Preparing Advanced Clinicians and Practitioners: A Model for Mentorship in Occupational Therapy Practice

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Professional Development
• Clinical Mentorship

Background:

• Mentorship is crucial for professional career progression.
• Evidence regarding the effectiveness of formal mentorship programs for practicing clinicians is limited.
• The STAR mentorship program specifically targets clinicians in sensory integration and processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the STAR mentorship program.
• To describe the impact of formal mentorship on clinicians specializing in sensory integration and processing.
• To provide evidence for the benefits of structured mentorship in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory, retrospective survey research design.
• Analysis of course evaluations from 240 participants in a one-week mentorship training program.
• Adaptation of qualitative methods with 16 developed codes for survey analysis.

Main Results:

• 96% of participants reported the program met or exceeded expectations.
• 22% noted impacts on psychosocial function, and 45% on career function.
• 94% praised the program structure, and 74% the content, with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Conclusions:

• The STAR mentorship program yielded positive outcomes for clinicians.
• There is a need for more in-person, structured mentored learning experiences.
• Mentorship is recommended for supporting career development, knowledge, skills, and professionalism in the field.