Navigating Reconciliation in Occupational Therapy: Alberta Practitioners' Experiences and Insights.

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Indigenous health
• Reconciliation studies

Background:

• The 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action urge healthcare providers to address colonial harms.
• Occupational therapists are called to provide culturally safer care, yet their practical engagement with reconciliation is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how occupational therapists integrate reconciliation into their practice.
• To identify factors influencing occupational therapists' reconciliation efforts.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 occupational therapists.
• Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data on reconciliation efforts and challenges.

Main Results:

• Occupational therapists foster reconciliation through relationship-building with Indigenous communities and lifelong learning, including Indigenous knowledge.
• Barriers include educational deficits and challenges in implementing reconciliation principles into practice.
• Deconstructing Western paradigms and adopting culturally responsive, non-Western approaches are crucial.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a foundation for understanding truth and reconciliation within occupational therapy.
• Findings can help address systemic and anti-Indigenous racism in the profession.
• Relationality, community engagement, and continuous learning are vital for culturally safer care.