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Description

Children receiving behavioral health services may experience challenges with social participation, including difficulty communicating, forming friendships, and engaging with peers. A needs assessment identified a need for more opportunities to develop social skills and support emotional well-being within an outpatient behavioral health setting. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement an occupational therapy-driven social participation program that promoted social engagement, coping skills, emotional expression, and interpersonal skills among children receiving behavioral health services. Weekly group workshops were implemented using evidence-informed, occupation-based activities, such as art and emotional expression, social stories, board games, and collaborative activities. Pre- and post-workshop surveys were used to evaluate changes in participants’ perceived confidence and comfort with social participation. Program participation increased throughout implementation, beginning with four participants and reaching 38 participants. Overall, pre- and post-program findings showed increased reported social participation, with the average score increasing from 3.05 to 3.46. Findings support the potential role of occupational therapy in addressing social participation within behavioral health settings. Integrating structured, meaningful group activities may provide children with opportunities to practice social skills, build confidence, and engage more independently in meaningful occupations.

Publication Date

2026

Keywords

Occupational therapy, social participation, behavioral health, children, social skills

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Roberts 

Capstone Site: La Mente Behavioral Health 

Promoting Social Participation in Pediatric Behavioral Health

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