Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 1 of The Illinois Commitment
OTA ProBono Clinic
Lincoln Land Community College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
The clinic was developed to provide occupational therapy services to individuals in the LLCC district without
insurance or access to occupational therapy services. It serves children and adult populations with a variety of
occupational performance needs due to illness and/or disability. It also serves as a Level II Fieldwork Site for
OTA students enrolled in the program to provide hands on occupation-based clinical experiences under the
supervision of licensed occupational therapists.
Description of the effective practice:
The curriculum design of the LLCC OTA program focuses on incorporation of occupation based activities into
all aspects of the occupational therapy process. The clinic allows the faculty to design occupation based
evaluation and treatment plans to address a clients occupational needs in the areas of self-care and activities of
daily living; instrumental activities of daily living which support participation in daily living activities and
which may include community mobility, child-care, etc; educational activities; work activities; and leisure
pursuits. As there are no issues of reimbursement, the therapist and client are allowed to address all issues
regarding their participation in meaningful occupational activities without restrictions due to limitations of
insurance coverage. The students have an opportunity to observe and participate in the full range of what
occupational therapy can offer an individual client or group. Individuals may refer themselves or be referred to
the clinic. A physician’s approval of referral may be required for some medical cases as mandated by the Illinois
Occupational Therapy Practice Act. The classroom laboratory facility in Logan Hall is conducive to this
service. The room is fully accessible and equipped to provide individual and group therapy for all ages and
populations. A grant was received in Spring 2006 and a therapy garden is being constructed to incorporate
horticulture activities into the therapy sessions for restoration of physical and psychological function. The
program is collaborating with the LLCC horticulture instructors and students to construct the garden and
institute the program.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
The need for the services has been established. The clinic operated successfully for several semesters prior to the
move to Logan Hall in June 2005 and continues to serve clients weekly. The program offers fieldwork
experiences in the fall and spring semesters and sixteen students enter into the program each year. Referrals are
continuously increasing and it is expected that the need for the services will remain strong. The Department of
Labor has cited occupational therapy as one of the top growing fields of employment through the year 2014.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
Students who graduate from the program are eligible to write the national certification examination for
occupational therapy to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). The program has a record
100% pass rate on the certification examination since the inception of the program in 1998. The concurrent
fieldwork model, in which students complete academic requirements and fieldwork requirements
simultaneously, is the cornerstone of the program’s success. The clinic evaluates student performance through a
standardized assessment tool provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Clients of the clinic
are evaluated using standardized assessment tools including the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure
which allows the occupational therapy practitioners to collaborate with the client from the onset of therapy on
selecting appropriate goals and measures performance and client satisfaction. All clients to date have
demonstrated marked improvement in occupational performance and satisfaction using the COPM. A followup
study for all clients who have utilized the clinic will be conducted in January 2006 and will be on-going after
that time.
Contact Information
Name: Ruth J. Bixby, OTR/L
Email: ruth.bixby@llcc.edu
Phone: (217) 786-2872
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