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Using Integrative Medicine as a Tool in Occupational Therapy Practice (Episode 52) May 24, 2019

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Allyson Chrystal is an occupational therapist and clinical instructor specializing in pediatrics. Allyson has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Georgia, a master's degree in occupational therapy from Midwestern University, and a master's degree in functional medicine and clinical nutrition from the University of Western States. She serves as the clinical director at Westside Children's Therapy, a pediatric rehabilitation company with outpatient clinics in the Chicago suburbs. In her clinical work and research, Allyson has focused on sensory integration and self-regulation in children with behavioral and developmental disorders. More recently, she has expanded her work with self-regulation to typically developing children and adolescents as well as using her knowledge in the area of functional medicine as a tool in her practice as an OT practitioner.

Using Mindfulness & Meditation in OT to Target Children's Mental Health (Episode 51) May 17, 2019

Show notes

Andrea Ball is an occupational therapist who owns and runs a pediatric therapy clinic called Play Ball Children's Therapy. Andrea is a 2005 graduate of the OT program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN, and has experience working in home health, schools, and outpatient settings. One of the areas of expertise she has developed in her role as an OT practitioner centers on the use of mindfulness and meditation as a therapeutic tool. Andrea serves as co-facilitator for the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association's pediatric community of practice. She has hosted workshops in the community on the topics of mindfulness and meditation and is currently participating in research on these topics. Andrea is passionate about the role of OT in facilitating emotional mental health and wants to help physicians and others understand more about the role of OT practitioners in pediatric mental health. To learn how to connect with Andrea and to access the resources mentioned on this episode, visit http://www.ontheair.us.

Recruitment & Support of Prospective Occupational Therapy Students (Episode 50) May 10, 2019

Show notes

Alexia Rebne, MS, OTR/L, has been a registered occupational therapist since 2008. In clinical settings, she has primarily worked with clients receiving post-acute rehabilitation and home health services. Since 2010, Lexi has been employed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the Occupational Therapy Program Admissions Coordinator and an intermittent lecturer. Lexi is also currently enrolled in the post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program at UW-Madison. In addition, she plays a leadership role in the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) and is a champion of the benefits of networking and connecting with pre-occupational therapy students (i.e. prospective OT students) as well as current students and OT practitioners.

The Role of Occupational Therapy Within the Homeless Population (Episode 49) May 03, 2019

Show notes

Quinn Tyminski, OTD, OTR/L is an instructor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in 2012 and a post-professional occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) from Saint Louis University in 2017. Quinn’s scholarly work focuses on clinical research and assessment development in community-based mental health practice. Prior to joining the program at Wash U as an instructor in fall of 2017, she gained clinical experience practicing with individuals living with mental illness in both inpatient and community-based settings, as well as individuals experiencing homelessness and incarcerated individuals. Her current research interests focus on occupational therapy program development and assessment within a local homeless shelter, and as part of that effort she is working to more clearly define the role of occupational therapy within the homeless population through the use of a student-run clinic as a means to provide services and the importance dark/non-sanctioned occupations in occupational therapy practice within community-based populations.
To access resources discussed on this episode, visit the website at www.ontheair.us

Learning About Deaf Culture (Episode 48) Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

You might have come across a video clip making the rounds on social media that shows an adult daughter using sign language to have a conversation with her mom who has dementia. The two are in a car and the exchange between them is really animated and affectionate. On this episode, the daughter from that video, sign-language interpreter MJ Grant, shares about her experiences growing up as part of the deaf culture in a family as a child of deaf adults (CODA). In addition, she talks about serving as a caregiver in recent years for her mom and her dad who has progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Follow MJ via her YouTube channel to view this video and others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNRcPe1PigE

An OT Student Learns by Serving as a Caregiver (Episode 47) Apr 12, 2019

Show notes

In an On The Air first, host Stephanie Lancaster interviews OT student Sarah Caldwell about Sarah's experiences in OT school, including her work as a caregiver for a man with ALS. Sarah is a third-year OT student - she'll graduate in May 2019 - from Memphis, TN. She earned a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Kinesiology from Mississippi College prior to beginning OT school at UTHSC in January of 2017. Sarah plans to work in the Memphis area in an inpatient adult setting upon graduation. She is passionate about increasing OT's role in the treatment of ALS, advocating for increased awareness of how ALS affects those who are diagnosed and their loved ones, and helping adults live life to their fullest despite any obstacles that they face.

Whistleblowers (Episode 46) Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

Two topics in the healthcare field that are rarely discussed are fraud and reporting fraud. In 2015, the guests on this episode, OT practitioners LeeAnn Holt and Kristi Emerson, were faced with a situation in their jobs that resulted in their making a report of fraud leading to a federal lawsuit being file against the company they worked for. Following that, both were terminated from their positions, which pushed them into the role of whistleblowers. On this episode of On The air, LeeAnn and Kristi share about that experience and talk about what has happened in their careers and in their lives since that time.

The Role of OT in Vestibular Rehab (Episode 45) Mar 08, 2019

Show notes

Occupational therapist Dr. Lee Williams, who has been practicing as an OT for 24 years, explains the role that occupational therapy plays in vestibular rehabilitation. In addition, he talks about his decision to pursue a post-professional doctorate in OT and his foray into academia. In addition to vestibular rehab, Dr. Williams has clinical experience in speciality areas of practice including adult rehabilitation, adaptive technology, and work hardening and holds specialty certifications in FCE and employment-testing as well as specialized expertise in vestibular rehab.

Diversity & Inclusion in Occupational Therapy (Episode 44) Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

Lauren Jones, MS, OTR/L is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill's Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. She is currently the Social Media Co-chair and a board member for the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association (NCOTA), where she uses social media to connect with and educate OT practitioners, educators, and students across the state about issues and opportunities affecting the profession. Lauren has previously served AOTA in multiple capacities, including roles as a representative to the Assembly of Student Delegates, an intern for the Education SIS and Special Interest Section Internship Program Working Group members. Additionally, she is part of the 2016-17 cohort of the AOTA Emerging Leaders Development Program. Lauren is also active in the therapy blogging community and has shared valuable information for potential OT and OTA students as well as practicing clinicians on her blog, Gotta Be OT (https://gottabeot.wordpress.com)
Lauren joined the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) in 2016 and now serves as the Secretary and Editor of the quarterly COTAD Courier newsletter. She is active in promoting the conversation of diversity and inclusion through social media and in her community, and she is passionate about helping achieve COTAD's mission in the years to come. On this episode of On the Air, Lauren talks about the path that led her into the field of OT, her experience as an OT, and her work with COTAD.

Holistic & Inclusive Occupational Therapy Education (Episode 43) Feb 08, 2019

Show notes

Cheryl Lucas is an occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience in the field. She has worked as a clinician and an administrator in the areas of neuro-rehabilitation, orthopedics, home health, and pediatrics and has been working in academia 5 years ago. Since that time, Cheryl has added cultural humility training into the OT curriculum in the program where she teaches, focusing on student self-assessment in the areas of white privilege and unconscious bias and its effect on client treatment. As graduate coordinator, she has used a holistic approach to admissions and admitted a cohort of very diverse students for the first time into the program. This adds to the educational experience of all students and reflects the current U.S. population students will be treating upon graduation. She recently presented her dissertation work on the academic experiences of occupational therapists of color at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa.
On this episode, Cheryl shares about why she is passionate about inclusiveness in OT education and her research and work in targeting implicit bias, marginalization and racism through promoting cultural humility, inclusiveness, and universal design for learning (UDL) in OT education.

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