WINTERFEST: A Social-Emotional Learning Toolkit for Knowledge Translation

ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Presented by Sheila Smith, OTR/L, ATP, OTD

0.5 Contact Hours

Description:
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is essential for fostering students’ emotional regulation, social skills, and overall well-being. Occupational therapists (OTs) are well-positioned to implement SEL interventions in schools; however, these interventions remain underutilized in practice. This study aimed to address this gap by developing an evidence-based SEL digital toolkit to support OTs in integrating SEL strategies into their practice. The toolkit was introduced through a professional development session, and its effectiveness in promoting knowledge translation was assessed through a survey completed by 26 school-based OTs.

Findings indicated that knowledge translation occurred across four key domains: mindfulness, self-regulation, social participation, and physical activity. Participants reported increased awareness and understanding of research-supported SEL interventions, with 95% indicating that the toolkit provided valuable insights. Additionally, 96% expressed a strong likelihood of incorporating the toolkit into their school-based practice. Qualitative feedback reflected high satisfaction, with minor recommendations for enhancements, including a teacher-friendly fact sheet and improved hyperlink navigation.

These results suggest that equipping school-based OTs with evidence-based SEL resources enhances their ability to integrate SEL strategies into daily practice, ultimately supporting student outcomes. The toolkit also demonstrates potential for interdisciplinary application, fostering collaboration among educators and related service providers. Findings highlight the critical role of OTs in advancing SEL in schools and reinforce the value of structured digital resources in promoting evidence-based practice.

Objectives:

• Review the evidence supporting occupational therapy’s role in social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions to enhance student engagement, self-regulation, and social participation within school-based practice.
• Evaluate how a digital toolkit facilitates knowledge translation (KT) to effectively disseminate SEL strategies and interventions across a multitiered system of support (MTSS), promoting best outcomes for students.

Presenter bio:
Sheila McGuire Smith is an experienced occupational therapist with over two decades of clinical expertise, currently serving Columbus City Schools—Ohio’s largest public school district—where she provides services across special needs preschool, elementary, and middle school settings. She holds a Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Gannon University and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Cleveland State University. Prior to her work in school-based practice, she spent seven years as a Senior Occupational Therapist specializing in Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders at the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a Center of Excellence, where she led acute rehabilitation, coordinated care across a large multi-state system, and served as a certified Assistive Technology Professional. Her career also includes leadership roles in acute rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital and early experience in skilled nursing, NICU, ICU, and outpatient neurology. Sheila has contributed to peer-reviewed publications, presented at national conferences, and served on numerous professional committees related to assistive technology, safe patient handling, and interdisciplinary care for individuals with complex disabilities. She is a licensed occupational therapist in Ohio and holds national certification through NBCOT.

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