evidence-based programs, strategies, and interventions.
