Date and Time: Wednesday May 27, 2026, from 6-7:30pm
Chairperson(s): Emily Walker, OT, OTR, Allyson Lewis, OT, OTR, Rosa Colorado, OT, OTR
Location: Zoom - link to be sent out day before the event
Title: Practice Meets Product: Occupational Therapy and Behavioral Health Solutions
Speakers: Sarah Daghestani OT, OTR, and Laura Magee OT, OTD, OTR
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Identify gaps in traditional healthcare supply models that impact safety andtherapeutic outcomes in behavioral health settings.
2. Identify sociocultural trends in mental health care and the potential impacts foroccupational therapists.
3. Describe strategies for incorporating occupational therapy perspectives intoentrepreneurial and/or organizational initiatives within healthcare systems.
Bio/Focus: Sarah and Laura are Occupational Therapists working in inpatient psychiatry. Sarah graduated from Quinnipiac University (‘22) and Laura from MGH Institute of Health Professions (‘20). Laura’s graduate school research was published in Topics in Stroke Rehab in ‘23 and Sarah presented at AOTA in ‘22 on recidivism. Together, they’ve secured a grant covering over a year’s worth of funding for inclusive hair products for mental health patients at CHA. This endeavor inspired their creation of Psych Safe Supplies LLC, which now provides meaningful and appropriate products for behavioral health settings.
References:
1. Edwards, M. L., & Morris, N. P. (2024). How Inpatient Psychiatric Units Can Be Both Safe and Therapeutic. AMA Journal of Ethics, 26(3), E248–E256.https://doi.org/10.1001/amajethics.2024.248
2. Brown, C. K., Glei, D. A., Lee, C., & Weinstein, M. (2026). Leisure activities are associated with physical and mental health. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, Article 100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbeha.2026.100206
3. Price, O. et al. (2024). De-escalating aggression in acute inpatient mental health settings: a behaviour change theory-informed, secondary qualitative analysis of staff and patient perspectives. BMC psychiatry, 24(1), 548.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05920-y
4. Lopes, R. et al. (2025). Game On: Assessing the Therapeutic Benefits of Board Gamesin Schizophrenia Management. European Psychiatry, 68(S1), S1075–S1075.doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.2177