Event Name/Course Title: The Effects of Bean Bag Tapping on Patient Distress and Well-Being; Pilot Study and Clinical Application
Date of Event: Tuesday, June 24th
Start Time: 5:30pm (This event will start promptly at 5:30, please arrive early as entrance will not be permitted after the program has started.)
End Time: 7:00pm
Format: In person meeting
Location:
Health Partners Neuroscience Building
295 Phalen Boulevard
St Paul MN 55130
Conference rooms 1320 A and B (ground level)
Timed Agenda:
- 5:30- 5:45 welcome and introductions
- 5:45- 6:30 didactic presentation, explanation of and invitation to practice bean bag tapping
- 6:30-6:45 small group discussion
- 6:45- 7:00 large group discussion/ questions and answers
Event Description:
Occupational therapists understand the vital role sensory-based interventions play in mental health care (Forsberg et al, 2024); sensory strategies facilitate self-regulation (McGreevy and Boland, 2020), a precursor to effective participation in activities of daily life including learning, social engagement, and creativity (Porges, 2022)
Bean bag tapping (BBT), a sensory strategy providing strong proprioceptive input, was developed by occupational therapist Karen Moore and first described in her 2005 book, The Sensory Connection Program: Activities for Mental Health Treatment. It has since become standard of care at Regions Hospital (a level one trauma center in St. Paul, Minnesota) in mental health inpatient and outpatient settings, and has been the focus of a pilot study on one of Regions’ inpatient units which supported BBT‘s effectiveness in helping patients to feel more calm and relaxed, while decreasing feelings of tension and worry.
After describing indications supporting use of BBT in mental health treatment, listing potential benefits of BBT, and presenting the results of the pilot study implemented at Regions Hospital, presenters will teach participants BBT. Participants will be invited to notice personal responses to BBT and will practice teaching BBT to a peer. Following this exploration, participants will identify, in small and large group discussion, potential supports and challenges to utilizing BBT in varied practice settings. Finally, presenters will discuss precautions, contraindications, and adaptations of BBT.
Through this hands-on activity and discussion, participants will be able to return to their practice settings confident in their ability to use, and to teach to others, BBT, an accessible and effective sensory strategy.
Speaker Credentials and Biographies:
Angelina Balazarini- Leonhart, OTR/L, a graduate of St. Catherine University, specializes in sensory integration and self-regulation strategies. Angie originated the role of sensory consultant with Regions Hospital’s mental health, and is currently the manager of Regions’ mental health occupational therapy, programming, and partial hospitalization program (DayBridge). Angie collaborated for many years with Karen Moore to present Sensory Connection Program trainings in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado.
Megan Flood, OTR/L, MAOT, SEP, a graduate of St. Catherine University, works with Regions Hospital’s mental health in both the inpatient and outpatient (DayBridge) settings. Megan’s studies of Somatic Experiencing, and prior careers as a professional dancer, massage therapist, and Reiki practitioner strongly inform her belief in the power of sensory modalities, particularly those that are movement-based, to contribute to a felt sense of safety. Megan had the honor of collaborating with Karen Moore and Peggy Ninow to present Sensory Modulation Approaches to Mental Health Treatment: Interventions for Adolescents and Adults for the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists in 2022 and 2023, and with Angie Balzarini-Leonhart to present on bean bag tapping at the 2024 MOTA general conference and the 2024 AOTA mental health specialty conferences.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
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describe indications, benefits and rationale supporting the use of bean bag tapping as a therapeutic modality
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independently complete bean bag tapping
Target Audience: All
Level of Content: Intermediate
Fee: Free for MOTA Members, $30 Non-MOTA Members
There is no fee to attend the event without earning contact hours.
Contact Hours: 1.5
