Sensory Integration and Mental Health: An Introduction to Every Moment Counts: Promoting Positive Mental Health Throughout the Day

A conversation with Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA – Director, Every Moment Counts
Professor Emerita, Occupational Therapy Program, Cleveland State University

moderated by Erin Flynn, MS, OTR/L

Originally recorded February, 2022.

This discussion is part of the 2022 LiveTalk Series Sensory Integration and Mental Health: Exploring and Expanding Our Role. The series is included in all SPIRAL Memberships.

Format: In a change from our usual format this LiveTalk includes a powerpoint presentation.

Description:  Small moments can make a big difference in how children feel and function. Every Moment Counts is a mental health promotion initiative developed to help all children/youth become mentally healthy in order to succeed in school, at home and in the community. Participants will learn about a multi-tiered public health approach to mental health involving promotion, prevention and intervention and be introduced to Every Moment Counts’ occupation-based programs: Comfortable Cafeteria, Refreshing Recess, Calm Moments Cards, Making Leisure Matter. A brief overview of website resources will be provided as well as strategies for building capacity of school personnel to do this work.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the 2022 LiveTalk Series participants will be able to:

1. Identify how to increase mental health knowledge for occupational therapy professionals across settings
2. Recognize relationship and developmental based mental health models that compliment Sensory Integration intervention
3. Select intervention modalities and models that support mental health while utilizing Sensory Integration principles

By the end of this discussion, part 2 of 10 in the 2022 LiveTalk Series, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the dimensions of positive mental health and embedded strategies for promoting optimal mental health
2. Demonstrate an understanding a multi-tiered, public health approach to mental health in school-based practice with children and youth at the universal, targeted, and individualized levels

About the Speaker: Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA is a Professor Emerita, Occupational Therapy Program at Cleveland State University where she taught for 34 years. She was also director of the Graduate Certificate Program in School-Based Practice. In addition to authoring the book, Mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention with children and youth: A guiding framework (2011), Dr. Bazyk has authored over 30 journal articles and several book chapters in leading OT textbooks. She is the project director of Every Moment Counts: Promoting Mental Health Throughout the Day – a multi-pronged mental health promotion initiative originally funded by the Ohio Department of Education ($720,000; 2012-2015). Dr. Bazyk has developed an extensive website to help OT practitioners learn about and implement Every Moment Counts’ model programs and embedded strategies (www.everymomentcounts.org). She is nationally recognized for her leadership in building capacity of occupational therapy practitioners and interdisciplinary professionals to address the mental health needs of children and youth. Dr. Bazyk has given over 100 state, national and international presentations since 2010. Recent awards include: the 2017 Outstanding Research Award for the College of Sciences and Health Professions at CSU, and the 2018 Award for Innovative and Emerging Practice from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Disclosure: Dr Bazyk will not benefit financially from this presentation.

Course Level: Introductory. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Audience:  OT/ OTA, PT /PTA, psychologists, educators, parents

AOTA Areas:  Occupational Therapy Service Delivery: Evaluation, Intervention and Outcomes. Professional Issues: Administration and Management. Foundational Knowledge: Social Determinants of Health

Contact Hours: This conversation is worth 1 contact hour or 0.1 AOTA CEUs. The full series has been approved for 10 contact hours or 1.0 AOTA CEUs.

Completion Requirements: To receive contact hours for this course you must listen to the discussion in its entirety and complete the accompanying assessment.

ADA/Section 504: If you require special accommodations, please contact the Spiral Foundation at admin@thespiralfoundation.org or (617) 969-4410 ext. 267.

Continuing Education: Occupational Therapy Practitioners/ Occupational Therapy Assistants:  Foundation is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants by the American Occupational Therapy Association. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.