Client perception of a client-centered and occupation-based intervention for at-risk youth.

BACKGROUND: A community-based occupational therapy program aims to provide client-centered and occupation-based interventions to at-risk youth. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study explores how at-risk youth experiencing psychosocial and environmental barriers to occupation respond to client-centered and occupation-based occupational therapy in the community. METHOD: One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with five youth participants receiving individual therapy interventions through a community-based occupational therapy program. The transcript data were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: (i) client-centered and occupation-based OT interventions, (ii) the youths' increased self-advocacy, and (iii) the enhancement of youths' perception of their future. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: The youth in this study described OT interventions exemplifying client-centered and occupation-based therapy, a non-prescriptive approach that validates the individual and may prove especially effective in serving the at-risk youth population.