Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Problem/Project Report
Degree Type
OTD
College
School of Medicine
Department
Occupational Therapy
Committee Chair
Jacob Greenfield
Committee Co-Chair
Andrew Summers
Committee Member
Jennifer Willet
Committee Member
Kayleigh Nolan
Committee Member
Heather Livengood
Abstract
Life skills competency in adolescence can be an important predictor of success in adulthood. Educational and training programs focused on life skills can help youth develop the skills that they need to live independently. Though occupational therapy literature surrounding these types of programs is limited, occupational therapy practitioners are qualified to provide intervention in life skills based on the profession’s scope of practice.
This capstone project focused on the development and evaluation of a new life skills program, the Life Skills Practice Program, at a residential treatment facility for youth with substance use and behavioral diagnoses. Stakeholders at the facility identified hands-on life skills education as a need at the site that could be fulfilled with the Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE). The program was designed from an occupational therapy perspective with an emphasis on experiential learning. The Occupational Therapy Doctorate student facilitated two sessions a week with three groups for a total of 10 weeks. Quantitative and qualitative data sets were collected from youth and staff at the site to evaluate program design, implementation, and effectiveness.
The results of the program evaluation show that the Life Skills Practice Program was an effective and engaging way for youth to learn life skills. Teacher/Counselor staff at the site indicated that they have the ability to implement the program in the future using the resources developed during the DCE. This capstone project demonstrates that the program can be successfully carried out at this site with this client population.
Recommended Citation
Rexrode, Shayna, "Facilitating Independence: Developing a Hands-on Life Skills Program for Youth in Residential Treatment" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12836.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12836