I t is once again the time of year to enjoy the holiday season - a period

that allows us to spend

some quality time with

family and friends, and to

reflect upon and celebrate

our achievements. We have

a lot to celebrate at this

time.

The department is

extremely proud of the

achievements of our faculty

members. Dr. Liisa Holsti

has been awarded a Canada

Research Chair. Liisa is now

placed among an elite group

of researchers who have

received this highly

competitive and prestigious

award. We also

congratulate Dr. Catherine

Backman, Ms. Heather Best,

and the whole rheumatology

teaching team, recipients of

the 2010 Excellence in

Interprofessional Education

Teaching Award from

the UBC College of Health

Disciplines.

The department is delighted

to announce the promotions

of Michael Lee and Donna

Drynan into the tenure

stream roles of Instructor I.

Mike and Donna, who have

long been integral members

of the department, retain

their administrative roles of

Curriculum Coordinator and

Academic Fieldwork

Coordinator, respectively.

On a personal note, I am

happy to share with you my

own promotion to the rank

of Professor.

As 2010 draws to a close we

have another reason for

celebration. This is a good

time to begin to advertise

that 2011 marks our 50th

year as British Columbia‟s

primary deliverer of

rehabilitation science

programs. We are actively

planning many events

throughout the year, but we

ask our readers –

particularly our alumni and

members of the OT

community – to save

Saturday, May 28, 2011 as

the date to re-connect with

the department and 50

years‟-worth of graduates

during our gala event.

Please join us on that day

and in many other events

throughout the year to

celebrate the achievements

of the rehabilitation science

community in British

Columbia.

Beyond celebrations, the

department was busy as

usual in contributing to the

education of OT in BC. Two

such activities are worth

mentioning here. The first is

our proposal for

international seats

expansion. Dedicated to

relieving the shortage of

OTs in the province, and in

Notes from Tal

Volume 2, Issue 2

OT Lens Winter 2010/2011

Newsletter of The Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy

MOT Student Perspectives

2,68

Movember Movement

3

Michael Lee visits China

4

New Face at OSOT

7

Reunion 12

Graduates 9-11

Capstone Update 13

Inside this issue:

Special points of

interest:

Mental Health

Awareness Club

Awards and

Honours for OS&OT

Faculty

Seasonal greetings

New Website

50th Anniversary!

light of the UBC

international strategic plan,

the Department developed

a proposal for adding

international seats to the

MOT program, seats that

will be on top of the current

48 domestic seats. While

the Board of Governors in

their February meeting will

review the proposal, we

have received permission to

begin recruiting for these

seats as long as we

acknowledge that they are

“subject to Board

approval”. Our intention

this year is to admit no

more than 3 depending on

our applicant pool. I would

welcome you to take part in

the admission process to the

MOT program, which will

take place in the beginning

of March.

Second, during the past

(Continued on page 15)

Tal Jarus, Professor and Head

OT Lens Page 2

B iannually over the course of my time in the OT program at UBC I have been asked to

elicit the contemporary

perspective of our class for the

OT Lens publication. In the past I

sought out perspectives from the

entire class in order

to capture an all

encompassing

ongoing view of the

program. When I was

asked to gather

perspectives for this

issue of the OT Lens I

thought, why not

write about my

personal journey. So in true OT

fashion here is the lived

experience of my meditation

practice.

Coming from an academic

background firmly rooted in

sport, health and physical

education I would read about the

idealized mind-body connection

and I have been a subscriber to

the Brain Science Podcast (http://

www.brainsciencepodcast.com/) for

years but it wasn‟t until a month

ago that I actively pursued

literature on mindfulness

meditation.

In an effort to overcome daily

stressors, continually seek a

comfortable level of self and

become more connected to a

lifelong reflexive learning of OT,

I planned that when starting my

third fieldwork placement I

would start my practice of

mindfulness meditation. Every

morning at 6:00 a.m. I am

awoken by my clock-radio

reporting the

CBC local news.

After listening

to the report for

5 minutes I

climb out of

bed, throw on

my bathrobe and

slippers and

prop myself up

at my computer. On my desktop I

have a lecture and guided

meditation by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

presenting at Google

Headquarters in San Francisco,

California (http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc). Kabat-Zinn is

the founder and former director

of the Stress Reduction Clinic and

Professor of Medicine emeritus,

both at the University of

Massachusetts Medical School.

Kabat-Zinn compares the mind to

an orchestra and points out how

important it is to “tune your

instrument before you use it”

every day to effectively bring

about mindful synchronicity over

a lifetime. Over the last month,

every morning I have sat for 20

minutes listening to Kabat-Zinn‟s

gentle exploration of attention

and awareness, then attempted

to carry the attunement I

achieved in the mornings

throughout my day. I found that

by centering my awareness

around my breath and „checking

in‟ on my breath when tension

arises that I am able to

successfully manage work-life

stressors. By practicing

mindfulness I have noticed that I

have more energy and I am more

attentive to all that life brings

my way.

My morning routine: An appeal to my awareness

The mind is an orchestra. It

is important to tune your

instrument before you use it.

- Dr. John Kabat-Zinn

Sean Lloyd, Class of 2011

M ovember is an annual month-long event featuring the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The event was conceived in 1999 by a group of Australian men from Adelaide. Since

2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events in

Australia and New Zealand to raise awareness and funds for men's

health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. In 2007, events

were launched in Ireland, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the

United States.

The OT MO Team, made up of members from the department of

OS&OT: MOT1 students Brian Condon, Brian O'Rourke and Jason

Thorne, MOT2 student Sean Lloyd, Ph.D student Ed Giesbrecht,

Associate Professor Dr. Bill Miller and OT Andrew Neale of Vancouver

Coastal Health, Community Mental Health Housing, joined the growing

frenzy and have raised a total of $2,010.00 to benefit men‟s health.

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 3

Sean Lloyd Mo’ Money for Men’s Health Research

Some of

the moust

achioed O

T MO Te

am: Top

Left: Bill

Miller an

d Jason T

horne

Bottom L

eft: Brian

Condon a

nd Brian

O’Rourke

. Not sho

wn: Ed G

iesbrecht,

MOT Student Sean Lloyd shows his mo’ with his Field-

work Supervisor, Andrew Neale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide,_South_Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charitable_organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_healthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate_cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depressionhttp://ca.movember.com/mospace/467059/http://ca.movember.com/mospace/635750/http://ca.movember.com/mospace/656134/http://ca.movember.com/mospace/656134/http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1248168/

OT Lens Page 4

W hile we were soaking wet in Vancouver this early November, our Curriculum

Coordinator, Michael Lee, spent three

weeks of warm sunny days in China.

His interest in supporting mental

health service development in China

has taken Michael to China three times

in as many years. Together with an

interprofessional team of

psychiatrists, social workers,

psychiatric nurses, and family

therapists, all from

Canada, Michael

offered intensive

training programs to

staff from psychiatric

hospitals in Suzhou and

Xiamen, helping local

mental health

practitioners to

develop community

psychiatry services.

On his last week in

China, Michael visited

the Southwest University for

Nationalities in Sichuan,

where he offered a keynote

speech to more than 200

university senior

administrators and faculty on

promoting campus mental

health. He also offered a two

-day workshop on cognitive

behavioural technique (CBT)

and its clinical implications to

hundreds of undergraduate

and post graduate students.

He then visited the Mental

Health Center of the West

China Hospital, which is the

world‟s largest hospital.

During his visit to the West

China Hospital, Michael

offered a one-day training

workshop to practitioners who

are working hard to

incorporate new technologies

in psychosocial rehabilitation

to their practice.

When asked about mental health care

in China, Michael expressed high

admiration for the level of family

involvement in Chinese mental health

care. Family members are closely

involved in treatment planning as well

as in discharge preparation. Family

education is also highly valued as a

way to enable family members to care

for their loved ones who are living

with mental illness. Psychosocial

rehabilitation is a hot topic that

practitioners in China strive

to bring to their practice.

One common challenge

faced in China as well as in

Canada is the stigma that

comes with mental illness.

Michael commented that

both China and Canada are

creative in addressing stigma

issues, and there are things

that both countries can learn

from each other. Speaking

about his experience of

teaching in China, Michael noted the

keenness of Chinese students in

learning. When he was teaching CBT,

there were a good number of students

standing or sitting on the floor for 6

hours in order to attend his class.

After the class, many of them lined up

wanting to ask further questions and

seeking further reading materials.

Though it was very tiring, Michael

commented that it was equally

rewarding to share knowledge with

such keen learners.

It was obvious to Michael that there

are many things that both countries

can learn from each other. He

emphasized that as we all live in this

global village, we should continue to

build capacity with international

partners to advance better mental

health and create communities of

people who all have equal access.

Michael looks forward to opportunities

to further partnership with China in

advancing mental health.

Three Weeks in China

Family members are

closely involved in

treatment planning as

well as in discharge

preparation...for loved

ones living with

mental illness.

Michael Lee

Michael Lee gives the keynote speech at Southwest University for Nationalities in Chengdu, capital

city of Sichuan province, China.

health and well-being.

UBC MHAC is committed to hosting

events that help eliminate stigma

towards mental health and break

down misconceptions regarding mental

illness. The club members, whose

interests in the club are as varied as

their academic backgrounds, have the

common goal of helping the public

learn more about mental illness and

health. In September, the club had a

membership drive to share information

about their vision and activities to the

entire UBC student body. At one of

these events the members were

surprised with a visit from former New

Democratic Party Leader, Carole

James. The members discussed and

questioned her about her knowledge

and awareness regarding mental

health and mental illness.

UBC MHAC members recently held a

U BC Mental Health Awareness Club (MHAC) is an AMS club and was founded by a few occupational

therapy students. The vision of the

club is to provide information and

education to the UBC community

about mental health and mental

illness. A group of professors from the

various health and human services

programs, i.e. occupational therapy,

pharmacy, medicine and nursing,

advises and mentors executive MHAC

members. Currently, the MHAC

consists of over 100 student members

from different disciplines and

backgrounds, such as Psychology,

Commerce, Pharmacy, Economics and

Social Work. UBC MHAC envisions the

UBC campus as a stigma-free

community when it comes to mental

illness, and its goal is to create and

sustain a healthy and inclusive

environment that addresses mental

series of events during Mental

Illness Awareness Week in

October. On the second day, the

club hosted an interprofessional

Lunch and Learn with

professionals from mental health

teams. The event was

largely targeted for students

from the College of Health

Disciplines; the speakers (a

physician‟s pharmacist,

occupational therapist) were

challenged with a case study

concerning a teen-age student

with mood disorder who was

using recreational drugs. The

interprofessional team

was prompted to discuss the

different steps each professional

would take when working with

this client. Another event the MHAC hosted was "Recovery with

Mental Illness." The

audience was exposed to a

unique auditory hallucination

simulation with the aim of

learning how hallucination

impacts one‟s ability to

function; learned about recovery

journey from mental health consumers

who shared their stories; and

participated in a discussion of the

recovery model, led by an

occupational therapist. During Mental

Illness Awareness week, MHAC also

joined forces with the UBC Wellness

Centre to provide a workshop on how

to handle stress just in time for

midterms.

UBC MHAC looks forward to exploring

new programs for their members and

the student body. Various mental

health promotion programs will

continue to fulfill the goals of de-

stigmatizing mental illness and

increasing awareness about mental

health. Stay up-to-date by visiting the

MHAC website at http://

ubcmhac.sites.olt.ubc.ca

Mental Health Awareness Club Takes Off Kevin Ly, with Michael Lee, Erin Brown, Thao Dao

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 5

MHAC members photo-op: From left to right: Michael Lee, Thao Dao, Laura Lush, former NDP

leader Carole James, Dawn Black, MLA from New Westminster, and Erin Brown

http://ubcmhac.sites.olt.ubc.ca/

OT Lens Page 6

W hen someone asks the typical small talk question at a party or event, „what do you do?‟, OTs and

OT students are overly familiar with

the blank nods, the „yah yahs‟ and the

laboured guesses they receive after

answering this question. This is

generally the opportunity to advertise

what OT encompasses and how

awesome it is; however, its definition

may seem a little abstract to the

average partygoer and he or she may

decide to consider OT

to be „kinda like PT.‟

This is true, OT is

„kinda like PT‟, OTs

help individuals with

rehabilitation and do

relevant assessments,

but that means they

are „kinda like‟ doctors

and nurses too. A

significant portion of

the general population

seems to be unaware of

what OTs do (granted the name of the

profession does not exactly give it

away, and can be misleading to many

as occupation equates to paid work to

the majority of people), but those who

know are very knowledgeable and

thankful for OTs‟ existence. Why is

such a client-oriented and well

received field of work and study so

misunderstood and/or unknown to the

general population? It is not like OT is

a new addition to the health care

system.

I am not much of a television watcher,

unless there is a Canucks game on the

tube. I watch House from time to

time and I have seen one or two

episodes of Grey‟s Anatomy. That

being said, I am often in an

environment where most of the people

around me follow these shows on a

regular basis and enjoy gossiping

about what happens and who

is seeing who, so I get a good

idea of what goes on. I can

tell you that OT, or for that

matter, pretty much any

allied health team member,

are not represented on these

mainstream television

shows. Actually, I would like

to know if anyone has seen

an OT or has even heard of

occupational therapy being

mentioned on any primetime

television series. The focus is always

on nurses and doctors, and there are

these dramatic power struggles and

everyone dates each other and/or

cheats on one another with other

nurses and/or doctors. Where are the

OTs when all this is happening? Are

they considered to be not dramatic or

cool enough? What is wrong with the

idea of including an OT for at least an

episode or two?

These television shows give a false

impression as to what goes on in the

medical world. Doctors and nurses are

not the only workers in hospitals,

though those who grow up watching

these shows may seem to think so.

Considering this, in addition to a title

with a tricky meaning, it is difficult for

people to develop an impression as to

what OT is. I definitely did not have a

clue what the OT role was until I

volunteered with a population of

individuals who used their services on

a regular basis. I realize now, that

experience only gave me a miniscule

idea regarding the OT role, but it was

enough to interest me to look into it

deeper. The media seems to hone in

on particular subjects, which creates a

public interest in those areas;

unfortunately OT never receives this

attention. It is my hope that OT will

receive its fair share of recognition

and public awareness someday in my

lifetime. Television programming is a

very powerful source. Just imagine

how much more drama could occur on

these hospital-based television

programs if there were OTs, as well as

PTs, dieticians, pharmacists and social

workers!

OT on TV

Where are the OTs

when all the drama is

happening on

primetime television

series?

Jerica Ditson, Class of 2012

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 7

D r. Setareh Ghahari joined the Department in October to begin a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship under supervision of Dr. Susan Forwell. Her fellowship is funded, in part, by a grant obtained from the National MS Society. Dr. Ghahari completed her Bachelor's and Master's degree in occupational therapy in Iran and has 12 years of clinical and

teaching experience with a focus on physical disabilities. She completed her PhD at

Curtin University in Western Australia in 2009. She is an academic staff member in the

Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation

Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Her research area is understanding self-management for

people with multiple sclerosis.

Dr Ghahari has had a very productive first 2 months in this fellowship including

observing the various professionals in the UBC MS Clinic, networking with scholars

working on epidemiolgical issues in MS, attending numerous MS education and

research exchanges, is preparing a grant to determine the factors and characteristics

for optimal self-management in MS, is drafting a paper related to activity and

participation in MS and is co-supervising a team of MOT students in a MS research

study. We are very pleased to have Dr. Ghahari working with us.

Welcoming A New Post-Doctoral Fellow Susan Forwell

Setareh Ghahari

S o much great news to report on! For starters, this Fall, Paula Rushton defended her PhD dissertation and Alanna

Simms and Meghan Lindsell successfully

defended their Master’s thesis. Meghan

continues to help out with ongoing studies in

the lab. Rochelle Stokes also graduated with an

MSc. degree. We wish all students well as they

move on from their journey in graduate studies

towards to the next stages of their careers.

Getting closer to the finish line: Karen Sauve is

just wrapping up her MSc thesis and preparing

to defend in late January 2011. Then her life

will completely shift over to family mode as she

and her partner anticipate the arrival of their

first baby at the beginning of February!

Meanwhile, other students are just about to

embark on the PhD journey. A warm welcome

to the following PhD students who will be

joining us in January 2011: Alison Gerlach,

Megan MacGillivray, and Elise Huisman.

Jeanie Zabukovec successfully defended her

Master’s proposal and has just started

recruiting and testing this week.

Students in the program have been busy

presenting and attending various conferences.

Krista Best just got back from the Canadian

Aging and Gerontological conference. Shalini

Lal and Mineko Wada presented at the

Advances in Qualitative Methods and

Qualitative Health Research conference

respectively. Students have also been quite

successful in disseminating the results of

their research; for example, Paula Rushton

and Ed Giesbrecht recently won the best

PhD poster competition at the Canadian

Aging and Gerontological conference.

Back in the Margaret Hood Lab, we have

been bustling about sharing adventures

related to recruitment, data collection and

analysis processes. Shalini Lal is recruiting

for her study as we speak and is happy to

be ‘out and about’ in the ‘real’ world...that

is, not buried under a pile of articles or in

front of a computer...although, at times,

she wouldn’t mind just sitting for a while.

Meanwhile, Mineko Wada is exploring every

day what would increase momentum to

stay with her computer as she engages in

qualitative data analysis - coffee, chocolate,

jog, novels, aroma, socials.... and

welcomes any suggestions from peers in

this regard.

Other students are immersed into all kinds

of scholarly activities. Lois Lochhead had

her first taste of teaching at the University

of Northern BC this fall! Teaching Research

Design and Statistics to M.Ed. and M.Sc.

Community Health Students was indeed a

challenge. This endeavour proved to be

very time consuming as well as

exhausting!! The upside is, if you want to

know how to partition the variance, Lois is your

girl! She is also the board director on PABC for

the Central Interior/North East District and this

has also kept her busy - investigating the

measurement issues surrounding the CPTBC

proposed Quality Assurance

Program. Revamping rejected publications is

her current hobby during any free time from

the other commitments.

Debbie Field has just finished her statistics

course, and is feeling much relief. Now on to

Measurement in Healthcare next term, before

starting to prepare for her comprehensive

exams. She is wrapping up her clinical work,

and hopes to be finished well before April to be

able to devote to studying full time. She has

been working on several paper and conference

submissions related to her research work

completed prior to entering the PhD program.

Her manuscript "Responsiveness of the Seated

Postural Control Measure (SPCM) and Level of

Sitting Scale (LSS) for children with neuromotor

disorders", written with Lori Roxborough,

another clinical faculty member with OSOT, has

just been published (early on-line) by Disability

and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

journal. Debbie was also a recipient for the

CIHR Fellowship Award this year- for a 5 year

scholarship.

Wowsers. Stay tuned…

Best wishes for the New Year!

Updates from Research Graduate Trainees Shalini Lal

OT Lens Page 8

I had the opportunity to complete a Role Emerging Fieldwork

Placement, which is unique

since it provided me with

the chance to delineate a role for

Occupational Therapy in a facility that

does not have an on-site OT. The

placement was at Alderwood Family

Development Centre, a day program

and school for children with severe

behavioural and emotional

disturbances. Some of the common

diagnoses included Fetal Alcohol

Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder, and

Attachment Disorders, and all children

have had difficulty

in the traditional

school system. It

was wonderful to

share an

understanding of our

profession with both

students and staff,

whether it was

through a picture

book (Paulette

Bourgeois‟s You, Me, and My OT), or

through discussions and collaborations

with other therapists, teachers, and

support staff. I was able to apply OT

coursework in Pediatric Development,

sensory integration strategies, and

motor skill development, as well as

understandings of environment-

occupation fit, to provide

interventions to children and families.

It was very rewarding to see parents

begin to understand the impact of

occupation on healthy development,

or children concentrating for the

very first time on math

worksheets, just because of a sizzle

seat. I was able to practice in a

reflective way, and practically apply

theories and models we learn at

school, that we tend not to “need”

when we‟re surrounded by a team of

OTs (but that are helpful when you‟re

out on your own!). Overall, this was an

amazing experience that has prepared

me to enter new and interesting

practice areas in OT.

I n February and March 2010, I traveled to Inuvik, NWT (a remote community north of the Arctic Circle)

to complete a fieldwork placement. I

was the first student from UBC ever to

complete a Fieldwork Placement this

far north; it was an incredible

adventure in which I was able to

experience Occupational Therapy in a

unique setting, learn about Inuit

Culture, and travel to several remote

communities (only accessible by

plane) to provide OT services to those

in need. Since OT and rehabilitation

services are not easily or often

accessible in these areas, I felt that

the work my supervisor and I were

doing was greatly needed and

meaningful.

OT services provided in the north vary

widely; some of the most memorable

opportunities and experiences I had

during this placement include making

a knee flexion splint for a 1-day old

baby who was born with Genu

Recurvatum (knee in 60 degrees of

hyperextension), working with

diabetic clients and educating them on

the importance of diet and how to

control their blood sugar levels,

developing a

rehab treatment

plan for a teenage

client with

osteosarcoma in

the shoulder,

learning about

clients' cultural

activities, hearing

elders' stories

including

residential school

experiences, working with several

inpatient clients who had severe

frostbite injuries, doing an ergonomic

assessment for an office worker who

had her cervical spine permanently

fused in a few degrees of flexion,

working towards positive outcomes for

children with FASD, and using

Telehealth (videoconferencing) to

access remote communities and

participate in client conferences.

Some non-OT experiences included the

northern lights, watching the creation

of an igloo, visiting communities on

the Arctic Ocean, snowmobiling

adventures on the Mackenzie Delta,

cross country skiing, visiting the

second largest pingos in the world,

watching dogsled racing, and

attending the Muskrat Jamboree (a

weekend-long traditional celebration

of spring) including drum dancing,

Inuit games, muskrat skinning, and a

traditional Inuit feast.

This was an amazing and chance-of-a-

lifetime experience that I hope will

MOT Fieldwork Experiences

“It was an incredible adventure in which I was able to experience

occupational therapy in a unique setting [and] learn about Inuit

culture.”

Marietta Tang, Robin Frandsen and Shannon Rolph

Three members of the MOT graduating class of 2010 offer three tales of learning on the fly, taken from the

Graduate Student Spotlight.

Robin Frandsen, MOT

Marietta Tang, MOT

Volume 2, Issue 2

Page 9

inspire other OT students to experience

Occupational Therapy in Canada‟s far

north in the future.

F rom February to April of 2010 I was lucky enough to have the chance to travel to Uganda for a

placement opportunity. Here, a

classmate and I worked with children

aged 6 to 25 who had physical or

cognitive disabilities. The setting was

really unique as it was the only day-

school in all of Uganda for children

with disabilities. It was a place where

and made every day a pleasure. In

the 6 weeks that we were there we

were able to see some real progress

in some of the kids. We also

established detailed programs and

trained the teachers in executing

these so that the kids‟ progress

would continue after we left.

Uganda was an amazing country full

of people who touched my heart. It

was an incredibly rewarding

experience – not only because I feel

that I was able to make a small

impact in the lives of these

children, but also because these

beautiful kids made a large impact

in my life.

these children could come to learn

skills that were both academic

(reading and

writing) and

practical (farming

and weaving).

From an

occupational

therapy

perspective, we

worked with

children on a

wide range of

skills; from

handwriting and colouring to

behaviour management techniques

and alternative communication

methods. The children were fantastic

Shannon Rolph, MOT

Congratulations Graduates—Class of 2010!

Graduates of the Class of 2010

O n November 26, 2010, the enthusiastic group shown below received their masters‟ degrees in Occupational Therapy. Ricardo Nuno, BSc OT (Class of 1999) was the alumni representative, and our own Catherine Backman was granted the honour of carrying the mace in front of the procession.

Alphabetically: Sarah Atkinson, Jennifer Bennett, Chelsea Bennie, Jennifer Burke, Bailey Davies, Laine Dawes, Matthew

Derouin, Tracy Dietrich, Shereen Ens, Wayne Felder, Robin Frandsen, Maeve Frost, Mary Glasgow Brown, Kelsey Green,

Douglas Herasymuik, Saudia Jabar, Tiffany Jones, Adi Keidar, Karina Koczapski, Kristen Krebs, Maren Kristensen, Laura

Laidlaw, Yee Lok (Jeanette) Lee, Tracy Lermitte, Jessica Leung, Marsha Matheson, Kelsey McCloy, Heather McDonald,

Rebecca McDonald, Kathryn McKall, Nicole Nadeau, Kathryn Naus, Sharon Neil, Sara Patenaude, Roberta Pelletier, Meaghan

Proctor, Shannon Rolph, Erin Slack, Kristina Smith, Christopher Steller, Marietta Tang, Ross Taylor, Tristan Thomas,

Jacqueline Van den Dolder, Elizabeth Van Lierop, Brittany Waters, Natalie Wuitchik, and Alyson Young.

OT Lens Page 10

T he evening before convocation on November 26, instructors, faculty, family, friends, fellow

students and alumni joined the

graduates to celebrate their

accomplishments. Sue Stanton

welcomed everyone and began the

formal presentations by suggesting to

the graduates that their convocation

become another anniversary, “to

reflect on, to celebrate, and to recall

upon in the future.” Dr. Ross

MacGillivray the Vice-Dean, Academic

Affairs, Faculty of Medicine brought

greetings from the Dean of Medicine

Dr. Gavin Stuart, and recalled his

various graduations of the past while

congratulating those who would cross

the stage on Friday.

Dr. Lyn Jongbloed recognized both the

Doctors of Philosophy Allan Kozlowski

and Marc Roig, and presented flowers

to Master of Science graduate Rochelle

Stokes who was able to attend.

The Winter 2010 graduates in the

Master of Rehabilitation Science

(MRSc) program include: Maureen

Duggan, Clare Faulkner, Claudia

Hernández Riaño, Caroline Jones, Meg

O'Brien, Peter Rowe and Jennifer

Stephenson. Listen to their joint

valedictorian speech on the MRSc blog

at: http://blogs.ubc.ca/mrsc/.

The Urban Poling Activator Award was

presented by occupational therapist

Mandy Shintani and Graham Watts to

Sarah Neil. This new award recognizes

students who are researching

rehabilitation and cancer research.

Graduates’ Research Abstracts

Allan John Kozlowski, PhD

Knowledge Translation of Outcome

Evaluation in Physical Therapy

Dr. Kozlowski examined aspects of

promoting change in the practice of

evaluating outcomes in physical

therapy. He identified gaps in

regulation and practice, and proposed

a framework for practice. This

research demonstrates the complexity

of promoting change in healthcare and

the importance of understanding

stakeholders and environmental

contexts.

Marc Roig, PhD

Falls in people with chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease: risk factors, incidence

and impact on health related quality of

life.

Dr. Roig investigated risk factors,

incidence and impact of falls on

quality of life in people with chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

He found that risk factors and

incidence of falls increased in people

with COPD. More importantly falls

appear to have a negative impact on

some domains of quality of life. The

results of this study emphasize the

importance of preventing falls in

COPD.

Rochelle Stokes, MSc

Mothers’ Experiences of an

Interdisciplinary Team Process for their

Child with a Feeding Disorder

Ms. Stokes investigated mothers‟

experiences of an interdisciplinary

feeding process for their children with

a feeding disorder. Her methods were

descriptive phenomenology and five

themes emerged from the analysis.

The implication of her findings is that

knowledge gained from the feeding

team facilitates the mothers‟

acceptance of their children‟s feeding

difficulties and helps them look

forward towards the future with

renewed hope.

Maureen Duggan, MRSc

Outcome Measurement in the Total Joint

Arthroplasty Patient: Identifying Barriers

and Facilitators of Use

Findings from a focus group with eight

physiotherapists revealed that

administration of the „right measure

at the right time with the right

patient‟ facilitated use of measures

for decision-making, patient feedback

and interprofessional communication.

Barriers included limited time, the

variety of measures used by

professions and imposed use of

measures. Supervisor: Dr. Chris

Carpenter

Clare Faulkner, MRSc

Comparison of the Norwich Regime to

the Static Splinting Protocol for Extensor

Tendon Injuries

In this quantitative, comparative,

prospective pilot study two protocols

used in Victoria for extensor tendon

repairs were investigated across the

three domains of the International

Classification of Functioning, Disability

and Health, the biological, individual,

and social levels. Results suggest

support for the early active motion

protocol. Further study is indicated.

Supervisor: Dr. Cheryl Beach

Claudia Hernández Riaño, MRSc

Clinicians' experiences and lessons learned

implementing S.A.F.E. - A patient safety

initiative in rehabilitation.

Thematic analysis of interviews of ten

clinicians in a geriatric inpatient

rehabilitation service revealed that

the Stop Adverse Fall Events initiative

was widely implemented and

supported despite additional workload

requirements. Recommendations were

made to increase the effectiveness

Mary Clark

Congratulations to the Fall 2010 Rehabilitation Science Grads

http://blogs.ubc.ca/mrsc/

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 11

and reach of S.A.F.E. and ensure

patient safety.

Caroline Jones, MRSc

The Clinical Utility of Using Both the

WOMAC and the MDHAQ Questionnaires

in an Outpatient Osteoarthritis Clinic

A retrospective chart review and

correlation of WOMAC and MDHAQ

scores of seventy-three patients who

attended an outpatient osteoarthritis

clinic was completed. While only the

stiffness score showed no correlation,

findings demonstrated that it is

beneficial to utilize both questionnaires

in this clinical population. Supervisor:

Dr. Lesley Bainbridge.

Margaret O’Brien, MRSc

Understanding the Experience of

Physiotherapists Job Rotations

This qualitative action research project

with semi-structured interviews of six

all participants described their

experiences as highly career-

satisfying. Supervisor: Dr. Chris

Carpenter

Jennifer Stephenson

Characteristics of Successful

Intraprofessional Relationships

between Occupational Therapists /

Physical Therapists and Therapists

Assistants

Thematic analysis of eight

interviews by therapists and

assistants revealed that effective

communication, understanding of

roles and responsibilities and

informal social interactions were

perceived to contribute positively

to intraprofessional relationships,

job satisfaction and health

outcomes. Collaborative learning

activities at work may help to build

and maintain intraprofessional

relationships. Supervisor: Dr. Lesley

Bainbridge.

physiotherapists in an acute care

hospital setting enhanced

understanding of the meaning of job

rotation experiences and the

relationship of job rotations to job

satisfaction and role behaviours.

Hospital, physiotherapy department

and therapists‟ perspectives need

consideration in rotation decisions.

Supervisor: Dr. Darene Toal-Sullivan

Peter Rowe, MRSc

The Recent Experiences and Challenges of

Military Physiotherapists Deployed to

Afghanistan: A Qualitative Study

Thematic analysis was used to analyze

the interviews of six military

physiotherapists deployed to

Afghanistan in support of military

troops. Results suggested that main

challenges revolved around heavy

caseloads, working as sole-charge

practitioners and psychological tolls of

difficult situations. Although stressful,

MRSc Winter 2010 Grads (left to right): Clare Faulkner, Claudia Hernández Riaño, Jen-

nifer Stephenson and Maureen Duggan. Unable to attend reception: Caroline Jones,

Margaret (Meg) O'Brien and Peter Rowe.

Graham Watts and occupational therapist

Mandy Shintani present the Urban Poling

Activator Award to Sarah Neil (centre), a

Master of Science graduate learner.

OT Lens Page 12

Irving K. Barber Learning Centre,

and then went and saw the new

student athletic facilities known

fondly as the Bird Cage. The

walking tour ended with visits to

the new PT space in the

Friedman Building and to the OT

space in the Koerner Pavilion.

Much has changed on campus

since our graduation! We then

met for a festive evening at the

home of Dr. Janis Eng where we

were served a beautiful buffet.

Phyllis Williams compiled a

survey of facts from our

classmates, photos were shared,

and lots of conversations kept

the evening lively. It was

wonderful hearing how

everyone‟s lives had evolved

and we hope to see each other

again at the upcoming 50th

anniversary of the Departments

of Occupational Science and

Occupational Therapy and of

Physical Therapy in 2011.

Reunion of the Rehabilitation Sciences Class of 1985 Liisa Holsti

O n October 23, 2010, members of the last class of the combined program (PT/

OT) in Rehabilitation Sciences

gathered to celebrate their 25

year reunion. Members of the

class travelled from far and

wide to attend the day‟s

events, some coming from as

far away as Ottawa. The day

began out on the UBC campus

with a walking tour. We

travelled to see the new Beaty

Biodiversity Museum, walked

along Main Mall to see the

changes in the libraries, and the

Much has changed on campus

since our graduation!

The class of 1985 at the home of Dr. Janice Eng in October.

Are you planning a reunion in 2011?

Please keep us in mind—we’ll be celebrating our 50th Anniversary all year long

and invite you to approach us with ideas for dovetailing your event with ours!

osot.events@ubc.ca

OT Lens Page 13

T he year 2010 marked the fifth year of UBC‟s Capstone Conference. Hosted by the graduating

class of the Masters Occupational

Therapy program, Capstone is used to

disseminate their major project

research findings to the OT

community in British

Columbia. This year‟s theme,

„Transcending Borders,

Overcoming Barriers’,

represents the passion that

our class has for enabling

independence not only in

Canada but across the world.

Occupational therapy‟s client-

centred focus considers not

only the person, but the

environment and the occupation,

which places us in the unique position

of assisting clients to overcome their

personal barriers in any situation.

This privileged position from which we

impact the lives of others has inspired

our class and it was important to us

that we represent this inspiration

through our conference.

As a result we invited Dr. Rachel

Thibeault to be a keynote speaker.

Dr. Thibeault has done phenomenal

work here at home and overseas –

working in dozens of communities

from Northern Canada to Laos and

Nicaragua. Her focus on community-

based rehabilitation has revolutionized

the life of people with disabilities

literally across the globe, and we were

lucky that Dr. Thibeault shared

insights from these experiences during

her keynote address. Her final words

continue to resonate: “Go where you

can learn and grow the

most – then go where you

can give back the most.”

The afternoon keynote

was given by Dr. Sharon

Smith. Our class had been

lucky enough to attend

lectures from Dr. Smith on

a number of occasions,

and each time we walked

away with our heads

spinning, full of new knowledge and

looking at complex issues with a fresh

perspective. To her address,

Dr. Smith brought the same passion

that had made our class fall in love

with her, stimulating discussion

around the idea of spirituality in

mental health.

Poster and podium presentations by

the graduating class represented the

diversity of our profession, from

“Examining the support needs of NICU

Fathers: a pilot study” through

“Satisfaction with Ride Cushions” to

“Is Nintendo Wii Feasible and Usable

for Paediatric ABI Rehabilitation”. A

full list of presentations can be found

at www.capstonceconference.ca.

Students presented their research

findings in pairs through interactive

poster presentations and podium

presentations.

Capstone 2010 was an opportunity for

the graduating class to show off all of

our hard work by sharing the results of

our research. But more than this, it

was a chance for us to give back to the

OT community – all those people who

have supported our growth and

development throughout the past two

years of our education. Capstone

marks the last day of our education

and ushers in the beginning of our

professional careers, and we can‟t

think of a more appropriate way to

mark this occasion than this day where

students, researchers, clinicians and

faculty gather to look to the future of

our profession.

Our sincerest thanks to all those who

supported Capstone 2010 – we were

happy to share such a successful day

with a community that we are proud

to be a part of.

Re-Cap[stone] 2010

“Dr. Thibeault’s

focus on

community-based

rehabilitation has

revolutionized the

life of people …

across the globe.”

Shannon Rolph, B.Sc., MOT

on behalf of the 2010 graduating class of UBC‟s Occupational Therapy

Save the Date

Capstone 2011

August 31, 2011

www.capstoneconference.ca

Sara Patenaude, class of 2010, with

poster and prototype cushion

http://www.capstonceconference.ca

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 14

T he Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is pleased to announce Assistant Professor

Liisa Holsti’s award of Canada Research

Chair in Neonatal Health and

Development. From the press release:

TORONTO, Ontario, November 24,

2010 | The Honourable Tony

Clement, Minister of Industry,

announced that the Government of

Canada has made a major

investment in the Canada Research

Chairs Program, enabling Canada to

strengthen its position as a world

leader in university research and

development. During a speech to

kick off a two-day conference to

celebrate the 10th anniversary of

the program, the Minister announced

an investment of $275.6 million to

fund 310 new or renewed Canada

Research Chairs at 53 Canadian

universities.

“The funding provided through the

Canada Research Chairs Program

allows Canadian universities to

attract and retain the best and the

brightest minds from around the

world,” said Professor Paul Young,

Chair of the Ontario Council of

University Research and Vice-

President, Research, at the

University of Toronto. “This program

is vital for Canada, since it

contributes to the development of

first-class training and competitive

research in Canada and abroad.”

The 310 chairholders included in

today‟s announcement will conduct

research across a range of important

fields, including water security,

molecular neuroscience and

globalization. The results of their

research will hold the potential to

benefit all sectors of Canadian

society.

Check our website for more information: http://osot.ubc.ca/

Well done Liisa!!!

Liisa Holsti Awarded Canada Research Chair Press Release

Liisa Holsti, holder of CRC in Neonatal

Health and Development

Catherine Backman Recipient of College of

Health Disciplines Teaching Award

We congratulate Dr. Catherine Backman and the whole rheumatology

teaching team, recipients of the 2010 Excellence in Interprofessional

Education Teaching Award from the UBC College of Health Disciplines.

The Interprofessional Rheumatology Teaching Team has been teaching

a rheumatology module for second year Physical Therapy and

Occupational Therapy students since 2004, providing students with

clinical and first-person insight into the multiple dimensions of

arthritis care, and the impact of arthritis on the lives of individuals.

Hats off to the entire team including faculty members Catherine

Backman (OT) Dr. Linda Li (PT), as well as Iris Davidson (Clinical PT),

Danielle Eccles (Social Worker), Jenny Tekano (RN), Logan Graham

(Client Speaker), Heather Best (Clinical OT), Dr. Lori Tucker

(Paediatric Rheumatologist), Garry Oleman (Aboriginal Speaker) and

Pam Sherwin (Client Family Speaker).

Kathryn Luttin & Chelsea Bennie

http://osot.ubc.ca

Volume 2, Issue 2 Page 15

year, the faculty and the department

have been working to simplify

processes and the contract related to

the appointment, reappointment and

promotion of Clinical Faculty. The

OS&OT department will serve as the

pilot to the streamlined process for

applying for a Clinical Faculty

appointment, as we value the time of

busy clinicians and appreciate your

willingness to teach. We hope that

the new process will remove what

may have been a barrier for some and

we invite you to apply for a clinical

faculty appointment if you believe

you contribute to our Department.

(Notes from Tal Continued from page 1) July of this coming year will mark the

end of my term as a department

head. I would like to take this

opportunity to inform you that I have

decided not to renew my term at that

time. It was an extremely rewarding

role and I particularly enjoyed the

interaction with our learners and

clinical community. I am looking

forward to continue to work with you

all as a faculty member in the OS&OT

department.

As part of the process, in February

2011 the department of OS&OT will

undergo its first review as a

department. The Faculty of Medicine

will invite three external reviewers to

examine everything about OS&OT

including our program, our space,

our structure, and our relationships

with the clinical community. The

review committee will seek

feedback from students, staff,

faculty members, clinical faculty

and other various stakeholders. We

are looking forward to the

opportunity to showcase our

achievements and challenges.

As you can see, we have lots to

celebrate in terms of past

achievements and we have even

more to anticipate in the future. As

always, I look forward to hearing

from you - stay involved, stay

connected.

A lumni mingled with students, faculty, practitioners, and friends of occupational therapy as the

department hosted an evening to

celebrate our alumni and the OT

community at UBC‟s Museum of

Anthropology on October 21. The event

started off with a mix and mingle around

drinks and finger foods, and then guests

were encouraged to join a tour of the

facility, using their OT “lens” to bring

new perspectives to the ethnographic

objects on display.

The lively discussion and

general success of the

event encourages us to

look forward to presenting

many more events in 2011

as we celebrate our 50th

year as BC‟s primary

educator in rehabilitation medicine.

A Night at the Museum

We have a Brand New Website!

Thanks to Colin Lochhead, Kathryn Lewis, and input

from many others on the OS&OT Team, our new website

is up and running. Please visit often and surf around

our pages to see what‟s new.

Health and participation for all

Phone: 604.822.7392

Fax: 604.822-7624

E-mail: osot.publications@ubc.ca

Editor: Heather Swallow

T325, 2211 Wesbrook Mall

UBC Hospital, Koerner Pavilion

Newsletter of The Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy

www.osot.ubc.ca