School-based OT Workload Trends

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The change from “caseload” to “workload” may not seem that dramatic, but make no mistake it is a quiet revolution that is happening in school-based OT. 

It fundamentally shifts how we deliver care. 

The article we are discussing on the podcast encourages a  shifting away from an individualist, medical model “caseload” based approach. And, encourages us to embrace a “workload” approach, which hypothetically yields opportunities to focus more on population health. 

This shift has been underway for a while now, and the research we are looking at gives us an update on how this change is playing out on the front lines. 

After our article review, I’m so excited to talk about this with Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L of the OT School House! Jayson has experienced this shift in his own practice, and has a wealth of experience supporting school-based OTs. 

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Caseload and workload: Current trends in school-based practice across the United States

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• Occupational therapy role in school-based practice: Perspectives from teachers and Ots
• Revitalizing the OT role in school-based practice: Promoting success for all students

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to recognize how a workload approach could benefit your students. 
• You will be able to identify barriers to implementing a workload approach.

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Intro to caseload versus workload
• What research and writing has been done on the workload paradigm?
• Let’s get real: Barriers to switching to a workload paradigm
• What was the purpose of this paper?
• What were the methods?
• What were the results?
• Conclusions and discussion
• Implications for OT practitioners
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Jayson Davies) (50 minutes)

• Jayson, can you tell us how you found OT?
• What drew you to school-based OT?
• From your vantage point, how much of the conversation about caseload versus workload is happening in academia versus on the frontlines?
• How do we meet the needs of individual IEP goals with a workload paradigm?
• How are school OTs’ positions funded, and what are the forces that dictate your time? 
• What are the challenges to push-in therapy, and how can we get better at it?
• Do you know of any success stories where OTs have transitioned to a workload paradigm?
• How have you adjusted your personal practice based on research like this?
• I think the push toward population health in the school setting is a bellwether for the rest of OT. Do you agree, and how do we continue to make this shift?

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about School-based OT Trends. The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guest, Jayson Davies does sell courses related to school-based OTs, but these will not be promoted in this episode and OT Potential has no financial connection to them.

Speakers

Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L:

Jayson Davies, OTR/L has been a school-based occupational therapist since 2012. With experience as both a contracted therapist and a district employee for three distinctly different districts, Jayson has had the opportunity to appreciate the differences between both small-rural and large-suburban districts. 

Recently, Jayson has put forth his efforts in implementing full classroom and small group collaborative RTI lessons with general and special education teachers. Jayson enjoys helping build knowledge among school-based OTs and educators through the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, website, and online courses. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L:

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

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We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. For more details read our blog post: Can I earn OT CEUS from a podcast? To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Explained. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

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