Meet James! James is a current student at NAU wrapping up his Doctorate certification in Occupational Therapy. For James' capstone project, he was tasked to work with a local agency for four months, in which he would leave making a lasting difference. Out of all the organizations in Arizona, James decided to work with Ohana. So for the past four months, James has worked alongside Ohana, establishing our very own DTA (Day Treatment for Adults).

Our DTA’s are programs designed for special needs adults, where we provide safe and comfortable family-like environments that are crucial for personal and interpersonal growth. These day programs may include arts and crafts, a museum visit, playing games, watching a movie, having a picnic, etc. Our DTA’s are held at our very own Ohana Farm, where James even had first-hand experience with moving, throwing trash, and designing.

One of James’ bigger projects was working on the ‘sensory room’ at the Ohana Farm. The sensory room is a designated space with different forms of stimuli to help individuals develop and engage their senses. James included different forms of lights, textures, sounds, and objects in the room. A fan favorite from the adults was the therapy sensory hammock, which promotes coordination and balance, and strengthens muscles.

We just wanted to give a huge thank you to James for everything he has done for Ohana in such a short period of time. We have already seen such a huge impact within the special needs adults; and thanks to James, this program will flourish for years to come. We would also like to Congratulate James on his upcoming Graduation. We are all so proud of you.