Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Children's mental health services in Canada are in a state of crisis and ill-equipped to deal with the one in five children estimated to have mental health problems. With mental health issues including difficulties managing emotions and behaviours, along with disorders like autism, mental health is affecting children, classrooms, families, and communities. Yet, 8 in 10 of those needing mental health intervention never receive it. Access to specialized hospital services is very limited, denying the vast majority of children the support they require to develop into participating citizens. Occupational therapists are health professionals who focus on the practical difficulties of helping people meet expectations in the face of disability, and are already situated in school-based clinical services. Poised and ready to act to meet this significant, increasing need, occupational therapists need an occupational therapy competency framework for them to successfully intervene in children's mental health issues in the contexts of their schools. By bridging this gap, this research will support children's mental health and reduce the serious,long-term social, emotional, and financial implications mental health can have on children, families, schools, and communities.