In this Episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, Jayson Davies welcomes Dr. Jaime Hunter and Dr. Kaisa Syväoja from The College of St. Scholastica to discuss how OT practitioners can utilize grants to advocate for mental health services in schools. Learn how grants can expand your OT practice beyond traditional tier three services, whether you're looking to fund a sensory room, provide professional development, or implement a school-wide mental health initiative.

This conversation demystifies the grant-writing process, offers practical tips for finding and applying for grants at the federal, state, and local levels, and highlights the power of collaboration to sustain impact beyond the grant period—making this a must-listen for OTs ready to expand their role and amplify OT’s value in schools.

Listen now to learn the following objectives:

• Learners will identify how to apply for grants (both small and large) to expand mental health services and other OT initiatives within school settings.
• Learners will understand how to effectively advocate for occupational therapy's role in supporting mental health at all tiers (especially tiers 1 and 2) within school-based practice.
• Learners will develop strategies for creating sustainable partnerships and programs that can continue beyond initial grant funding by demonstrating OT's value to school administrators and staff.

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