Occupation brings hope: Occupational therapy for people who are homeless

ABSTRACT

Case studies are useful tools to reflect on the impact of occupational therapy, especially when supporting people who are homeless. Often, quantitative outcome measures lose the richness of data which a case study can capture, and case studies illustrate in depth the impact of occupational therapy for people with multiple and complex needs. This article demonstrates the role of occupational therapy in bringing hope to people who have mental health difficulties; and who have also experienced trauma and homelessness.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupation
• hope
• homelessness
• trauma
• mental health

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge and thank Dr Jennifer Creek for her support and encouragement in writing this case story.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).