Promoting Successful Community Re-Integration for Incarcerated Juveniles: The Role of Occupational Therapy to Enhance Quality of Life

The purpose of this scholarly project is to present a manual for occupational therapists working with juvenile delinquents in their transition into the community following incarceration. The intended outcome of the project is for juvenile delinquents to be independent, successful members of the community. A literature review pertaining to juvenile delinquents was conducted and addressed recidivism, risk factors, and unmet needs. At this time, there are no practice guidelines in the United States that capture occupational therapy’s scope of practice when working with adolescents who have been involved in the criminal justice system. A manual was developed in order to present OT’s role in assessment, intervention, and discharge when working with juvenile delinquents in the community. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework along with the Model of Human Occupation were utilized to guide intervention. Occupational therapists can play a key role in assisting youth in transitioning into the community following incarceration. This manual is a tool that occupational therapists can use to assess and treat adolescents’ occupational deficits in order to promote independence and success in the community