Partnering for Mentorship and Growth of Occupational Therapy Pro Bono Clinic Student Leaders across Two Universities

Abstract

Background: Student participation in free or pro bono clinics has been shown to enhance student learning and meet community needs. Student leadership of pro bono clinics is growing in occupational therapy (OT) programs. This article's purpose is to describe a capstone experience where an OT student leader aimed to build self-efficacy in a group of OT student leaders from another university seeking to grow their pro bono service.

Methods: A needs assessment informed the development of an eight-week intervention program providing materials and education needed to increase self-efficacy of student leaders in a newly launched OT pro bono clinic. The instructional intervention topics included billing and electronic health record navigation, client intake process, and marketing materials. The primary investigator developed a survey base on social cognitive theory to measure student leader self-efficacy pre-and post-intervention.

Results: Pre- and post-survey test results demonstrated a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in self-efficacy in new student leaders in three categories: billing and electronic health records, formal client intake, and obtaining new clients.

Conclusions: A peer mentor from another university providing education materials and administrative assistance in alliance with ongoing needs assessment enhanced the perceived self-efficacy of OT student leaders seeking to enhance their pro bono OT services.