Starting OT service in a MH program

List Goals/ Objectives of Session (3)

1). Identify opportunities for occupational therapy within mental and behavioral health settings.
2). Develop and communicate a compelling proposal for a new occupational therapy role.
3). Describe key steps for building an occupational therapy role from the ground up.
4). Identify strategies for demonstrating value and supporting long-term growth of occupational therapy services.

Zack Schafer, MS, OTR/L, is the Executive Director of Mountain Valley Treatment Center in New Hampshire, a residential program specializing in anxiety, OCD, and related disorders in adolescents and young adults. In his day-to-day work, Zack and his team help anxious youth and their families face their fears, embrace challenges, and build confidence so they can engage more fully in meaningful daily life. Zack earned his Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Sacred Heart University and completed an Occupational Therapy Mental Health Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he began his career working in inpatient psychiatry. In 2021, Zack joined Mountain Valley as the organization’s first occupational therapist—a position he pitched to the program and helped create. Over the following years, he helped establish occupational therapy as a core part of Mountain Valley’s model of care and served in several leadership roles before becoming Executive Director in 2024. In addition to his direct work with youth and families, Zack is passionate about expanding the role of occupational therapy in mental and behavioral health through advocacy, education, training, and the creation of meaningful employment opportunities for occupational therapists.

1 CEU available after completion of an evaluation.