Assessments in Occupational Therapy Mental Health: An Integrative Approach

Barbara J. Hemphill-Pearson, DMin, OTR, FAOTA, received her bachelor of science degree in occupational therapy from the University of Iowa. She received her master of science degree in occupational therapy from Colorado State University. During her tenure as a therapist at Ft. Logan Mental Health Center, she was fortunate to work with Dr. Maxwell Jones, the founder of the Therapeutic Community Concept in mental health, and developed the B.H. Battery, a projective test based on analytical frame of reference. She began her teaching career at Cleveland State University. She became associate professor and tenured in the department of occupational therapy at Western Michigan University. She retired emeritus after 19 years. In addition to her degrees, she has an earned Doctor of Ministry degree from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit.
Dr. Hemphill-Pearson has served on the editorial boards of the Occupational Therapy Practice Journal and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and presently serves on the editorial board of the Occupational Therapy in Mental Health journal. She has written numerous international, national, and state peer-reviewed papers. Her papers include two at the World Federation for Occupational Therapy; one entitled “Holism in Occupational Therapy” and the second entitled “Occupational Therapy and Spirituality: A Global Perspective.” She has presented numerous papers at national occupational therapy conferences. Among them are: “Methods in Spirituality: An Educational Experience,” “Spirituality in the Treatment Setting,” “Spirituality in the Health Care Setting,” and “Spirituality as an Occupation.” At the state level, she has presented papers at the Michigan Occupational Therapy conference, and her presentations have included “Spiritual Assessments in the Treatment Setting” and “Spirituality With the Intellectual Disabled.”
Her publication record has spanned over 25 years. Her most proud accomplishment is edited books on the topic of mental health assessment. Among them are The Evaluative Process in Psychiatric Occupational Therapy, which was translated into Japanese; Mental Health Assessment in Occupational Therapy; and Assessments in Occupational Therapy Mental Health. She has published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Mental Health. The topics range from marketing to depression to deinstitutionalization. Her most recent publication has been in the area of social justice and spirituality in occupational therapy. She was recognized for her contributions to education, research, and publications. She has served on state and national committees. Most notable was serving as chair of the Ethics Commission of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her awards include Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, as well as Fellow of the Michigan Occupational. She was recently named among the most 100 influential occupational therapists in the past century.
Dr. Hemphill-Pearson continues to contribute to her profession after retirement. She has taught courses in spirituality to occupational therapy students online and in the classroom. Her ministry is in the community. She has taught spirituality courses to senior centers and retirement homes. She also taught a series of courses about C.S. Lewis and a PBS course entitled “A Question of God,” a debate between Freud and C.S. Lewis.
 
Christine K. Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH, FAOTA, graduated from Western Michigan University in 1989 with a bachelor of science degree in occupational therapy. She began her career working as an occupational therapist at an inpatient psychiatric setting and inpatient/outpatient addiction treatment providing treatment to clients across the lifespan. She completed her master of science degree in 1993 and returned to clinical practice. In 1994, she began her career in higher education at St. Ambrose University, teaching in occupational therapy until June 2018. At present, Dr. Urish is a professor of occupational therapy at Drake University. Christine completed her PhD from the University of Iowa in 2005. Along the way, she has worked with the most amazing mentors, including Dr. Barbara Hemphill-Pearson, who was a motivating and encouraging force in her career from the early days at Western Michigan University, at the start of her clinical practice, throughout the completion of her PhD, and to the present day. Another mentor, Dr. Vilia Tarvydas, encouraged her early writing career. Dr. Urish continues to engage in clinical practice as an occupational therapist in behavioral health at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Dr. Urish is Board certified as an occupational therapist in mental health by the American Occupational Therapy Association and is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Urish has served in the past as affiliate President for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and as President of the Iowa Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Urish is a tireless advocate for individuals with mental illness, the profession of occupational therapy, and occupational therapy students.