The mission of the Master of Occupational Therapy program at Lewiston-Auburn College is to graduate exemplary, entry-level occupational therapy practitioners. These graduates will effectively employ their critical thinking, clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities to positively impact their occupational therapy practice, their communities, and their own lives. Graduates of this program will be prepared to enter and succeed in an ever-changing community and health care arena as ethical, socially responsible, lifelong learners.
The philosophy of the Lewiston-Auburn College
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program was developed
with an awareness of the changing needs of today's
occupational therapy practitioners and consumers. This
philosophy supports the development of reflective, skilled
practitioners who can provide leadership and a model for
change. Student leadership opportunities exist through
collaboration with the local health care community for the
mutual exchange of knowledge and services.
The
MOT program is committed to the excellent and thorough academic
preparation of entry-level occupational therapy practitioners.
Learning is valued as a life-long process. Learners
construct knowledge based on the integration of academic content,
active and experiential learning opportunities both within
and outside the classroom, life experiences within a socio-cultural
context, and the reflective analysis of all
the above. Learning/teaching is a collaborative process
emphasizing respect for and value of critical thinking and
clinical reasoning that is used to apply theory to practice.
Central
to our curriculum is recognition that humans are occupational
beings who engage in culturally meaningful activities (occupations)
that are influenced by the context of their lives. Engagement
in occupations is necessary for health. It is the aim
of this program to help students examine the meaning of occupation
in healthy lives, as well as to understand how stress, trauma,
disease, dysfunction, and environmental constraints impact
occupational performance.
The
MOT program recognizes and supports occupation-based
practice. This includes the importance of examining the
interaction between the client, his or her environmental
context, and the occupations in which he/she engages. It
is the transaction between these three components that results
in occupational performance. In the MOT program, the
role of the occupational therapy practitioner in this process
is examined within the context of cultural, social, and
temporal influences.
Another
valued concept of the MOT program is client-centered
practice. Students are taught to respect the uniqueness,
dignity and value of each individual, and to exemplify this by
making the client and his/her needs central to the therapeutic
process. In addition to working with individual clients,
we recognize and support the stance of the American
Occupational Therapy Association's Commission on Practice that
clients include "groups, organizations, persons, caregivers,
and communities."
The MOT faculty believes
that there are parallels between student and client experiences, and have sought
to interact with all students with the same respect that we afford to occupational
therapy clients. Through mutual respect, a strong theoretical and practice
base, and collaborative teaching/learning, the MOT Program at Lewiston-Auburn
College graduates occupational therapy practitioners who are well prepared to
enter the profession of the 21st century.
