Behavioral Health Competence: An Exploration of Army Reserve Occupational Therapists

Area of Science:

• Behavioral health in military occupational therapy
• Occupational therapy training and education
• Military readiness and deployment preparedness

Background:

• Occupational Therapists (OTs) in the Army Reserve play a crucial role in behavioral health.
• Assessing the behavioral health competence of these OTs is vital for mission readiness.
• Existing pre-deployment training may not adequately prepare OTs for behavioral health demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the self-reported behavioral health competence of Army Reserve OTs.
• To identify specific areas of need for pre-deployment training.
• To understand the sources of competency relied upon during deployment.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was administered to Army Reserve Occupational Therapists.
• The survey assessed perceived competence in various behavioral health domains.
• Data collection focused on identifying training needs and reliance on prior education.

Main Results:

• Army Reserve OTs generally report high behavioral health competence.
• Significant questions and challenges arose during deployment concerning diagnosis, assessment, evaluation, treatment planning, intervention, and progress monitoring.
• Competencies were often based on Level II fieldwork and entry-level didactic education.

Conclusions:

• Perceived high competence may not fully translate to deployment-specific behavioral health practice.
• Entry-level OT curriculum changes and fieldwork limitations may impact preparedness.
• There is a clear need for enhanced, targeted pre-deployment training for Army Reserve OTs in behavioral health.