Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Professor of Occupational Therapy

Biography

Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA received her BS in Occupational Therapy from Cleveland State University and her Post Professional MS in OT from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has worked clinically and developed student fieldwork programs throughout the spectrum of mental health settings.  As an academic, she has focused her research on understanding and meeting the needs of those least likely to receive services from occupational therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (OT & Disability Studies) , Boston University (OT & Rehabilitation Science), Bristol Community College and at AIC. Over the decades her work has defined the role of Occupational Therapy with survivors of domestic violence and people who have experienced homelessness as she has straddled the fields of occupational therapy and public health. With over two million dollars in federal funding she seeks to include the voice of clients in all aspects of research, teaching, service and fieldwork development. Her Socratic teaching style is empowering trauma informed. She is an experienced AFWC and FWE, having created Level I & II non-traditional placements in multiple settings for both OTA and OT students. The interdependence of practice, research and education are critical in her work and focus on social learning and occupational justice.

  1. Name, and Credentials
    1. Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
  2. Degrees:
    1. Ph.D., Public Health Sciences – Community Health, 1997, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
    2. M.S., Occupational Therapy, 1992, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
  • B.S., Occupational Therapy, 1987, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio.
  1. B.A., Spanish, Cleveland State University, 1987, Cleveland, Ohio.
  1. Certifications and Memberships:
    1. Teaching Online and Blended Certification, Academic Computing, American International College
    2. Developing Online and Blended Certification, Academic Computing, American International College
  • Massachusetts Occupational Therapy Licensure No. 10000
  1. CITI Certification Training
  2. National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists: No. 914949
  3. American Occupational Therapy Association: Membership No. 605709
  • Domestic Violence 40-Hour Certification, Family Rescue, Chicago, IL.
  • Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Grades K-1, 4-5, and 7-9 Facilitator Certification
  1. Becoming an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, American Occupational Therapy Association.
  2. HERS Next Steps Next Stages, Chicago, IL.
  1. Awards
    1. April, 2013: Academy of Research: American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Inducted Member.
    2. October 2006: Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Award of Merit
  • April 2002: Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, for “Advancing the Psychosocial Practice of Occupational Therapy”
  1. 1999 – 2004: Fellow of the Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) AOTA/AOTF-University of Illinois at Chicago
  2. May, 2003: Teaching Recognition Program Award, Awarded by the UIC Council for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Office of the Provost, University of Illinois at Chicago
  3. April 1999: First Annual Distinguished Speaker, Cleveland State University

 

  1. Courses: (Developed/Revised and Taught)

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Masters Program

  1. OTR 5040: Occupational Science (Fall 2022-present)
  2. OTR 5120: Evidence Based Practice (Spring 2021-present)
  • OTR 5200: Comprehensive Exam I (Spring 2020-present)
  1. OTR 5240: Research (Fall 2019-present)
  2. OTR FW Ethics – Level II (Fall 2021)

Post Professional Occupational Therapy Program

  1. OTR 7001: Evidence Based Practice & Research in OT (Fall 2016-present)
  2. OTR 7002: OT Practice Frameworks (Fall 2016-present)
  • OTR 7003: Professional Trends and Issues in OT (Fall 2016-present)
  1. OTR 7700: Research & Scientific Inquiry (Fall 2017-present)
  2. OTR 8500: Evidence-based Practice (Spring 2018-present)
  3. OTR 8100: Research & Scientific Inquiry II (Summer 2018-present)
  • OTR 7900: Community Based Practice (Summer 2018-present)
  • OTR 8800: Writing for Publication (Fall 2018-present)
  1. OTR 8900: Capstone (Fall 2018-present)
  1. Research Interests:
    1. Life Skills Intervention Development and Evaluation
    2. Community participation of underserved populations (Domestic violence and homelessness)
  • Occupational Justice
  1. Participatory Action Research
  2. Qualitative Research
  3. Life Narratives
  1. Publications (this can include posters, presentations, interviews, newspaper articles, blogs, etc.): (Last 10 years)
  1. Helfrich, C. A. & Synovec, C. (In Press). Homeless and women’s shelters. In C. Brown & V. Stoffel (Eds.) Occupational therapy in mental health: A vision for participation (3rd Ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.
  2. Helfrich, C. A. (In Press) Principles of learning and behavior change. In B. Schell, G. Gillen, M. Scaffa, (Editors), Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy 14th Edition. Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
  • Shin D, Gill SV, Kim TW, Magane KM, Mason T, Heeren T, Winter M, Helfrich, C, Saitz R. (2022). Study protocol for a pilot randomized trial of a virtual occupational therapy fall prevention intervention for people with HIV and alcohol use. Subst Abuse. 23;16:11782218221145548. doi: 10.1177/11782218221145548. PMID: 36578450; PMCID: PMC9791282.
  1. Helfrich, C., Javaherian, H., Lynch, A., Rothman, E.F. & Russell-Thomas, D.C. (2022, April) Healing from trauma: The value of occupation and therapeutic alliance. AOTF State of the Science Symposium at The American Occupational Therapy Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
  2. Forfa, M., Helfrich, C., & Simon, R. (2022). Perceptions on non-traditional models of fieldwork supervision. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060111
  3. Gill SV, Shin D, Ayoub M, Keegan L, Desrochers PC, Helfrich CA. (2021). Pivoting in context: Using the forging alliances in interdisciplinary rehabilitation research model to collaborate during COVID-19. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 100(6), 519-525. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001749. PMID: 33782276; PMCID: PMC8131232.
  • Swiech, P, Sullivan, A. & Helfrich C. (August, 2020). Adult self- feeding: Back to basics. CE Supplement in OT Practice (CEA0802), AOTA.

 

  • Kramer, J., Helfrich, C., Levin, M., Hwang, I., Samuel, P., & Carralles, A., Schwartz, A., Goeva, A., & Kolaczyk, E. (2018). Initial evaluation of the effects of an environmental-focused problem-solving intervention for transition-age youth with developmental disabilities: Project TEAM. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. Doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13715
  1. Kramer, J., Hwang, I., Helfrich, C., Samuel, P., Levin, M., Carrellas, A., & Govea., A. and the YELL Lab Project TEAM Youth Research Collaborators. (2018). Evaluating the social validity of Project TEAM: A problem-solving intervention to teach transition age youth with developmental disabilities to resolve environmental barriers. The International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 65:1, 57-75, DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2017.1346237
  2. Chang, F.-C., Helfrich, C. A., Coster, W. J., & Rogers, E.S. (2015). Factors associated with community participation among individuals who have experienced homelessness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(9):11364-78. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120911364
  3. Selmane, R., Kramer, J., Demir, M., Helfrich, C. (2015, April). Increasing readiness for advocacy through a problem-solving advocacy intervention. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, Nashville, TN.
  • Helfrich, C.A. & Mulligan, J. (2014, May). Being homeless: From occupational deprivation and apartheid to identity reintegration. Paper accepted for the Third Annual Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Helfrich, C.A. & Mulligan, J. (April 2014) Reconstructing Occupational Identity After Homelessness: Narratives of Overcoming Occupational Deprivation and Apartheid. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD.
  • Chan, D. V., Gopal, S., & Helfrich, C. A. (2014). Accessibility patterns and community integration among previously homeless adults: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach Social Science and Medicine, 142-152. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.09.005
  1. Simpson, E. K., & Helfrich, C. A., (2014). Oppression and Barriers to Service for Black, Lesbian Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 26, 441–464, doi: 10.1080/10538720.2014.951816
  • Chan, D. V., Helfrich, C. A., Hursh, N. C., Rogers, E. S., & Gopal, S. (2014). Measuring community integration using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and participatory mapping for people who were once homeless. Health and Place. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.12.011
  • Helfrich, C. A., Simpson, E. & Chan, D.V. (2013). Change patterns of homeless individuals with mental illness: A multiple case study. Community Mental Health Journal. doi: 10.1007/s10597-013-9647-x
  • Helfrich, C. A., & Chan, D. V. (2013). Changes in self-identified priorities, competencies, and values of adults with psychiatric disabilities who were recently homeless. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 16, 22-49. doi:10.1080/15487768.2013.762298
  • Chang, F.-H., Helfrich, C.A., & Coster W. J. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Practical Skills Test (PST). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 246-253.
  1. Chang, F.-H, Coster, W. J., & Helfrich, C. A. (2013). Community participation measures for people with disabilities: A systematic review of content from an ICF perspective. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 94, 771-781. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.10.031. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Helfrich, C.A. (2013, May). Challenges of Conducting Community Based Interventions with the Homeless Population: Strategies for Successful Research Outcomes. Paper presented at the Occupational Therapy Research Summit, Chicago, IL.

 

  1. Associated Programs- example: Occupational Therapy
    1. Occupational Therapy.
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  2. Any other relevant academically focused work, project, or information that builds the brand of the institution or is useful or interesting to users.
    1. Dr. Helfrich developed the Life Skill Manuals which are widely used by an interdisciplinary audience:
  3. Helfrich, C. A. (2006a). Food management: A life skills intervention. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. Available from: http://naric.com/?q=en/content/order-life-skills-manual
  4. Helfrich, C. A. (2006b). Money management: A life skills intervention. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. Available from: http://naric.com/?q=en/content/order-life-skills-manual
  5. Helfrich, C. A. (2006c). Home and self-care: A life skills intervention. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. Available from: http://naric.com/?q=en/content/order-life-skills-manual
  6. Helfrich, C. A. (2006d). Safe community participation: A life skills intervention. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. Available from: http://naric.com/?q=en/content/order-life-skills-manual
    • Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: Editorial Board Member
    • Regular Reviewer for:
      • National Institute for Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Field Initiated Research & Development Projects Competition.
      • American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Scientific Review Group.
    • STRIDE Committee Member, AOTF
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