Patrick McHale is a doctoral candidate in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University, with clinical experience supporting individuals across the lifespan and across a range of complex medical, cognitive, and functional conditions. Originally from Fairfax, Virginia, his capstone research focuses on the development of a structured clinical decision-making framework for professionals serving in guardianship roles. The framework integrates functional assessment, capacity-related considerations, safety and medical vulnerability, and quality-of-life outcomes to support ethically sound, clinically rigorous, and legally defensible decision-making for individuals under guardianship.

During his capstone placement, Patrick will work alongside League of Guardians partners, CCS occupational therapist Sarahjane Tassone, and interdisciplinary case management staff. This collaborative, practice-embedded environment will allow him to refine his research through direct clinical application, interdisciplinary consultation, and close observation of guardianship practice across diverse populations. His work draws on qualitative and contextual inquiry within real-world care settings to strengthen CCS’s approach to cultural humility, equity, and accountable decision-making.

Patrick’s capstone work contributes directly to CCS’s social entrepreneurship model by strengthening the quality, consistency, and equity of guardianship-related care planning, particularly in cases involving Medicaid beneficiaries and individuals served through CCS’s pro bono initiatives. He was previously a student of one of CCS’s founders and principal owners, Tippi Suzanne Geron, and his return as a capstone intern reflects CCS’s ongoing commitment to academic partnership, student mentorship, and the development of emerging professionals whose work advances high-quality, person-centered, and legally accountable care.