I totally agree! Strengths is easier to connect with than capabilities, especially for kids to understand “what we get to do with your super powers” 
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Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback. The theory and research behind ‘capabilities’ is rich and informed by several different disciplines including economics and political philosophy, with the main premise: how can you enable a person/group/community to ‘do’ and ‘be’, or participate in life? How can someone be granted the abilities and opportunities to do and be so that they can live a life that they value, and one in which they can flourish and achieve a sense of well-being (the original article introducing the CORE approach which you have cited earlier (2017) speaks of this in more detail. Capability theory originated from economics and community development, and economist Amartya Sen (author of the UN Human Development Index) actually won the Nobel Prize for economics for his work on developing the Capabilities Approach to combatting poverty. He saw poverty as not being limited to not having material resources alone (eg food, shelter, water), but more so being deprived of the capabilities to do and be, and live a life that one values. So, knowing this, an occupational therapist can completely use strengths-based language in partnership with the people who they are working with, to create those opportunities, and obtain those resources (as well as enhance the personal resources, or strengths, that a person already has) to work with someone so that they can flourish in their environments. In my PhD thesis, I link capabilities with human flourishing theories too (Seligman’s work in positive psychology). So, if you are thinking about the elements of the CORE approach with your Clients/Patients/Consumers, and exploring such areas in practice, then no doubt it can lead towards strengths-based work. The CORE approach’s non-prescriptive nature definitely lends itself to enable innovative practice. I do not see the CORE approach as excluding strengths. This goes against the very nature of the CORE approach. Hopefully that clarifies things, and explains a bit as to why ‘Capabilities’ is a key element of the CORE approach, and how it aligns to the goals of social inclusion Original CORE article
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Hi @robert5 !! You have been SO GENEROUS with your time in fleshing out this approach for us and answering our questions!!! Thank you!!!
I love your description of Capabilities! I mentioned this in the upcoming podcast- but I thought the book Creating Capabilities read like an OT book- and I love how you have connected our profession to important works like this.
Finally, I’m glad you linked to your original article. My favorite line from your writing is in that article’s conclusion. You say that
“The CORE approach is…a way of DOING JUSTICE.”
That really resonated with me and made everything click!
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Thank you Robert for your reply and explanation. I get the points in isolation but am I missing a point when I read explore “beyond the doing” and them “reclaim their Occupational identity”? I might be erroneous in thinking they are contradictory? Is it that, “I want to be able to dress so I can go for weekly lunch with my friend”? Hopefully, examples during the podcast will shed more light also. Thank you so much for engaging
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Hi team,
Based on the framework itself there’s no reason you can’t use strengths based language to explore the different facet’s of the model. I think thats the beauty of it. Its a way of thinking not a practice model so taking this lens and looking at your existing practice models and seeing what fits and what doesn’t and what else you can add to make your practice even richer is a beautiful thing and how we progress the profession forward.
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Thank you Sarah, yes, thank God for interdisciplinary play. Will stay tune for the interview. Thank you
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I really enjoyed this episode. Brock got my wheels turning on how I need to take more of a listening posture and provide feedback that rephrases what I has been explained to ensure my parent’s of my clients feel ‘heard’. This approach also got me thinking of how to use in my pediatric, outpatient setting. I feel we are treating/helping not only the child by the entire family. When it comes to values, what should we do if the values of the child conflict with the values of the parent that sought out OT? I don’t have an example, just a thought that popped into my head after listening and wanted to share. Thanks again Sarah for a great platform!
Oooo! I’m so glad you said this, because I meant to come back here and leave the values card sort example that Brock talks about! I found them again preparing for an upcoming episode on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I’ve never used them, but I can see them being really helpful in discussing values!!
Also, if you haven’t listened to the episode with Tee Stock on the Co-op approach- I think you would really like it! We talk through kids setting their own goals and involving the family in the process!
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