Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process

Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process

As occupational therapy celebrates its centennial in 2017, attention returns to the profession's founding belief in the value of therapeutic occupations as a way to remediate illness and maintain health. The founders emphasized the importance of establishing a therapeutic relationship with each client and designing an intervention plan based on the knowledge about a client's context and environment, values, goals, and needs. Using today's lexicon, the profession's founders proposed a vision for the profession that was occupation based, client centered, and evidence based--the vision articulated in the third edition of the <i>Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process.</i><br> <P>The <i>Framework</i> is a must-have official document from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Intended for occupational therapy practitioners and students, other health care professionals, educators, researchers, payers, and consumers, the <i>Framework</i> summarizes the interrelated constructs that describe occupational therapy practice. In addition to the creation of a new preface to set the tone for the work, this new edition includes the following highlights: a redefinition of the overarching statement describing occupational therapy's domain; a new definition of clients that includes persons, groups, and populations; further delineation of the profession's relationship to organizations; inclusion of activity demands as part of the process; and even more up-to-date analysis and guidance for today's occupational therapy practitioners.<br> <P><i>Achieving health, well-being, and participation in life through engagement in occupation</i> is the overarching statement that describes the domain and process of occupational therapy in the fullest sense. The <i>Framework</i> can provide the structure and guidance that practitioners can use to meet this important goal.