Navigating Reconciliation in Occupational Therapy: Alberta Practitioners' Experiences and Insights.

Abstract

Background. The 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada issued Calls to Action, urging Canadians, including health-care providers, to address colonial harms and pursue reconciliation. Occupational therapists, guided by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist's Position Statement, are called to provide culturally safer care. However, little is known about how they engage in reconciliation in practice. Purpose. This study examines how occupational therapists integrate reconciliation into their practice and identifies influencing factors. Method. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to data from semi-structured interviews with 11 occupational therapists. Discussions explored reconciliation efforts and related challenges. Findings. Occupational therapists foster reconciliation through building relationships with Indigenous communities and engaging in lifelong learning, such as accessing Indigenous knowledge and resources. Key barriers include gaps in foundational education and difficulties translating rhetoric into meaningful action. Participants stressed the need to deconstruct Western paradigms and adopt culturally responsive, non-Western approaches. Relationality, community engagement, and continuous learning emerged as central to reconciliation and culturally safer care. Conclusion. This study contributes to the national dialogue on truth and reconciliation by offering a foundation to understand truth and reconciliation in the context of occupational therapy. This may help to address systemic and anti-Indigenous racism in the profession.