Telehealth, Parent Alliance, and OT

Earn 1 hour of continuing education by joining OT Potential after taking this course.

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As OTs, we believe that creating a therapeutic alliance is one of the most powerful vehicles to change. 

But, we also know that there are many barriers that exist to building transformational relationships with our clients 

Telehealth can feel like another such barrier—but it doesn’t have to be!

The article we are looking at in this 1 hour podcast-based CE course is a qualitative study exploring the parent engagement and therapeutic alliance in teletherapy programs. The author’s intent was to begin building a conceptual model to inform improved practice. 

After discussing the article, we are excited to welcome Adam Griffin to the podcast. Adam is an OT hailing from Dubai, who has vast experience using teletherapy and coaching fellow OTs in its use.

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.

• Parent engagement and therapeutic alliance in Allied Health teletherapy programs

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• Stimulating research to advance evidence-based applications of telehealth in occupational therapy
• Parent engagement and disengagement in paediatric settings: An occupational therapy perspective

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to identify strategies to build task alliance in telehealth.
• You will be able to recognize drivers of relationship alliance in telehealth. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Quick intro to teletherapy and where the research stands
• The known importance of therapeutic alliance
• Wait, what exactly is therapeutic alliance?
• Therapeutic alliance in teletherapy: what we know and don’t know
• What was the intent of this paper?
• What were the authors’ methods?
• Who were the participants and what did the interview entail?
• What were the findings?
• Discussion/Conclusions/Implications
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Adam Griffin) (50 minutes)

• How did you first find OT?
• How did you get into pediatric teletherapy?
• How is teletherapy different from in person therapy?
• Did you agree with the premise of the article that parent engagement is a key driver of outcomes in pediatric telehealth?
• What are practical things you do to get buy-in from parents and kids? How does that vary by caregiver?
• What does “agreement on goals” look like in your practice?
• What does “agreement on tasks” look like?
• How can you ensure open conversation with parents in the course of therapy?
• What is your advice for OTs to improve their therapeutic alliance skills in telehealth?
• What do you see on the horizon for teletherapy and OT? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about Telehealth, Parent Alliance, and OT.  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, Adam Griffin also has no financial disclosures. 

Speakers

Adam Griffin, OT:

Adam is the Head of Occupational Therapy at Camali Clinic as well as a vocal advocate for disability and inclusion in the middle east. Adam has a wealth of experience and training in supporting young adults with disabilities and their families and has a special clinical interest in DCD, Autism and Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Adam frequently appears in the media in the UAE discussing disability and healthcare-related topics as well as being a regular speaker at professional panels, international conferences, and workshops. 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.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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