Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Bonnie DePue

Second Advisor

Holly Grieves, OTD, OTRL

Abstract

The topic of this capstone project is the role of occupational therapy in Equine-Assisted Services. This field is currently dominated by physical therapy because occupational therapists report a lack of knowledge and training involving this unique treatment strategy. Another common issue for equine-assisted programs is funding because insurance often denies coverage for these unique and expensive services. Therefore, objectives for this project include development of three educational visuals, submission of three grant proposals, completion of two continuing education opportunities, and service provision. Results of this project include educational visuals on (1) the basics of Equine-Assisted Services, (2) the impact of Equine-Assisted Services, and (3) the role of occupational therapy in Equine-Assisted Services that will be used for educational purposes and to advocate for occupational therapy involvement in this setting. The results of each grant proposal are currently unknown, but the hope is for CHUM, my capstone site, to receive the requested funding and use it to lighten the financial burden.

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