FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN PRACTICE - ISSUES AND ATTITUDES

The family occupies an important role in the lives of persons with a p hysical, developmental, or mental disability; however, the extent and manner in which occupational therapists work with families is not know n. A questionnaire concerning family-therapist involvement was sent to occupational therapists. Responses of 340 occupational therapists wit h a primary practice area of physical disabilities, developmental disa bilities, or mental health were compared. Results indicated that the a mount of contact with families of clients, reasons for family-therapis t interactions, and attitudes about the family's abilities and involve ment were affected by the respondent's area of practice. Respondents i n all three practice areas identified scheduling difficulties as the b iggest issue affecting their involvement with families of their client s. Implications discussed include the need to obtain an understanding of families' desired level of involvement and the importance of contin uing education opportunities for occupational therapists in changing a ttitudes about working with families. This study also suggests that th e role of occupational therapists with families in mental health setti ngs needs to be better articulated and shared with professional peers.