Michigan Occupational Therapy Association

When: April 8th

Time: 6:30-7:30pm EDT

Where: Virtual (Join from anywhere!)

Hosted by Shelby Nelson, MSOT, OTRL

Longitudinal studies of individuals diagnosed with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) demonstrate that this population accesses mental / behavioral health services, including occupation-based treatment modalities, in a variety of settings over the continuums of their lives. This may include (but is not limited to) interactions with the criminal justice system, inpatient hospitalization, and engagement in community-based services. 

Policy trends over the preceding decades, including the deinstitutionalization movement in the absence of sufficient and proactive reappropriation of funding, have contributed to increased frequency of justice involvement with the SPMI population. Developments in improving access and cohesiveness between these systems is known to positively impact decompensation risk as well as relapse / recidivism prevention. 

This presentation seeks to explore complexities of navigating and accessing mental health treatment, trends within these practice settings, and occupational therapy’s role (both current and emerging) in mental and behavioral health, including in forensic psychiatric settings and with justice-involved SPMI populations.