The occupational therapy program at Cleveland State prepares students to address population-health issues in the community through the capstone process. Students collaborate with a local site to design a capstone experience. After working on site for 14 weeks, the student completes an individual capstone project to demonstrate synthesis and application of knowledge gained. These posters highlight the accomplishments of the occupational therapy doctoral students at Cleveland State University.
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Occupational therapy’s role in using video games as an exercise modality for community dwelling older adults
Sara Janosik
Video games for physical rehabilitation have gained popularity in the clinic and community. This capstone project, completed at Cleveland State University, analyzed the physical, environmental, in-game, and real-world requirements for various Nintendo Switch games using therapeutic practice frameworks in order to incorporate them into clinical implications for health promotion and prevention.
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Infant Care Education to Pregnant Women Before the Parental Role Transition
Alyssa Johnson
This capstone focused on the role occupational therapy can play among expectant mothers. The experience was completed at a Cleveland-based community, Zelie's Home, where women receive support as they embrace motherhood. A program manual and informational handouts were distributed with a goal of educating pregnant women on infant care techniques.
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Psychosocial health intervention in the intensive care unit (ICU): Occupational therapy's role
Rachel Kucharczyk
This capstone adovcated for the importance in addressing psychosocial health for individuals admitted to University Hospitals' Intensive Care Unit(s), specifically from an occupational therapy perspective. This capstone included the creation and implementation of a psychosocial health toolkit containing 50+ resources for therapists to utilize within their practice.
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Online Stress Management Resources in Higher Education: A Pilot Study
Diana Leonardo
The focus of this capstone was to promote mental health through stress management at Cleveland State University. A Blackboard shell was developed using evidence-based stress management strategies. In collaboration with Cleveland State University, we explored the efficacy of the shell and updated it for future use on campus.
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Improving the delivery of developmental care in the NICU: A focus on co-occupational engagement
Christina Martella
The role of the parent being the primary caregiver is interrupted in the NICU by the advanced care the infant is being provided. These parental role alterations that NICU caregivers experience can negatively impact the parent-infant relationship and ultimately negatively impact overall parental engagement. Even with increased literature showing the need for developmental care through co-occupational engagement with NICU families, it is not systematically integrated into everyday practice. This capstone project aimed to create a systematic way to improve Occupational Therapists’ approach to delivering high quality developmental care through co-occupational parent engagement within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
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Missed Opportunities to Soothe Distress: Occupational Therapy (OT) and the End of Life
Joseph Mastrangelo
Hospice patients are underserved by rehabilitation professionals. This capstone, at the Hospice of the Western Reserve, advocate for occupational therapy services for hospice clients by demonstrating specific skills, identifying critical needs, and educating relevent stakeholders about the potential impact of OT for those at the end of life.
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Assessment Tool for Pet Ownership in the Older Adult Population (POAT)
Eva Petrik
Having a pet can be a meaningful occupation that promotes healthy aging. Many older adults may have difficulty taking care of pets. This capstone focused on the development of an assessment tool to evaluate the challenges of pet ownership for older adults and identify supports needed to maintain pet ownership.
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Improving Children's Mental Health Through Outdoor Recreation
Hannah Presot
This capstone focused on using outdoor recreation to improve mental health in the pediatric population. In partnership with the Center for LifeSkills, a modified curriculum manual and caregiver handouts were developed to enhance the development of positive metal health among the children who participate in the program.
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Disability Awareness and Inclusion to Prevent Acts of Bullying
Paige Simons
This capstone was completed at Logan Christian School in Southern Ohio specifically focused on reducing bullying with students with disabilities. Activities encouraging all students, teachers and administrators to become aware and accepting of childhood diagnoses - to minimize acts of bullying and to see abilities before disabilities!
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Trauma Recovery on College Campuses
Madison Thomas
With the support of REBOOT Recovery, this capstone was completed to bridge the gap between college students who have experienced traumatic events and the lack of tier two services available on Cleveland State's Campus. The goal of this capstone was to show the efficacy of REBOOT Recovery's programming as well as show improvements in overall quality of life.
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Occupational Therapy in the Criminal Justice System: Assessing Social and Occupational Engagement within the Correctional Facility Context
Erika Tucker
This capstone consisted of conducting an observational research study at Northeast Reintegration Center utilizing the Assessment tool for Occupation and Social Engagement -- Correctional Facilities to understand how a prison environment supports and/or limits pro-social behaviors and engagement in productive activities among the understudied population of females who are incarcerated.
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Guidance and Support with the Life Transition for Student-Athletes Experiencing Retirement
Alex Usselman
In conjunction with Cleveland State University's Athletic Department, this capstone focused on identifying the concerns with retirement from college athletics. Through observation, an extensive survey, and personal interviews, pertinent concerns were identified that will aid the Athletic Department in fostering a healthy retirement experience for current and future student-athletes
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The need for Occupational Therapy on Campus
Emma Wagner
Many college students have difficulty with overall functioning and academic demands. This capstone identified the gaps in student services offered at Cleveland State University through interviews and surveys with administration and students. These gaps were conducted when recommending services to promote occupational balance and academic performance within CSU's student body.