04/12/2026
TU's ADD 14th Annual Recreational Therapy EBP Conference (registration link in bio)
In-Person Session: April 24
Session: Determining the Effectiveness of Community Navigation for Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses
by Olivia Demmler, CTRS, BSRT, MSRT Student & Bryan McCormick, PhD, CTRS
Session Description: Serious Mental Illnesses (SMIs) affect approximately 5.2% of the population and are associated with low community inclusion and participation. Social exclusion has a variety of negative impacts, such as reduced feelings of belonging and a reduced sense of self-efficacy, which could lead to an overall sense of worthlessness. In contrast, community participation supports recovery, improves quality of life, and contributes to a sense of purpose in one’s life. This session introduces the Community Navigator intervention which is based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) model. We report the preliminary results of a trial of the Navigators intervention, focused on increasing community participation with the help of peer support specialists. This session will focus on how community navigation can work as an RT intervention to help support individuals who may face challenges when it comes to engaging in their community and determine how we can support these individuals.
