Coming Together

Over the past four months I have had the privilege of learning from the wisdom and experience of people who have been working in disability ministry all over the country.  I have gained insights into the priorities and the strategies that these experienced professional have shared with me.  I have also had an inside look into how committees work and how professionals communicate with each other in order to work toward a common goal.

During my rotation I have been able to be present for meetings for a committee that is just starting out, one that is ending, and a long standing one that is continuing to work together.  From committee that is just starting out I learned the importance of defining your role as a group.  On one hand when so many people come and work together, they bring a lot of very good ideas that can really help to accomplish the goal.  On the other hand, with a lot of good ideas it can be easy to stray from one or a few specific goals.  Being able to listen in on the brainstorming was an amazing experience, one that I will probably not have again in the near future.  Being able to listen to a committee tie together all of these amazing ideas and prioritize them into a list and then sorting them into subcommittees was even more amazing as all of these ideas will one day soon be carried out. I think it is a true skill to be able to work on a committee and it is a true gift when a large group of people can listen to each other and be respectful of each other's ideas. It takes passion for the cause, respect for others, and good communication skills.  I am thankful that in this stage of my professional growth I was able to witness this in a real way and to have professional examples of how to come together and work as a team.

Faith and Light and Growth

This week, I attended a gathering with the co- founder of Faith and Light, Marie-Hélène Mathieu.  She and Jean Vanier founded this international organization to support people to start their own prayer communities with people with disabilities at the center of the community.  These groups meet once a month for prayer, faith sharing, and celebration.  Faith and Light is open to all Christian denominations and currently has 1500 communities in 80 countries.   

Above: Lourdes, France.
Faith and Light was founded after 4,000 persons with disabilities
with their family and friends attended a pilgrimage to Lourdes
during Easter, 1971. For more about the history visit
http://www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/about-us/history 

Faith and Light fosters spiritual growth in the lives of its members.  Marie-Hélène told a story of a young boy who attended Faith and Light.  His mother was preparing the food to take to the first meeting and he saw this and was excited to go to the meeting so that he could eat the food at the picnic after.  For the first several months, when it was time to go to the meeting, he would only say one word, “Picnic!” After they had been attending for a while, he started to make friends and connect with the community at the gatherings.  When his mother asked him if he was ready to go to the meeting, he would only say one word, but this time it was, “Friends!” After more time had passed and he started to learn about God and grow in his own spirituality, he would only say one word when it was time to go, but this time he said, “Jesus!”  



A candle with the inscription "Jezu Ufam Tobie", meaning
"Jesus I Trust in You", in Polish. Across the globe, Faith and Light
communities cover 38 different languages.

Marie-Hélène shared this story to convey the message that the people with disabilities who come to Faith and Light are nurtured spiritually and that it helps them to grow in their relationship with God and others.   People with intellectual disabilities have their own gifts to offer and they serve God and the community each in their own unique way.  People without disabilities are encouraged to be members of this community as well so that they can become friends with and learn from those with disabilities.


Occupational therapists help their clients grow in their daily life skills.  Perhaps when we think about addressing spirituality in practice we can consider ways to help our clients grow spiritually.  One way is to know about different opportunities that are offered to help facilitate this growth such as Faith and Light.  When I was at the gathering, a lady who is involved in Faith and Light said that they are always looking for people to come and participate and to help with small things such as transportation. I am excited to get involved with a Faith and Light community after I graduate in order to learn, support others, and to be supported in my faith.  If you are interested in learning more and to find a community near you, please visit http://www.faithandlight.org/  

 

 

October: Respect Life Month and the Call of Occupational Therapists

A rose outside of St.Thérèse's Convent in Lisieux, France 

The month of October is recognized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as Respect Life Month. Throughout my internship, I have been challenged to think about respecting life in a new way.  I have been blessed to visit Bethlehem House a Catholic community in DC for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, three times now. When I walked into Bethlehem House for the first time and each time thereafter, I could feel a palpable sense of peace and I immediately felt at home.  Each of the residents and staff welcomed me and was happy that I was there not because of what I have done, but simply because I was there.

In one of my visits, I was able to attend mass with their community.  It was the feast day of St Thérèse of Lisieux, a French nun who is famous for her simple spirituality of doing small things with great love.  During the homily, the priest asked several of the residents if they ever wanted to be someone else, or if they were truly happy with being themselves.  Each of the residents responded, “Yes!” they were truly happy being themselves and amidst their challenges, they would not want to be anyone else.  The priest shared what St. Therese taught: this is the path to happiness and holiness for everyone; to embrace ourselves for who God has created us to be and to embrace others and to affirm them in their goodness and dignity.

There is no deeper affirmation of the dignity of life than to simply accept others for who they are, not for what they are able to do, treating them with kindness and love because they were created by God and are inherently good. I think this is truly the mission of an occupational therapist.  I know there is a focus in occupational therapy to help our clients to become as independent as possible and to help them live productive lives in order to increase overall health and happiness.  These are all good and necessary things and truly contribute to respecting human life.  But what I remember as a student, sitting in class listening to my professors who are experienced OTs, was seeing their eyes light up as they told stories of helping their patients participate in activities that did not necessarily constitute as “productive.”  Stories of helping a patient work on balance and coordination so that he could dance with his daughter at her wedding, working with an older woman on hand and arm strength so that she could return to her garden that she loved, or helping a child with several disabilities who loved animals to be able to ride a horse.  These are the stories that motivated my classmates and me to persevere in our studies, knowing that one day we could be able to respect the dignity of the human person in this way.

 

The rose is traditionally recognized as a symbol of respect for all life

 

You see, it is not what we do, but who we are that gives us intrinsic value and worth.  Who we are is good, with all of our unique personality traits, our interests, our struggles, and our joys that God has given us throughout our lives.  What a gift and an honor it is as an occupational therapist to be able to share in these moments with others and affirm the dignity of others by affirming and respecting the activities and experiences that are important to them.  So as Respect Life Month draws to a close, let us all remember the words of Pope Benedict XVI, in his first homily as pope, “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary”.  

 

Mental Illness Awareness Week

NCPD prepares for National Mental Illness Awareness Week. The first week of October marked the National Mental Illness Awareness Week.  In the middle of the week (October 7) a National Day of Prayer for recovery of Mental Illness was observed.  Here at the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) office, late September and early October were busy in preparation for this time of awareness and we participated in several events in effort to spread the word and to join in prayer for this important time.

National Mental Illness Network Conference Call focuses on the Mental and Spiritual Healing of Returning Veterans. The first event that took place was the Mental Illness National Network Call entitled Wounded Warriors: Mental Illness and Spiritual Healing.  I was surprised to learn that more veterans seek out their pastors or religious leaders for counseling than secular mental health services.  The term moral injury was also discussed.  This term was new to me so after doing some research I learned that moral injury refers to the psychological distress that occurs after participating in an action that is contrary to one’s moral beliefs (Conan, 2012). The presenters on the conference call suggested that pastoral resources can be especially helpful to people experiencing moral injury as the Church offers a message of healing and forgiveness.  It is especially important that parishes welcome their parishioners who are returning from combat and make the sacraments available to them. 

NCPD Hosts a National Prayer Service for Recovery and Understanding.  On October 7^th, NCPD hosted a national prayer service via telephone where participants could call in and join in prayer with others across the country to pray for understanding and recovery for people with mental illness.  We prayed the first glorious mystery of the rosary commemorating the Resurrection of Christ as a sign of hope and new life in the midst of suffering. Specific prayers were also offered for healing for people experiencing mental illness and for the church to better welcome and serve them.  It was a moving experience and a tradition that NCPD hopes to continue in the future perhaps even on a regular basis. I would encourage occupational therapy practitioners to join in these prayer services in the future and to recommend that their patients who are looking for spiritual resources to call in and join in prayer.  On the home page of the NCPD website there are currently listed prayers and resources that can be a source of strength and hope in the midst of mental illness and can be easily shared with clients who have expressed an interest in prayer or spirituality. 

Occupational Therapy's role in Mental Health Recovery. In addition to these pastoral resources, medical intervention is often important and necessary for people living with mental illness in order to manage symptoms and live a healthy life. If you have mental illness or if you are working in a pastoral setting and you are assisting someone who has mental illness, occupational therapy can be a meaningful and helpful intervention.  The goal of OT in mental health settings is to assist people to engage in the important and meaningful activities that might be difficult to do with a mental illness.  The American Occupational Therapy Association has resources that explain the role of OT in mental health treatment as well as basic information about mental illness.

 For more information please visit:

 http://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/MentalHealth.aspx

References
Conan, N. (Host). (2012, November 21). Moral injury: The Psychological wounds of war. NPR: Talk of the  Nation. Podcast retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/11/21/165663154/moral-injury-the- psychological-wounds-of-war. 

Brotherly Love

Philadelphia Museum of Art

In September, I ventured out of DC to the City of Brotherly Love, more commonly known as Philadelphia; to explore and learn about disability ministry there.  The day was informative as well as thought provoking.  In the morning I attended a meeting hosted by the archdiocese for volunteers who serve as advocates for people with disabilities in their parishes.  Three talks were given covering prenatal diagnosis, supporting families of children with disabilities, and older adults with acquired disabilities.  As a future OT, it was impressive to see the Church covering issues across the lifespan.  This meeting served as a reminder that our call to love and serve is life long and that the church really is there to support her flock from conception to natural death. It also helped me realize that we are all dependent on one another; a theme that continued later that day.


That afternoon I attended a Deaf Catholic Community Event.  As I looked around everyone there was communicating in sign language, socializing, and playing cards. Standing in the middle of a crowded parish hall, I was struck by how quiet it was.  I know that I should not have been surprised by this, but the quietness made me realize that I was in a place where the main form of communication was different from my current way of communicating, or rather my current ability to communicate.  I attended the event with someone who was fluent in sign language and so she was able to introduce me to her friends and translate for me.  As the time went on, I realized how dependent I was on my host who knew sign language to help me communicate.  I began to reflect on what God wanted me to learn that Saturday in a church hall outside of Philadelphia. 





 The City of Brotherly Love

To be dependent on someone else for a basic need such as communication was an important experience for me as a future OT, but also a reminder to me as a human being.   One of the main goals of OT is to help people gain independence in living their daily life; however when someone first receives an OT evaluation, they are dependent on others in some way to do basic activities essential to daily life. It is humbling to have to ask someone for help throughout the day.  It is necessary to remember that this can be difficult.  As health care practitioners we should be sensitive to the fact that this dependence can make people feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, and even helpless.  What an exciting notion that we can help people to regain or gain for the first time that independence that they need and desire to fully participate in daily life. 

As we go about our work as OTs, ministers, or whatever your situation in life might be, we should remember that in reality, we are all dependent on other people.  A conversation with my sister who is studying theology helped me to realize this. Everyone has limitations, we can never do it all on our own.  This is God’s plan for us, to love and help one another and to also receive love and help from the people He has placed in our lives.  Perhaps you can think of a time when you needed help, especially to do something simple.  Perhaps reflect on the way that you were shown God’s love through the help of another.  Let’s take time to be thankful for those times that we needed help and we were given it, and to reflect upon what God wanted to show us about ourselves, others, and His love for us.  

 

 



Partnering with Other Professionals

Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to attend two separate trainings for catechists (religious education teachers) in the Archdiocese of Washington. The purpose of these trainings was to offer practical tips for the volunteers working as catechists to help meet the diverse learning needs of all the children in their classroom. The trainings were given by educational and health care professionals; one a special education teacher, the other a speech and language pathologist. These professionals gave very practical strategies that the volunteer can use in their catechetical setting. Topics covered classroom management, setting up the environment, sensory processing issues, and modifying and adapting the curriculum, just to name a few. Some of the strategies I recognized from my time in occupational therapy school and some of them were new to me from the pastoral and educational fields.

The take away message that I received was that children who have special needs or require accommodations in the classroom at their school should also have the same accommodations in parish religious education programs. Health care and educational professionals were willing to give of their time to share what common accommodations in the school setting are and how to implement them appropriately into the religious education classroom.

This caused me to reflect on the valuable experiences that can result from health care and educational professionals collaborating with the lay faithful working in ministry. After attending these trainings I began to reflect and came up with a short list of ideas with the help of some of the professionals I spoke with and from the information I learned at the trainings. Perhaps you have some more to add from your experience.

For priests, parish administrators, and staff

• Reach out and network with the health care and educational professionals in your parish. They can be a wealth of knowledge when thinking about how to better reach children with diverse learning needs in your religious education programs as well as persons with disabilities in your parish.
• Make an announcement in the bulletin asking for contact information of these health care and educational professionals. Build a database of willing and interested professionals to call upon to host trainings on their area of expertise or volunteer in some other capacity.
• Host a meet and greet event for health care and educational professionals at your parish. This would be a great opportunity for everyone to get connected and share ideas on how to proceed (start a committee, host trainings, and support each other in their work…)

For health care and educational professionals

• Reach out and make yourself available to your parish community. The knowledge and experience that you have can be of great benefit to your parish. Maybe a disability ministry exists, or maybe your parish has a specific need that you can help with. By reaching out and offering to help you might be surprised how you’ll be able to serve and what you’ll learn.
• Many of the people that I have spoken to in church ministry are always looking for professionals to share their gifts and talents. Check with your local diocese and see if there is a disability ministry office. These offices usually host events for people with disabilities and their families that you could be a part of, if your schedule allows.
• Host trainings or even an informal presentation about your area of expertise for volunteers and parishioners. This is an excellent way to share your knowledge and to raise awareness about your profession and the people you serve.

For persons with disabilities and their families

• Talk with your health care providers (OT, PT, Speech Therapy, Doctors, Nurses, etc...) and educators and let them know that your faith is a priority for you. For example when setting goals in OT, mention that you or your child participates in church activities and religious education and that it is an important part of your family life. The professionals that you work with should respect this and work to help you to meet your goals in this area.
• If you know of a Catholic teacher or practitioner who is living out their faith, perhaps you could suggest to them to share their talents with their local faith community.
• If you feel comfortable and have the time, share with your parish catechetical leader or other parish staff that your child has special accommodations in the classroom or is receiving therapy. Perhaps you could connect your child’s public school teacher or medical personnel and parish catechetical staff or volunteer to share tips that work for your child in order for them to learn the best.
• Consider how you can be of service to the parish. Share your time and talents by becoming a greeter, lector, a member of the choir, or any other area of church ministry.

Spiritual? OT?

Spirituality and… Occupational Therapy? On first glance, it might not seem to fit together. It might even seem like the two would have little connection. But you might be surprised, as I was to learn that spirituality is actually a part of the scope of practice for occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) (a document that outlines the scope of practice of occupational therapy practitioners) includes spirituality as a client factor, or an aspect of the person that affects their health and ability to engage in occupations (AOTA,2008). Religious observance is also included as an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL). An IADL is an activity that is instrumental to daily life that occupational therapists assist their clients in participating. Other examples of IADLs include caregiving, managing the home, shopping, and communication management.

Spirituality from an occupational therapy perspective is one’s personal quest for a relationship with the divine. This definition used by the profession makes a distinction between spirituality and religion as it states that this personal quest can result in the participation in religion, but not in all cases (Moreia-Almeida & Koenig, as cited in AOTA, 2008). The OTPF however recognizes that religious observance or participating in religious practices serves as an important occupation that enables this relationship with the divine (Moreia-Almeida & Koenig as cited in AOTA, 2008).

In the United States there is estimated to be 66.6 million Catholics as of 2014 (The Official Catholic Directory as cited by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 2014). Of these 66.6 million Catholics, 24% attend Mass every Sunday (CARA, 2014). In addition to this the Catholic Church also serves in areas where occupational therapists serve. There are an estimated 549 Catholic hospitals in the United States that serve 88.8 million people a year (CARA, 2014). In the area of education, 2.695 million children of primary school age receive religious education at their local parish, and that’s not including older children and teenagers as well as students that attend Catholic grade schools, high schools and universities.

The point being that for many people in the United States, the Catholic faith plays an integral role in the personal quest for meaning and the divine that was mentioned in the OTPF. From a Catholic perspective, faith and spirituality is not only a personal quest. Faith and participation in religion provides meaning and motivation to engage in all of the occupations (day to day tasks, participating in service, and living out one's vocation, just to name a few) that are the focus of occupational therapy intervention.

A unique and powerful aspect of occupational therapy is that it looks at the person in his or her entirety. That is to say that at the root of occupational therapy practice is the belief that all aspects of a person and his or her life, “interact to influence the client’s engagement in occupations, participation, and health” (AOTA, 2008, p. 628). With this belief at the core of the profession, it fits in well and one could argue that it is necessary to address spirituality as a part of occupational therapy practice.

But how do we do that? It may seem like a daunting task as it’s not typically something that is addressed. The good news is that there are OT practitioners who have examined this question, applied it in their practice, and have written about it to share their ideas with others. The other good news is that there are religious organizations that are examining the same questions and are actively working with health care professionals and people with disabilities to find answers to the same questions, which brings me to the purpose or mission of this blog.

The mission of SpiritualOT is to provide a place to discuss how occupational therapy and spirituality fit together and how health care providers and people in ministry can work together for greater inclusion for people with disabilities in their religious or faith communities. In addition to discussing, I hope to provide resources as well as my own reflections from a Catholic perspective on religion, spirituality, disability, and health care through my conversations with therapists, ministry directors, other professionals, families, and individuals who are experiencing disabilities. It is my hope that through this blog the conversation about faith, spirituality, health and participation will continue and grow to assist all to seek God in all things and to help each other on the path to wholeness and holiness.


References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (2nd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 625-638.

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. (2014). Frequently requested church statistics [Data file]. Retrieved from http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html.