Occupational Therapy for People Who are Homeless

    For this assignment, I watched a Ted Talk which introduced an Occupational Therapist from St. Louis who delved into her interactions, observations, and research with the population of unhoused people in her city. She explained the number of difficult circumstances which led most people who are homeless to the place that they are currently- on the streets, in a shelter, waiting for services, etc. One of the most thought provoking statistics the Occupational Therapist introduced was that half of the homeless population in the United States has a traumatic brain injury. She also explained the compounding factors such as mental illness, substance use, and lack of sleep, which all lead to a decrese in cognative ability. 

    I think that practicing Occupational Therapy within a population of homeless people would be very rewarding. It seemed like the speaker could easily see how Occupational Therapy touched the lives of the people she worked with in a way that prevented them from falling back into the same circumstances. To me, it is very important to focus on this population in order to help others to have a more stable, fulfilling life where they can put their occupations in the forefront insead of just making it to the next day. 

                                                                        References

Tyminski, Q. (2011, December 1). Occupational Therapy for the Homeless.              

    https://www.ted.com/talks/quinn_tyminski_occupational_therapy_for_the_homeless