Catherine Crowley OTD
Director of the Minor in Occupational Science Program and Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
THH B4
(213) 821-6326
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Catherine Crowley has been an occupational therapist since 1974. She began her career working with adults in a psychiatric hospital on the East Coast and thereafter moved west to Colorado to work in the community mental health system. When the facility was closed in light of shifting governmental fiscal priorities and the de-institutionalization movement, Dr. Crowley pursued a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, changing her focus of study and practice to pediatrics. Her thesis work involved examining variables in parental involvement in their child’s early intervention programs. In the 1990s, she came to the University of Southern California Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She completed her clinical doctorate in 2006 and is the director of the undergraduate Minor in Occupational Science program.
Education
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2006 | University of Southern California
Master of Science (MS)
in Occupational Therapy
1984 | University of Illinois Chicago
Selected Publications
Angell, A. M., Carreon, E. D., Akrofi, J. N. S., Franklin, M. D., Taylor, E. E., Miller, J., Crowley, C., & Maher, S. O. (2023). Challenges and facilitators to telehealth occupational therapy for autistic children during COVID-19. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 43(3), 513-522. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492221142597 Show abstract
Pre-pandemic, telehealth occupational therapy (OT) for autistic children appeared promising, but research was limited. The pandemic provided a unique opportunity to investigate how clinics transitioned to telehealth. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators that influenced delivery of OT services through telehealth for autistic children during the pandemic. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 13 participants (three administrators, six OTs, and four parents of autistic children) at three Los Angeles area clinics over a 7-month period. We used narrative and thematic analysis to identify four themes. We identified (a) Challenges and (b) Facilitators to Conducting Telehealth OT, including practical strategies for successful facilitation, and (c) Negative and (d) Positive Outcomes of Conducting Telehealth OT. As telehealth will likely remain a viable means of OT service delivery in the future, our findings provide insight into ways that it can be improved and sustained.
Frank, G., Fishman, M., Crowley, C. C., Blair, B. A., Murphy, S. T., Montoya, J. A., Hickey, M. P., Brancaccio, M. V., & Bensimon, E. M. (2001). The New Stories/New Cultures after-school enrichment program: A direct cultural intervention. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(5), 501-508. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.55.5.501 Show abstract
This article describes the organization, curriculum, and outcomes for New Stories/New Cultures, an activity-based program for after-school enrichment in five schools in the low-income neighborhood near a major American university. The program encourages students (70% Hispanic-American, 30% African-American) to experience themselves as producers of culture, not just as consumers. Its methods include (a) creative team use of video equipment and other expressive media and (b) lessons about media literacy (i.e., making critical choices about images and activities depicted in popular culture and commercials). Outcome measures with the cohort of fifth and sixth graders support the programs occupation-based philosophy. They show that students are more likely to experience themselves as building skills when engaged in activities that are both challenging and enjoyable. The students reported greatest engagement and enjoyment in activities that were creative, team-based, and involving media production. These same activities were correlated with increased self-esteem. The term direct cultural intervention is used to describe the application of occupational principles and critical perspectives to provide a population with conceptual tools and skills for interpreting and successfully navigating the social world.
In Chan News
January 17, 2023
Qualitative research explores perspectives of occupational therapists, clinical administrators and caregivers.
May 7, 2018
Before the 135th USC Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 11, meet some of the outstanding Trojans receiving degrees in occupational science and occupational therapy.
August 23, 2017
The first-generation college student’s journey from a South Los Angeles elementary school to the 2017 White Coat Ceremony
October 3, 2014
By Mike McNulty Five USC Trojans received awards and 82 Trojans presented during the 2014 conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, October 16-19 in Pasadena. Assistant clinical professor Sarah Bream received the Award of Appreciation, alumna Diane Mayfield received the…
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