2016 COTF Research Grant Winners Melanie Bourdages, Clinical

2016COTFResearchGrantWinners
MelanieBourdages,ClinicalReseearchGrant,Title:ExploringtheRelationshipBetweenEarlyCogitiveScreeningandFunctioninAcuteStroke
Practice
OccupationalTherapyisagrowinghealthcareprofessionandisessentialforindividualswhoexperiencebarrierstofullengagementintheir
dailylife.TheOccupationalTherapist’sroletoenablefunctionalperformanceisvitaltoanyhealthcareteam.AsOccupationalTherapists’we
arepassionateabouttheprofessionandarededicatedtoenhancepracticeknowledgethroughresearch.Itisourdrivetomaintainquality
client-centeredcarewithafocusontheapplicationofbestpracticestandards.Itisthroughresearchthatwe,ashealthcareprofessionals,are
abletotestassumptionsfoundinclinicalpractice.ItisoftenchallengingforclinicalOT’stohavetheresourcestoinvestigateclinicalpractice
assumptionsthroughresearch.ReceivingfundingtoexpandthisknowledgebaseisessentialtobreakingdownbarriersandenablingOT’sto
contributetoalargerbodyofknowledge.TheCanadianOccupationalTherapyFoundation(COTF)hasbeencommittedtoprovidingfundingfor
researchandscholarshipsinthefieldofoccupationaltherapysince1983.WearesogratefultobetherecipientsoftheCOTFClinicalResearch
GranttobreakdownthesebarriersandenableustopursueexcellenceinStrokeCare.Thecomplimentofcontributingtothefieldof
OccupationalTherapythoughdirectclinicalpracticeisempowering,invigoratingandrepresentsthefullexpressionofOccupationalTherapyas
aprofession.Wearebothproud&gratefultobetherecipientsoftheCOTFClinicalResearchGrant.
SandraVanderKaay,McMasterLegacyGrant,Title:EthicalDecisionMakinginOccupationalTherapy:TheorytoPractice
IwouldliketosincerelythanktheCanadianOccupationalTherapyFoundation(COTF)forawardingmetheMcMasterLegacyGrantinsupport
ofmyPhDresearchtitledEthicalDecisionMakinginOccupationalTherapy:TheorytoPractice.Itismyabsolutepleasureandprivilegeto
receiveanawardnamedforDr.SeanneWilkins.Dr.Wilkins’influenceonthegrowthanddevelopmentofknowledgewithinoccupational
therapyisimmeasurable.ItismyhumbleintentiontohonourDr.WilkinsandthemanyotherretireesoftheMcMasterOccupationalTherapy
programbycontinuingtoengageinhighqualityqualitativeinquirythatisrelevanttothetheoryandpracticeofoccupationaltherapyin
Canada.Theallottedfundswillbeusedtosupportearlystagesofdatacollectionformystudywhichseekstoanswerthequestion“Whenfaced
withanethicalissueinpracticehowdooccupationaltherapistscometoanethicaldecisionthatcanbeenactedwithintheirpracticecontext?”
Theendpointofthisresearchwillbethedevelopmentanddescriptionofatheoryregardingtheprocessbywhichoccupationaltherapists
makeethicaldecisions.Itismyintentthattheresultingtheoreticalframeworkwillassistpracticingoccupationaltherapistsengageinethical
decisionmaking.Thankyou,again,toAnneMcDonaldandSangitaKambléoftheCOTFforthegenerousfinancialsupportofmyresearchandto
Dr.SeanneWilkinsandpreviousretireesfromMcMasterUniversityOTProgramforprovidingtheinspirationandbuildingblocksuponwhich
currentresearchinoccupationaltherapyisbased.
LaurenceRoy,COTFResearchGrant,Title:DevelopmentofaResearchandPracticeAgendaonHomelessnessandOccupationalTherapyin
Canada
Ourteam,composedofoccupationaltherapyresearchersandcliniciansacrossCanada,isgratefultotheCanadianOccupationalTherapy
FoundationforitssupportthroughtheResearchGrantCompetition.Thisawardwillhelpusbuildsustainableparticipatorypartnershipswith
diversestakeholdersinthefieldofhomelessness,includingoccupationaltherapypractitionersandstudents,otherhealthandsocialservice
providers,communityorganizations,andpersonswithlivedexperienceofhomelessness.Webelievethatthisisanimportantemergingfieldof
researchgiventhemajoroccupationaldisruptionsandinjusticesfacedbypersonsexperiencingoratriskofhomelessnessinCanada.Overall,
theawardwillenableustocreateaknowledgebaseandworkingrelationshipstolearnmoreaboutoccupationaltherapypracticeswiththis
population,andwillalsoserveasaspringboardtodesignandseekfundingforlarge-scaleimplementationofcommunity-based,occupational
therapyprojects.
SandraMoll,AYOTRuralRemoteResearchGrant,Title:YouthWorkplaceMentalHealth:ANorthernFocus
KatrinaAguiar,agraduatestudentintheMcMasterSchoolofRehabilitationScience,alongwithhersupervisor,Dr.SandraMoll,andcommittee
members,Dr.MaryKita,Dr.RebeccaGewurtzandDr.CherylMissiuna,arecollaboratingonthisinnovativeprojectdesignedtoexaminethe
educationandsupportneedsofyoungadultswithmentalhealthissuesfromnorthernandruralcommunitieswhoareseekingemployment.
Manyyoungworkersfromnortherncommunitiesexperienceuniquementalhealthchallengesandemploymentvulnerabilitiesaswellas
limitedaccesstooccupationaltherapyresources.Theprojectinvolvesforgingpartnershipswithfront-lineemploymentserviceprovidersin
northern/ruralOntario.Qualitativein-depthinterviewswillbeconductedwithyouth,aswellaswithyouthemploymentcounselorsinthree
employmentcentreslocatedinnorthern/ruralOntario.Findingswillleadtoidentificationofkeymentalhealthandemploymentissuesfacedby
youngworkersandthemesregardingaccesstoservicesandsupports.Thiswillbeusedtoinformdevelopmentofstakeholderresourcesand
creativeservicedeliverystrategiestoaddresstheworkplacementalhealthneedsofyoungworkersinnorthern/ruralcommunities.