Sensory Integration and Mental Health: 
An Introduction to Every Moment Counts – Promoting Positive Mental Health Throughout the Day

A Conversations with Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

  • Moderated by Erin Flynn, MS, OTR/L 
  • Level: Introductory

  • Access: All parts of the course, including assignments, must be completed within a 7 week viewing window.

  • Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours or 0.1 AOTA CEUs
  • AOTA Areas: Occupational Therapy Service Delivery: Evaluation, Intervention and Outcomes.
  • Audience: OT, OTA, PT, PTA, SLP, Psychologist, Educator, Parent
  • Completion Requirements: To earn contact hours or AOTA CEUs for this course participants must view this course in its entirety, and successfully complete the quiz accompanying each lesson.
Write your awesome label here.
Course overview

Small moments can make a big difference in how children feel and function. Every Moment Counts is a mental health promotion initiative developed to help all children/youth become mentally healthy in order to succeed in school, at home and in the community. Participants will learn about a multi-tiered public health approach to mental health involving promotion, prevention and intervention and be introduced to Every Moment Counts’ occupation-based programs: Comfortable Cafeteria, Refreshing Recess, Calm Moments Cards, Making Leisure Matter. A brief overview of website resources will be provided as well as strategies for building capacity of school personnel to do this work.

References and handouts are provided.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

Describe the dimensions of positive mental health and embedded strategies for promoting optimal mental health

Demonstrate an understanding a multi-tiered, public health approach to mental health in school-based practice with children and youth at the universal, targeted, and individualized levels

Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Director, Every Moment CountsProfessor Emerita, Occupational Therapy Program, Cleveland State University

Dr. Bazyk is a Professor Emerita, Occupational Therapy Program at Cleveland State University where she taught for 34 years. She was also director of the Graduate Certificate Program in School-Based Practice. In addition to authoring the book, Mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention with children and youth: A guiding framework (2011), Dr. Bazyk has authored over 30 journal articles and several book chapters in leading OT textbooks. She is the project director of Every Moment Counts: Promoting Mental Health Throughout the Day – a multi-pronged mental health promotion initiative originally funded by the Ohio Department of Education ($720,000; 2012-2015). Dr. Bazyk has developed an extensive website to help OT practitioners learn about and implement Every Moment Counts’ model programs and embedded strategies (www.everymomentcounts.org). She is nationally recognized for her leadership in building capacity of occupational therapy practitioners and interdisciplinary professionals to address the mental health needs of children and youth. Dr. Bazyk has given over 100 state, national and international presentations since 2010. Recent awards include: the 2017 Outstanding Research Award for the College of Sciences and Health Professions at CSU, and the 2018 Award for Innovative and Emerging Practice from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Erin Flynn, MS, OTR/L
Moderator

Erin is a certified and licensed occupational therapist and registered with NBCOT with a specialty in pediatrics. She received her MS in occupational therapy from Sacred Heart University and a BA in psychology from College of the Holy Cross. She has worked with children in a variety of settings including public/private schools and Boys & Girls Clubs and has run community-based parent/child sensory motor groups. She is certified in the Program of Essential Competencies in Sensory Integration. She is also trained in the SOS oral motor program, iLs: Integrated Listening Systems home programming, and trauma informed care. She completed the Infant Parent Mental Health Fellowship program at UMass Boston in 2019. She is on the IRB board of SPIRAL Foundation and is a former SPIRAL Foundation Education Coordinator. Being a parent herself, Erin is passionate about working with children and their parents to build positive relationships and understanding.


Disclosure: Erin was compensated for these talks as part of her regular SPIRAL duties. Guest speakers generously donate their time, however, they may benefit if learners choose to enroll in additional courses or programs with them.
ADA/Section 504: If you require special accommodations, please contact courses@thespiralfoundation.org

Cancellation Policies: Available here

Continuing Education: Occupational Therapy Practitioners/ Occupational Therapy Assistants: SPIRAL Foundation is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants by the American Occupational Therapy Association. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA

Write your awesome label here.