Hayley Meredith

Portfolio Social Justice Reflection

The social justice component of my portfolio highlights some amazing memories I share
with my cohort. I was always very active in community outreach programs in college and knew
that I wanted to be part of a graduate program that would also encourage me to get involved in
the community. The social justice course that we took with fifth semester was a wonderful
opportunity to take time to examine the definition of social justice, the prevalent issues, and the
opportunities available for occupational therapists to impact social issues.
In November of 2013 I arranged for my cohort members to participate as a team in the
Dirty Dash to benefit The Special Olympics Nevada. Our team was named The Occupational
Hazards and I was so glad so many people took time to participate. The Special Olympics
Nevada organization provides athletic opportunities to children and adults with intellectual
disabilities, instilling the confidence they need to succeed in life. This was a fun way to show our
support for this incredible organization and have some cohort bonding in the process.
Walk Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was another important event that I participated in with my
cohort. This was walk was especially meaningful to me because two of my classmates have
family members that suffer from MS. This walk was an outlet to connect people living with MS
and those who care about them. I also have a special place in my heart for this population
because I was an active member of the Multiple Sclerosis Exercise Program at Oregon State
University. Even when I begin working I know I will always take time to advocate for improved
health for people with disabilities. It is a deep-seeded passion of mine that was cultivated while I
was at Oregon State and encouraged at Touro University Nevada (TUN).

During Semester 5 I wrote a letter to Congressman Joe Heck expressing my support for
H.R. 702, the Access to Frontline Health Care Act. I am very passionate about expanding access
to occupational therapy services to people in rural or medically underserved areas. I wanted to
show my support for occupational therapists to receive loan debt repayment to encourage
occupational therapists to work and provide more services in these areas. I was actually a bit
surprised when he sent me an email back, but felt happy that my voice was being heard and I was
advocating my abilities to help others. It made me realize that I can be more active in
government and not to watch passively as legislation is being created that may affect my
profession or the populations I can serve.
Another very meaningful day for me was when I went back to Three Square and
volunteered my services to prepare meals for school children in the valley. I am so glad that
Professor Wrightsman gave our cohort the exposure to Three Square and all the work they do to
feed people. Food seems like such a simple commodity to me and I was shocked to learn that
there are thousands of people in Southern Nevada that are so affected by low socioeconomic
status that they cannot purchase food to feed themselves or their families. Since that day with my
OT15 cohort I volunteered my own time to support this cause in my community.
Throughout my time in occupational therapy program at TUN I have had opportunities to
examine my own feelings and beliefs regarding social justice. I now feel that I am more
prepared on how to address social issues with my patients and their families, and am more aware
of my role as an occupational therapist to address health promotion and maintenance with
different populations. I feel more empowered than ever to continue to actively address injustices
as they are presented to me in future encounters at my upcoming level II fieldwork.