Self-advocacy: A programme facilitated by students from the Discipline of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College Dublin with women in prison
Katie Cremin (Trinity College Dublin), Sarah Quinn (Trinity College Dublin)
Abstract
The philosophy of learning and education in the Discipline of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is one of collaboration, learning by doing and learning with and from others. As part of the practical learning component of the professional skills course, third year students engage with community groups, to provide group based programmes. The principal aim of this course is to develop students’ group facilitation skills.
This paper will, firstly, describe one of these community engagement groups which took place in collaboration with prison services for women. Three third year students along with two supervising occupational therapy lecturers planned and facilitated a self-advocacy programme with a group of women in the prison. The purpose of the project was to introduce self-advocacy, tailored to the needs of the women and cognisant of the environmental boundaries. The programme aimed to provide opportunities to explore ways of building and maintaining skills that included: being able to say 'no' in a constructive way, managing challenges in the environment, solving problems, taking responsibility for self and demonstrating self-respect and respect for others. The group took place one evening a week for nine weeks from January to March 2009.
Ethical approval from Trinity College was granted to conduct a post-group programme evaluation. Client satisfaction questionnaires were used to elicit the perspectives of the participating women and focus group methodology investigated the students’ perceptions of facilitating the programme. In addition to a description of the programme, this paper will present the experiences of these key players and discuss the learning opportunities which this type of community engagement affords all involved.
It is hoped that this project is the beginning of a relationship between Irish prison services and the discipline of Occupational Therapy at TCD. It has demonstrated the feasibility of students and women in prison working together and the potential benefits of this for both parties at a number of levels. It also raises questions and considerations about the rehabilitative process in prison and the potential for future programmes. It sees the emergence of an endeavour to research and explore the role of occupational therapy within the Irish prison service.
