Title: Promoting Health in Mental Health Speaker Qualifications: Bethany Shipman, OTS, is interested in addressing how mental health impacts everyday function Her fieldwork experiences reinforced, to her, the need for OTs to work with individuals with mental health issues within the context of occupations and function In her fieldwork II she collaborated to create a residential active engagement program for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities Alexandra Harkins, OTS, has had an interest in mental health since earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work During one Level II fieldwork, she developed a group protocol for promoting mental health among elementary school students with learning disabilities and has experience in community-based mental health settings from both Level I and Level II fieldwork affiliations Elise Leizerovich, OTS, has an interest in mental health following both Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences in community-based mental health settings Elizabeth Shieh Fiuczynski, M.Ed, OTS, has a strong interest in health and wellness and gained experience working with older adults with mental illness diagnoses at her Level I and Level II fieldwork affiliations Sasha Pisapia, M.Ed, OTS, completed her Level II fieldwork at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, where she gained experience working with several individuals with a mental illness diagnosis Author Block: Bethany Shipman, OTS, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Alexandra Harkins, OTS, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Elise Leizerovich, OTS, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Elizabeth Shieh Fiuczynski, M.Ed, OTS, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Sasha Pisapia, M.Ed, OTS, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA Primary Focus: Mental Health Learning Objectives: Objective 1: Identify and describe occupational therapy’s role in promoting healthy behaviors in individuals with serious mental illness Objective 2: Discuss current evidence supporting interventions that fall within occupational therapy’s scope of practice for individuals with serious mental illness Objective 3: Describe the clinical implications of the findings to OT practice and research Abstract: A substantial number of adults in America are living with a serious mental illness (SMI) Individuals with SMI demonstrate a high prevalence of various chronic diseases Mental health plays a major role in an individual’s ability to engage in healthy behaviors, such as physical activity, diet, sleep, and medication management Occupational therapists (OTs) are trained to address the areas that directly impact maintaining a healthy lifestyle for individuals with SMI Authors conducted an exhaustive literature search and critical review to find evidence supporting OTs role in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI The database search included: CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PubMed Articles were included if published within the past five years, addressed adults with a primary medical diagnosis of SMI, and were within the OT scope of practice Authors excluded substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, and interventions directed at caregivers Articles were critiqued using the Evaluation of Quality of an Intervention Study1, Critical Review Form- Qualitative Studies 2, and PRISMA Checklist3 Review of the literature supports OTs role in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI Authors found evidence to support interventions within, and enhanced by, the OT scope of practice; motivation as an integral aspect of adherence to treatment; and a need to measure outcomes that fall within the OT scope of practice The literature search yielded several clinical and research implications for OTs role in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI The literature revealed a deficit in the areas of motivation and adherence, occupation-based interventions, routines and habits, and the impact of social participation on healthy behaviors OTs are uniquely positioned to address these areas with our scope of knowledge, assessments, evaluations and theories Additionally, the literature revealed an underrepresentation of OT within interdisciplinary treatment teams One component of this is a lack of understanding of OTs contribution in promoting healthy behaviors in individuals with SMI Findings also indicate a possible lack of advocacy by OTs in the area of mental health Furthermore, the literature was exclusively published by professionals outside of OT These findings indicate that OTs need to perform high-level research to support the role of OT in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI References: Law, M & MacDermid, J (2014) Appendix E(pp 391-400) Evidence Based Rehabilitation: A guide in Practice, Third Edition Thorofare, NJ: SLACK, Inc Letts, L., Wilkins, S., Law, M., Stewart, D., Bosch, J., Westmorland, M (2007) Guidelines for critical review form: Qualitative studies (Version 2.0) Hamilton, ON: McMaster University Moher D., Liberati A., Tetzlaff J., Altman D.G., The PRISMA Group (2009) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement PLoS Med 6(7): e1000097 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097 National Alliance on Mental Illness (2014) Mental Illness Retrieved from http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness ... OTs need to perform high-level research to support the role of OT in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI References: Law, M & MacDermid, J (2014) Appendix E(pp 39 1-4 00) Evidence... research implications for OTs role in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI The literature revealed a deficit in the areas of motivation and adherence, occupation-based interventions,... Intervention Study1, Critical Review Form- Qualitative Studies 2, and PRISMA Checklist3 Review of the literature supports OTs role in promoting healthy behaviors for individuals with SMI Authors