What Does “Service Delivery” Entail?

Initial certification for both Board and Specialty Certification require a certain number of service delivery hours. Service delivery involves the provision of “services to an individual, group or population that includes the occupational therapy process of evaluation, intervention, and outcomes.”

In case you already read that in your handbook glossary and still have questions, let’s break it down…

First of all, your employment verification hours can be from either paid work or volunteer work. Your clients can be

• individuals receiving 1:1 OT services
• groups of persons receiving services, or
• populations

Some examples of service delivery with a population include:

• Serving as a consultant to make artistic programming at the local theater accessible to persons who may be in wheelchairs, have vision impairment, have a limiting psychiatric diagnosis, etc.
• Establishing transitional programs at a university for students on the autism spectrum who are starting college.
• Developing an aquatic therapy program for the local YMCA for persons with arthritis.

Service delivery may occur in any setting – clinics, homes, schools, work places, sports centers, etc. – and may involve research, consultation, and more. The key is that in all cases, you must be

• evaluating the client need
• establishing an intervention plan (delivery of intervention may be either direct or through others)
• and assessing the outcomes of your intervention

So whether it’s on the job in a clinic or through volunteer work in your community, when you bring your expertise as an OT practitioner to the table in an effort to influence quality of life, you’re probably “delivering service!”