Using the OT Lens to expand School-Wide Mental Health and Behavioral Supports

What if occupational therapy wasn't confined to pullout sessions and IEP goals? Nicole Pfirman, M.Ed., OTR/L, shares how she brought an OT lens to every role—designing multi sensory environments for behavioral regulation, creating prevention and wellness teams that operated outside of special education, and reframing the "mental health crisis" as an intensity crisis that demands systems-level change. You'll learn why sensory regulation and mental health can't be separated, how to advocate for OT involvement at tier one and tier two, and what it takes to shift from waiting for an IEP to meeting student needs proactively. This conversation will challenge you to reclaim participation as the core of your practice and see new pathways for OT leadership in schools.Listen now to learn the following objectives:— Learners will recognize the distinction between a "mental health crisis" and an "intensity crisis," and explain how this reframing reflects the current reality school-based OT practitioners are seeing in students' behavioral presentations.— Learners will identify that sensory system regulation and mental health outcomes are directly connected, and that trauma responses impact the sensory system — meaning trauma-informed care cannot be effectively delivered without also addressing sensory dysregulation.— Learners will identify how OTP's core focus on participation and meaningful occupation applies across all MTSS tiers — from tier one environmental and policy conversations to tier two consultation — not only at the point of IEP eligibility.Thanks for tuning in! Thanks for tuning into the OT Schoolhouse Podcast brought to you by the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Community for school-based OTPs. In OTS Collab, we use community-powered professional development to learn together and implement strategies together. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the show notes for every episode at OTSchoolhouse.comSee you in the next episode!