Fieldwork

“The level of preparation for fieldwork that came from lectures, readings, and assignments was beyond what I imagined possible. I will never forget the support and encouragement I received as a student and as a person.” - Stacey Messing, MOT

Level I Fieldwork
Level II Fieldwork
Classroom Lab
Featured Fieldwork Sites

What is the purpose of fieldwork?
Supervised fieldwork experience has been recognized as a valuable and integral part of the occupational therapy education process throughout the development of the profession. It is intended to complement academic preparation by offering additional opportunities for growth, for learning to apply knowledge, for developing and testing clinical skills, and for validating and consolidating those functions that comprise professional competence, including service management and research. Our national organization, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), provides guidelines for fieldwork but each individual school or program, creates specific objectives and relationships with various fieldwork sites. University of Indianapolis endeavors to offer a variety of fieldwork experiences throughout the curriculum, either as part of specific academic course work or through the formal Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences mandated by AOTA.

What kinds of things will I be expected to do on fieldwork?
The School of Occupational Therapy details specific responsibilities of the fieldwork site. The Facility will select clinical education faculty who have the qualifications necessary to perform clinical teaching responsibilities including the following: competence in the area of clinical practice in which they teach; demonstrated effective teaching and evaluation of students; demonstrated effective communication skills; and a record of ethical behavior and involvement in professional development opportunities.

Specific competencies achieved during Level I and Level II Fieldwork, include but are not limited to:

• Demonstrate ethical and responsible behavior.
• Demonstrate skill in occupational therapy screening and evaluation of occupational performance and component function and dysfunction.
• Demonstrate the ability to set goals for OT intervention and create an appropriate intervention plan in collaboration with clients.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, with clients, family members, and colleagues.
• Creatively design and implement intervention that utilizes therapeutic occupation to enhance client independence and quality of life.
• Utilize therapeutic use of self and interpersonal skills to enhance change in occupational performance.
• Promote, design, evaluate, market, and implement the occupational therapy practice within the community and non-traditional areas of practice, as well as traditional areas of practice.

Where can I complete my fieldwork?
We have over 250 contracts with various fieldwork sites in 30 states, so students have a wide variety of locations and types of fieldwork experience from which to choose their fieldwork placements. Types of fieldwork settings include, but are not limited to the following:

• Hospitals, Rehabilitation Facilities, Out Patient Clinics
• School Systems and Early Intervention for Children
• Extended Care Facilities, Day Care Centers, and Assisted Living Facilities
• Industrial Sites and Private Practice
• Home Health Care
• Mental Health Facilities
• Specialized sites offering hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, and sensory integration