Faith & Fellowship: An OT-Informed Inclusive Ministry for Adults with IDD and Their Caregivers

Abstract Importance: Caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often experience increased stress and limited opportunities for participation in meaningful occupations, including spiritual engagement. Within the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4), spiritual participation is recognized as a meaningful occupation influenced by client factors, performance patterns, and environmental contexts. Community-based and faith-based programs may provide an avenue for support. Objective: To examine the impact of a faith-based, occupational therapy-informed program on caregiver outcomes, including occupational participation, confidence, perceived support, perceived stress and engagement in spiritually meaningful activities. Design: Descriptive pretest–post-test program evaluation. Setting: Community church setting. Participants: Caregivers of individuals with IDD (pretest N = 22; post-test N = 17). Caregiver data (n = 22 pretest; n = 17 post-test) were used for quantitative analysis; adults with IDD participated in program activities but were not included in survey-based outcome measures. Intervention: A structured, faith-based program incorporating caregiver education, group discussion, and opportunities for engagement in meaningful occupations, including spiritual participation and social interaction, informed by occupational therapy (OT) principles. Outcomes and Measures: Caregiver-reported survey responses assessing occupational participation, perceived support, and engagement in spiritually meaningful activities; open-ended responses were included for qualitative analysis. Results: Descriptive analyses indicated increases in caregiver-reported scores from pretest to post-test and reduced variability in post-intervention responses. Caregivers also reported lower perceived stress and increased engagement in spiritually meaningful activities. Thematic analysis revealed increased caregiver confidence, enhanced perceived support, and greater engagement in faith-based occupations. Quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated consistent positive trends following participation in the program. Conclusions and Relevance: Findings suggest that a faith-based, OT-informed program may support caregiver well-being and participation in meaningful occupations. This study highlights the role of OT in addressing client factors, environmental supports, and occupational engagement within community-based and faith-based contexts.