Developing a community-based program for postpartum mothers and their infants

Community-based programs can provide support to individuals across the lifespan, and occupational therapy is a prime discipline to provide such programs. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA; n.d., 2020), such programs focus on prevention and promotion of health occupations. When considering starting a community-based program, an occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) must first fully research the practice area to determine if a need exists and then, if appropriate, complete the steps to develop the program. This article investigates the need for a community-based program for postpartum moms and their infants, occupational therapy’s (OTs) unique position to create such a program, and the steps to make it a reality. Although the example provided in this article is specific to postpartum moms, the steps outlined are applicable to the development of a variety of occupation and community-based programs.