April 9, 2018

Fieldwork Experience for Occupational Therapy Students

Fieldwork Level I:

Goal: To introduce occupational therapy master’s level students to the fieldwork experience within an emerging area of practice: College Student Health and Wellness.

Occupational Therapy fieldwork level I students will understand the needs and best practices for supporting college students with attention and learning differences. Students will actively participate in experiential learning opportunities by serving as an academic coach to undergraduate students that present with difficulties managing time, stress levels, and self-care routines. Throughout the course of the semester, fieldwork level I students should expect to work with a caseload of 3-5 students on an individual and weekly basis under the supervision of an occupational therapist and other professional staff members from psychology and educational disciplines.

Please note: The Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity is unable to offer employment or fieldwork placement to any students who have been involved in academic supports, such as academic coaching, groups, or psychoeducational testing at our center.

If interested, please contact the USC Mental Health Fieldwork Coordinator for more information about placement availability.

Fieldwork Level II:

Goal: To develop the skillset of a competent, entry-level occupational therapist within the domain of college student health and wellness.

Occupational Therapy fieldwork level II students will learn how to implement holistic treatment interventions for college students with attentional, learning, and mental health concerns, in order to achieve academic success and lifestyle balance. Fieldwork Level II students should expect to manage a caseload of 12-15 students by the end of the 12-week internship, plan and facilitate student support groups for specialized populations, present learning strategies within educational workshops, and create educational materials to promote positive academic engagement and health-promoting self-care routines to all university students.

Please note: The Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity is unable to offer employment or fieldwork placement to any students who have been involved in academic supports, such as academic coaching, groups, or psychoeducational testing at our center.

If interested, please contact the USC Mental Health Fieldwork Coordinator for more information about placement availability. Please note, this placement will also require an in-person interview prior to acceptance.

Doctoral Residency:

Goal: To develop the advanced clinical expertise of an occupational therapist within the domain of college student health and wellness.

Occupational Therapy doctoral residents will specialize in facilitating the behavioral health change of college students with significant lifestyle, emotional, and cognitive impairments. Doctoral residents will conduct independent research and program evaluations to strengthen the center’s utilization of evidence-based practice within treatment, assessment, and outcome measures of individualized academic coaching sessions, support groups, and outreach efforts. Residents will be expected to provide individualized treatment intervention, contribute to program development, support the training of graduate student academic coaches, further develop the center’s training materials, provide outreach and consultation services, and support research endeavors as needed. This is a non-salaried position.

Please note: The Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity is unable to offer employment or fieldwork placement to any students who have been involved in academic supports, such as academic coaching, groups, or psychoeducational testing at our center.

If interested, please contact Julie Loppacher, loppache@usc.edu for more information about placement availability. Please note, this placement will also require an in-person interview prior to acceptance.