Dr Leonie Boland

I am an Honorary Lecturer in Occupational Therapy with the School of Health Professions, University of Plymouth. I work as a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist in Homelessness and Mental Health with Programme for the Homeless, a specialist mental health team for people experiencing homelessness in Dublin, Ireland.

My PhD research, completed in 2018 and supported by the Catherine Mounter Legacy Scholarship, explored from an occupational perspective the transitions individuals make from using homelessness services to sustaining a tenancy. 

I am particularly interested in the process of leaving homelessness and the experiences of becoming settled and integrated into one's community. My current research projects include a peer research project exploring volunteering for people with experience of homelessness, an occupational perspective of community integration following homelessness and a scoping review on functional cognition for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Qualifications

Professional membership

Roles on external bodies

Chair of the AOTI (Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland) Occupational Therapy in Homelessness Advisory Group.

Teaching interests

Homelessness, occupational justice, mental health

Research interests

My research interests include homelessness, tenancy sustainment, occupational justice, mental health, qualitative methodologies including participatory methods.