In This Issue
Happy Spring!
As you can see it has been a busy fall and start to the spring semester. Students have been involved in a variety of activities, in addition to their studies, both on and off campus. As you read through the Newsletter you will see that there are a variety of opportunities for alum to continue to be involved with our program. Whether it is coming back for your DrOT, attending a Symposium, becoming a Clinic Instructor, becoming a Fieldwork Educator or offering an ELiC opportunity, we would love to have you involved. Current students are encouraged when they see what our alum are doing post graduation and faculty enjoy seeing what you are doing as well. As they say here at Puget Sound, "Once a Logger, Always a Logger."
We would like to add a section to our Newsletter that offers quick updates from our graduates. If you have something you would like to share with other alum (professional or personal), please send your name, the year you graduated and a 2-3 sentence update. You can also include a small picture if you would like. Please send this information to Valerie Walston (vwalston@pugetsound.edu).
We hope to see you at one of the spring opportunities (Fieldwork Educators Meeting, Symposium or the AOTA Gathering).
-Yvonne
Marie Tompkins joined us in the Fall semester to fill our Department and Clinic Assistant position. Marie’s key responsibilities are providing reception for the program and OT clinic, managing the Resource Room, and supporting the Clinic Directors for the OT clinic.
Marie has worked for the university for 7 years, previously in Dining and Conference Services as the Accounts Payable Coordinator and LoggerCard Coordinator, and in Accounting & Budget Services as an AP Specialist.
Outside of work Marie likes gardening, walking her dog Riley Jo, bicycling, snowmobiling, playing with great nieces and nephews, and photography.
We are delighted to welcome Marie to the Occupational Therapy team!
Anne James is spending the spring semester on sabbatical. Sabbaticals are time to focus on scholarship and to find time for rejuvenation and restoring some life balance. For the former, Anne has decided to spend time better understanding how OT students’ epistemologies shift. EpistaWHAT?? So, in order to “think like an occupational therapist,” students must engage in two kinds of learning. One is informational learning, that is, acquiring the knowledge and skills critical to the craft of providing occupational therapy services to clients. But students also need to undergo an epistemological change, a change in their beliefs about knowledge and knowing. For those occupational therapists out there … we just think differently than other health professions. So, how do we get students to adopt that thinking frame and how do we evaluate it? It is not so easy to assess via a test. Anne will complete a literature review of the ways in which students’ personal epistemologies impact their learning and development as occupational therapist. Based on that, she will develop a framework for formative assessment of students’ epistemologies that will enable faculty to be more intentional and effective in evaluating and supporting this important aspect of student’s professional development. Anne would love to hear from you via email if you have ideas or articles or experiences related to this.
For that rejuvenation piece … Anne and her husband are spending January and February at their cabin in Winthrop. They are thankful for technology that lets her do this work from anywhere with access to the Internet, so that daily exercise can happen on cross-country ski trails. To warm up after chilly winter days, they will escape for a vacation in southern Spain in March. Anne will be returning in time to present at the AOTA conference and centennial celebration in Philadelphia. She hopes to see many UPS OT students and alumni there!
We are accepting applications for the DrOT class of 2018! This post professional doctorate in occupational therapy is a 12-month program designed to fit all levels of experience. The program is student-centered and supports the development of advance practice skills specific to the clinician’s career goals. DrOT students have opportunities to interact with entry-level MSOT students; developing mentoring, teaching and collaborative skills in classroom activities, clinic settings and through thesis projects. This year, we have two $10,000 stipends (one for a student whose focus is pediatrics and one for a student whose focus is services to the adult population).
Please visit www.pugetsound.edu/drot for more information.
This past fall semester 45 second year occupational therapy graduate students completed their mental health clinical experiences at seven different community settings. The students along with eight clinical instructors provided individual interviews and assessments with clients at each facility and then developed a five week group intervention plan. Students participated in leading and co-leading the groups they helped design over the fall semester. Each clinical experience was unique given the population served. Clinic sessions took place at the following community sites:
We welcomed Heather Juan, OTR/L back as the Mental Health Clinic Coordinator and she supervised 5 students at the Pearl Street Center. In addition to Heather, Juli McGruder, PhD, OTR/L, Bailey Dahms, OTR/L, Karen Hargus, OTR/L, Jane Zielske, OTR/L, and Kirsten Wilbur, OTR/L all returned from the previous year to supervise students. Christina Draper, OTR/L joined our team this year as a new mental health clinical instructor and we were happy to welcome back Kay Robbins, OTR/L who had been a clinical supervisor in years past. Overall, students found the experience of interviewing and assessing clients and planning five weeks of intervention to be rewarding. As one student commented:
The most important learning experience to me was getting the opportunity to lead a group. It made me aware of the questions that could come up and how things may not always seem as clear to the clients as they do to me. It was also a rewarding experience to see clients enjoy themselves.
The Mental Health Clinic experience provides students with opportunities designed to help them begin to transition in their role as students to that of therapists.
We want to thank everyone who has given to the OT Gift Account. These donations support student research and the presentation of their projects at Local, State and National Conferences. Your support makes a difference, as this year we are able to help fund 5 students presenting at AOTA.
THANK YOU!
Each year in the fall and spring semesters, second year students have the opportunity to experience the OT process firsthand as they take part in their mental health and on-site adult and pediatric clinical experiences. These three clinical experiences offer students the ability to learn the OT process of evaluation, intervention, and discharge planning with the guidance and supervision of fieldwork educators (commonly referred to as clinical instructors) who are practicing clinicians from the community. Students value the expertise and current knowledge fieldwork educators provide, and for many of the fieldwork educators it is a chance to give back to their profession and it offers a bridge between clinical practice and teaching. Typically, all of our mental health, pediatric, and adult fieldwork educators work full-time at various clinical sites in the Tacoma area. Fieldwork educators are hired not only for their advanced clinical skills, but are also selected for their ability to teach students intervention skills, clinical reasoning, therapeutic use of self and professional behaviors. Each fieldwork educator is responsible for guiding five students through the evaluation process and grading evaluation plans. They then offer supervision with real-time feedback during the treatment sessions and grade SOAP notes. The semester ends with the fieldwork educator helping students with re-evaluation, discharge planning and recommendations on how clients can continue their rehabilitation after clinic. Clinical experiences would lack authenticity and real world application without the dedicated time and energy of the fieldwork educators. Here at Puget Sound, our fieldwork educators are truly the backbone of student clinical experiences and the reason why The School of Occupational Therapy values their time and talents. We couldn’t do it without them!
Margie Henning: Prior to completing her BS/MS in Occupational Therapy at the University of New York at Buffalo, Margie enjoyed working as a COTA for over 20 years, primarily in school based settings. As a member of the Tourette Association of America Educational Advisory Board, Margie is actively involved in both educating the public, and advocating for individuals diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and related neuropsychiatric disorders. Margie was employed at the University at Buffalo Center for Assistive Technology before moving to Seattle with her husband to be near her children.
Heather (Hudson) Juan graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BA in Asian Studies in ’04 and a Masters in Occupational Therapy in ’06. She has worked in many settings including a private pediatric sensory integration clinic, a community-based outpatient clinic for adults and children, and home-based birth to three early intervention services. She currently works providing school-based occupational therapy for students 3-21 years. Heather has been a clinical instructor for the off-site mental health clinic for 7 years and has helped to coordinate the mental health clinic for 3 years.
Heather Nelson graduated from UPS in 2002 with her masters in Occupational Therapy. She has experience in many areas of adult physical disabilities – acute medical, in-pt and out-pt rehab, neuro rehabilitation, hand therapy, SNF, and most recently home health. This is Heather's first year as a clinical instructor at the on-site clinic. She is looking forward to working with the students and helping them develop professionally. Heather is married with 3 school age children. She and her husband grew up in the pacific northwest and have enjoyed traveling the US with her husband's Air Force career. Their most recent duty station was at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. As a family, they enjoy Scouting, vacationing in Walt Disney World, and spending time together. Heather has spent most of her career in acute medical, SNF and home health. She continues her clinical work as a per diem home health OT in the Olympia area.
Jamie Palmer is currently finishing her Occupational Therapy post professional doctorate degree at the University of Puget Sound. She received a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound in 2012, has been licensed in the state of Washington since July 2012, is nationally registered with National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), is a member of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and has worked as an occupational therapist in the Central Kitsap School District for 5 years providing individualized services to children aged pre-school to secondary.
Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Melissa Porras-Monroe attended and graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy. Prior to joining the OTA program at Green River, Melissa worked for the University of Puget Sound assisting the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and as a Clinical Instructor for the Adult onsite clinic. She worked at Harborview Medical Center for 20 years, which provided her with a wide range of clinical and management experience. Her specialty areas are student supervision, management and she has a strong interest in Neurology and Geriatrics. She also has experience with inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient and long term care. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Robin Seiwerath is a 2008 graduate of the University of Puget Sound occupational therapy program. Since 2009, she has been working for the MultiCare health systems in the inpatient and acute service areas providing intensive rehabilitation, discharge planning and family training to adults with traumatic brain injury, stroke, orthopedic concerns, degenerative diseases and to those who are medically complicated to name a few. She has been the academic fieldwork coordinator for Good Samaritan Hospital for the past 4 years, developing a rich and rewarding student program while coordinating with universities around the country for students of occupational therapy fieldwork placement. A certified aging in place specialist, Robin has been the go-to person on her team for questions regarding home assessments and modification recommendations. This past fall, Robin assisted with instruction of the wheelchair assessment portion of the OT623 course and she is beyond excited to return to Puget Sound as a clinical instructor at the spring clinic.
Donald Shepard has 21 years of experience in OT, with specialization in wheelchair fitting and training, and functional cognitive assessment. A graduate of UPS in 1995, he has experience in outpatient clinics, mental health, rehab in the skilled nursing setting and home health. He looks forward to mentoring graduating OT students before they are thrust into the workforce. Prior to attending UPS Don graduated from George Fox University with a BA in management of human resources after a long stint in the missions field.
Wendi Trummert: I graduated from UPS with a bachelors in psychology and in occupational therapy in 2001, and have practiced in a variety of settings for 16 years now. I have practiced over the years in hospital settings with adults, working with individuals in out-patient, in-patient and acute care settings with biomechanical impairments, such as joint replacement, to those with neurological impairments, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and musculoskeletal diseases. Currently, I work with children in the school system to help them gain access to their educational curriculum and achieve functional life skills. I serve students with developmental delays, behavior disorders, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy, among many others. Actively demonstrating and being a leader in school based therapy to provide and encourage best practice, effective therapy is one of my core beliefs. My heart has always adored Puget Sound! I recently went back to UPS to pursue my doctorate in occupational therapy, graduating just this past May of 2016. I had the privilege of presenting my thesis at WOTA this past fall. My research looked at the effects of a kindergarten program that I developed to link fine motor and academic tasks together to achieve the highest potential for student fine motor and academic growth. I am always eager to find new ways to help both children and adults gain life skills. My passion in life is to serve others in every way I can. I love to support and advocate for my clients of all ages to help them live the most fulfilling life possible that is unique to that person. I love to teach others in a variety of settings and age spans, whether a client, a student in grade school or a student in college. I have mentored many fieldwork level 1 and 2 OT and COTA students over the years and value the process of active learning. Outside of my career, I have a husband and two daughters who fill life with fun and adventure! I enjoy being very active including exercising and hiking. As a family we love to go to the beach and parks with our dog, a boxer. I feel blessed to have been a student at Puget Sounds, not once, but twice, and now have an opportunity to bring the knowledge I have gained full circle in a teaching position.
Renee Watling has been a pediatric occupational therapist in Washington State for more than 20 years. She has worked in clinic, hospital, early intervention, school, and private practice settings. Dr. Watling is a recognized expert in autism, sensory integration, and strategies for managing challenging behaviors. Dr. Watling’s advanced studies focused on emotional and behavioral disorders in children, sensory integration and sensory processing, early childhood education, and autism. Her recent work focuses on combining sensory and behavioral approaches to intervention, and increasing inter-professional knowledge and understanding to facilitate collaboration between occupational therapists and behavior analysts. She has served on various committees for the American Occupational Therapy Association including the Sensory Integration Special Interest Section, Autism Work Group, and multiple advisory committees. Dr. Watling’s work is published in peer-reviewed journals, occupational therapy textbooks and professional newsletters. In addition, she co-edited Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach, 3rd ed, co-authored AOTA’s Sensory Integration practice guideline, and produced continuing education materials related to autism, sensory integration, and challenging behavior. She currently holds an appointment as Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Puget Sound.
A Fieldwork Educator. To be, or not to be, that is the question. One that bounces through many young therapists’ minds, especially while managing and growing one's own career. As I passed from the seemingly awkward infancy into the toddler stage of my professional journey, it was time for me to venture the question: student or no student. Early in my decade-plus work experience, I provided a secondary supervisory role to OT/OTA students. During my seventh year of practice, it was my turn to consider accepting a Fieldwork II student as a primary supervisor. I dealt with much personal reservation: ‘am I ready?, will we work well together? will they learn from me?’ With encouragement from experienced clinicians, I took the leap. Fieldwork Education has no textbook or formal guidelines. I felt I would take the unknown, occasionally turbulent and murky process, and mentor my student to a level I would be comfortable at as a colleague.
After transitioning from five years as a skilled nursing inpatient therapist, I joined the Veterans' Administration. Since 2011, I have had the privilege of serving our Veterans through the Pacific Island Health Care System VA in Honolulu, Hawaii. My role on the team is primarily outpatient based. My caseload consists of: home accessibility/visits; power mobility devices; driver rehabilitation; a variety of Veterans with physical dysfunction (ortho, neuro, SCI, etc.), and occasionally, inpatient skilled nursing/long-term care. My plate is very full and diverse.
In December 2012, my husband and I were blessed with our first child. And, as can be imagined, our whole world changed. Outward vs. inward, others vs. self, definitely became new themes. When I returned from maternity leave, I was asked to be the primary clinical instructor for a Fieldwork II student. I accepted. First time primary fieldwork educator: check! Result? Both fieldwork and NBCOT exam were successfully passed!!! In 2015, I ran into the ‘dynamic duo’ of Dawn and Kirsten in the hallway outside our rehab gym; they were on a fieldwork visit to our facility. Although pregnant with our second baby, I was approached to take another student. This time, a soon-to-be University of Puget Sound alumna, Kelsey Asato (2015). Kelsey had just learned that her second FWII placement had been cancelled and she was hoping to find another clinical placement, ASAP. With ‘outward’ and ‘others’ in mind, a previously successful experience, and Logger pride in my heart, I was more than happy to help! Kelsey was well prepared (of course, she had been through the UPS OT program!), took initiative, was receptive to recommendations, approachable, flexible and very pleasant to work with. It was a ‘two-way street,’ we learned a lot from each other. Since the end of her fieldwork experience, Kelsey has kept in touch. I am proud to say, she passed her NBCOT and is currently employed.
My path to preceptorship began as a way to outwardly share my professional experiences. I am fortunate to find inward growth and satisfaction that has renewed my self-happiness in our field. I am enthused and will continue to accept fieldwork students (especially from UPS) throughout my career. New learning by both student and clinician are irreplaceable. Impact on a fellow therapist and establishing lifelong connections are valued benefits and rewards that I will cherish forever. Therefore, I implore you fellow clinicians "to be" Fieldwork Educators. Please seriously look ‘outward’ and consider accepting a fieldwork student. Help us to grow our profession. Your ‘inner self’ will thank you!
Aloha,
Dana R. F. Rauckhorst, MOT '06, DRS, CAPS
Experiential Learning in Context, commonly called “ELiCs”, are a fairly new curriculum requirement that engages students in authentic contexts that enrich their understanding of occupational therapy practice and the populations served. Students take part in three ELiC experiences over the course of their two years in the program. Students identify learning goals for experiences that range widely in scope, including assisting with clinical research, providing wellness programing for older adults, summer camp experiences for children and youth with disabilities, and so much more. Here we highlight two ELiCs that students participated in during the past academic year.
If you are interested in supporting a student ELiC experience, please contact Tatiana Kaminsky.
Every summer, UPS alumna and former faculty member Lucretia Berg, EdD, OTR/L and alumna Lynda Johnson, OTR/L run a Constraint Induced Movement Therapy camp at Good Samaritan Hospital. Three hours a day, five days a week, for three weeks, children with hemiplegia, ages 5-18, come to camp to participate in a variety of activities designed to strengthen and develop skill in using their affected sides. Since 2012, UPS students have volunteered as “therapy buddies,” working one-on-one with a child as their cheerleader and mentor throughout the camp. This past summer, student volunteers were Ciara Clark, Cate Terhune, Liz Goodwin, Chelsea Rogers, Nora Seimears, Evan Kimpton, Teresa Le, Sarah Clue, Kalene Lynch, and Cordelia Nwogu. Both the students and the kids greatly benefited from this partnership. The students gained hands on experience and appreciated the valuable mentorship of Dr. Berg, Ms. Johnson, and other seasoned therapists. They learned a plethora of information about techniques, activities, and strategies related to working with kids, which proved to be a great advantage going into their fall pediatrics class. One student, Liz Goodwin, wrote that the experience “helped me develop a huge resource toolbox of treatment activities to maintain youth engagement while also targeting functional performance goals.” The children also benefited from the experience. Goodwin noted, “I witnessed improvements within just a few days and learned how powerful the treatment technique can be in developing a positive sense of awareness, ability, and providing opportunities to be not only successful, but to also connect and share with others who have experienced similar struggles.” Chelsea Rogers observed the value of the therapy buddy, stating, “…from the kids’ perspective, having the individual support helped them manage the immense physical and mental challenges they faced over the three weeks.” Cate Terhune reported that overall, “the camp was a life changing experience, not only for the children, but for us, the OT students, as well.”
The University of Puget Sound’s OT/PT Spring Job Fair is sponsored by the Student Occupational Therapy Association.
When: Friday, April 21, 2017
11:00am to 3:00pm
Where: University of Puget Sound
The Rotunda in the Wheelock Student Center
If you would like to register your company to attend, please click here to download a registration form.[VW1]
If you have any questions, please e-mail otjobfair@pugetsound.edu.
Friday May 5, 2017
Morning Session Presenter:
Tatiana Kaminsky, PhD, OTR/L: Vision and Occupation: The Role of the Occupational Therapist
Afternoon Session Presenters:
Participants may choose to attend the following 180 minute session:
Faculty member, Kirsten Wilbur, will present the SafeTALK Suicide Prevention course. It is an approved course for licensure OT requirements. There will be a $10 fee for course materials.
***OR***
Participants will choose two of the following 90 minute sessions:
Faculty member, George Tomlin, will orient participants to literature searches on a topic and how to appraise articles by design type and quality.
Adjunct Faculty member, Julie Anderson, will give participants a review of the necessity of taking vision and ocular motor skills into consideration during assessment and treatment of the pediatric client.
Faculty member, Yvonne Swinth, will show participants a variety of low and high tech devices, programs and applications will be available for exploration.
If you would like information on becoming a Fieldwork Supervisor, please contact Dawn Yoshimura-Smith at dsmith@pugetsound.edu.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
6:00 to 9:00 pm in Weyerhaeuser Hall
$30 PS Alumni; $35 General
* Earn up to 3 contact hours for continuing education requirements for OT licensure and NBCOT registration!
This year our program will showcase 13 poster presentations describing Puget Sound OT students' work on their clinic/university collaborative evidence projects. These presentations will provide comprehensive literature reviews on a variety of current OT practitioner questions. Topics include trauma, emotions, and behavior in school children; effective NICU family follow-up procedures; preschoolers and sleep; social skill promotion for adolescents; adaptive equipment use post-discharge from a skilled nursing facility; cognitive assessments in acute care; assessments for lymphedema; gender dysphoria, and more!
More information and registration
Anne James is presenting an AOTA-sponsored pre-conference Institute 002 on the scholarship of teaching and learning with colleagues from around the country, Andrea Bilics, Lorrie George-Paschal, and Jyothi Gupta. Participants in this institute begin projects to evaluate best-practice in occupational therapy education. They form inquiry communities that continue to work virtually throughout the year to bring projects to fruition.
Tatiana Kaminsky is a co-presenter (with Sue Doyle and contributing authors: Michael DeWilde, Jon-Erik Golob, Olivia Allen) of the poster "Cognition in clients with acute high-level spinal cord injury: Why assessment matters", Thursday, March 30 from 1:00 to 3:00.
Wendell Nakamura is the primary speaker for Poster 1188 - An Ecological Approach to Promoting Client Adherence to Occupational Therapy Home Programs in Chronic Disease Management. He is also the faculty Committee Chairperson for the student Poster 2185 - Identifying and Implementing an Assessment of Upper Extremity Voluntary Motor Control for Clients Poststroke in a Subacute Rehabilitation Setting.
Jennifer Pitonyak is a co-presenter of Institute 006 – Supporting Societal Occupational Needs Through Population and Organizational OT: Gain the Knowledge and Skills to Expand Your Practice. She is also a mentor for Institute 002 – (AOTA) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program. And as the Research and Education Professional Developmental Coordinator for the DDSIS committee, she organized the annual program, Short Course 230 – (AOTA) (SIS) DDSIS Annual Program: Occupational Therapy and Social Emotional Learning Across the Lifespan.
Yvonne Swinth is co-presenting on Quality Indicators in School Based Practice with Patricia Laverdure from VCU. They have been working on this project, with input from school-based practitioners across the nation for 2 years and hope to publish the results soon. She is also co presenting with the following student posters: Julie Anderson, Emily Garza and Nina Handojo, Christine Hsu and Nadia Kabbani.
At the upcoming annual AOTA conference in Philadelphia this spring George Tomlin is a co-presenter, with Sue Doyle (Puget Sound OT faculty 2013-2016) and Laura Schmelzer, (U Toledo) of Short Course 183, Collaborative Community-University Evidence and Knowledge Translation Projects (Thursday, March 30, 2017, 2:30 - 3:30 PM) and with Deborah Dougherty (Mercy College) of Short Course 386, Clinician and Client: Two Underemphasized Components of Evidence-Based Practice (Saturday, April 1, 2017, 4:00 - 5:30 PM).
Kirsten Wilbur is presenting “More than a Quixotic Quest: Promoting Diversity Within the Profession of Occupational Therapy” at AOTA on Saturday, April 1 from noon to 2pm.
The following 2016 alumni will be presenting their student posters at AOTA - please make sure to check them out!
The following alumni will have their posters presented by faculty:
Please join us after the Expo Grand Opening in the Garden Room at the Hilton Garden Inn for desserts and to catch up with fellow Puget Sound alumni!
Thursday, March 30th, 2017
8:30pm – 11pm following the Expo Grand Opening
Hilton Garden Inn, Garden Room
