Introduction: The Bridging the Transition Framework (BTTF) is a social justice framework that was developed for occupational therapists who work in research and practice with individuals who experience homelessness. This framework has been disseminated internationally through workshops and publications and is currently being used by occupational therapy researchers and practitioners in several countries across the globe.
Objectives: In this presentation, we will describe the development and dissemination of the BTTF, and discuss research aimed at identifying how this framework has been incorporated into the research and practice of occupational therapists internationally.
Approach: The development of the BTTF began in 2019 with a Delphi study involving 17 occupational therapy experts in research and practice in the area of homelessness. Using a participatory approach, we developed the BTTF, which was released in 2020 and disseminated through a one-day workshop and broad, open-access distribution. With feedback from other professions on its relevance for a range of professions, we broadened the scope of the framework document and workshop to a range of professions and released a second edition in 2023. Throughout this process, we have retained a focus on occupation. In 2023 we were invited to write a book on this framework, and this is expected to be published in 2025.
Practice Implications: The BTTF is an occupational-therapy informed approach to homelessness prevention that has garnered the interest of a range of professions interested in supporting individuals who are unhoused or in the transition to housing.
Conclusion: The BTTF will be of interest to occupational therapists who support individuals who experience homelessness in research and practice and has the potential to heighten the identity of the profession in this much-needed practice area.