Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

Interview of Ryan via the PEOP Model

The PEOP Model evaluates an individual from the standpoint of the person, their

environment, their occupation and their performance. This model is important in

the holistic evaluation of an individual.

I interviewed a 24-year-old local bartender, Ryan. I did this in hopes to practice

getting to know someone using PEOP model as my guide.

P: Person

Skills: Cognitive, Social, Psychological, Sensory, Motor

o What do you consider to be your cognitive strengths?

“Social awareness and the ability to see from different perspectives

well”

o What do you consider to be your motor strengths?

“Coordination, natural strength and speed.”

o What do you consider to be your psychological weaknesses?

“I am kind of out of touch with my own personal emotions.”

Life Skills:

o What skills do you have that you feel you have mastered?

“I don’t think you can master anything but I am a pretty decent

conversationalist.”

o What are some skills that you would like to improve on?

Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

“I would like to have more patience when it comes to

communicating with others and staying interested in superficial

conversation.”

Interests:

o What are some of your favorite things to do?

“Read and workout; I have insatiable drive for self-improvement.”

Experiences:

o What are some profound and influential moments in your life?

E: Environment/ Context

Culture:

o What is one culture that you feel you strongly identify with?

“I am too dynamic to have one culture have a strong enough

influence over me. For instance, Buddhism has great theories and

ideas that are associated with it that influences me yet there are so

many others that go against it.”

o Are there social pressures from particular roles that are associated with

that culture?

“Yes and not all pressures have to be bad, like finding peace,

respect for Mother Nature and earth.”

Social:

o What kind of support system do you have?

Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

“My significant other. And my immediate family would be there,

even though they are not there on a daily basis.”

Physical:

o What changes would you make to your environment that would help you

to be more successful?

“I would move somewhere with more personal space.”

Temporal:

o Do you feel that your life is adjusted to allow for adequate time to

participate in the things that make you happy, like hobbies?

“No and at this point there isn’t anything I can do to change it. If I

could, I would.”

Occupation/Tasks

o What are things that you need to accomplish?

“I need to maintain my job as a high-volume gaming bartender.”

o What are things that you want to do?

“Finish my degree and eventually own my own business.”

o What things in your life give you meaning?

“My significant other.”

o Do you find that these combine to give you a role or sense of identity? If

so, what is it?

“Yes it gives me identity but it doesn’t mean that it gives me identity

that I want.”

Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

Performance/ Performance Range

o Does anything in your life inhibit or pose challenges to your ability to

accomplish the tasks that you need or want to? If so, what are these

barriers?

“Yes. Finances, time constraints and unwillingness to be selfish.”

Conclusion:

I chose to evaluate Ryan from a PEOP perspective because promotes and

guides you to look at the person in a very holistic way. All the questions I chose

to ask were very personal and dove right into the heart of who he is as an

individual. These questions give insight into the things that are important to him.

Gathering these details about an individual is something that a good occupational

therapist has to be able to master. In a therapeutic setting, answers to these

questions would be imperative to understand in order to give the best possible

care and to meet the needs of the individual.

Ryan is a complex and deep individual. He is insightful and unique in the

ways he interprets and answers the questions presented. He was challenging to

interview because he didn’t answer questions in a typical manor. Many times, he

would ask for clarification of the question and then pause to think for a while

before answering.

Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

I enjoyed trying to get to know someone through the PEOP model

because it guides you down a path of getting to know someone very holistically

and completely, which isn’t something that is done enough on a daily basis. This

model breaks through superficial things that society thinks makes a person who

they are and dives into the true foundation of that individual.

This assignment was very eye-opening in showing me that I have areas of

improvement to make in evaluating and getting to know someone truly

holistically. This is a skill that I need more practice in.

Casey Walker OCCT 500: Interview Assignment September 19, 2011

References:

Crepeau, E.C. (2009): Willard & Spackman’s Occupational Therapy (11th ed.).

Baltimore, Maryland: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins