On The Air

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.

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, v

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.

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 p

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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, Che

On this episode, occupational therapists Kim Solondz and Lily Gullion talk about the ins and outs fellowship opportunities in the field of occupational therapy. Kim is the discipline director and pediatric fellowship director of occupational therapy at the Institute on Development & Disability at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, OR, and Lily is a new grad OT and the current pediatric occupational therapy fellow at OHSU. Accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) in 2016, the pediatric OT fellowship at OHSU is designed to provide mentorship in advanced clinical skills in inter-professional practice, leadership enhancement, and research development. More information about the fellowship including how to apply can be found at https://goo.gl/rsdSUj

Courney Sasse, PhD, MA EDL, MS, OTR/L, MA DPS, CDWF, is an occupational therapist specializing in mental health and geriatrics, with specific expertise in hospice and palliative care. A faculty member in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN, Courtney earned a PhD in Depth Psychology with a Specialization in Somatic Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California in 2018. She earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Troy University in 2003 and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of South Alabama in 2011. In 2014, she graduated with a Master of Arts in Somatic Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Courtney’s area of expertise is mental health and geriatric practice. She holds certification as a Death Vigil Doula through the International End of Life Doula Association, and she is also a certified Daring Way ™ Facilitator. She has written,

Christopher Nahrwold, OTR/L, graduated from the University of Indianapolis in 2001and has worked as an occupational therapist at St. Vincent Health since 2002. His main interests include neurological rehabilitation, fieldwork education, and learning how to apply modern research into everyday OT practice. On this episode of On The air, Chris explains how having open heart surgery has impacted his career as an OT and talks about developing and launching his blog and his Facebook Page, The Practical Occupational Therapist, through which he serves the OT community by providing resources such as treatment guides and establishing a virtual space for professional to connect and collaborate.

Kaitlyn Jones is a recent graduate of the University of Scranton with a Master's Degree in occupational therapy. She is passionate about research and accessible technology, specifically adapted video gaming for veterans with limb loss and the impact that re-engagement in game play has on one's quality of life after traumatic injury. She serves as the Director of Clinical Outreach for Warfighter Engaged, a 501(c) non-profit organization that custom-adapts video game controllers for veterans who have sustained traumatic injuries. Kaitlyn recently accepted a role as a member of Microsoft's hardware research team where she will help to inform and aid in accessibility efforts at the industry level.On this episode of On the Air, Kaitlyn talks about her path into the profession, her experience with and passion for assistive technology, and her work with Microsoft.

As an occupational therapist in the U.S. Army for more than ten years, Major Erik Johnson was instrumental in the care for service members who had sustained devastating physical, cognitive and mental health injuries during combat operations. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work with brain injuries while deployed to Afghanistan. Erik currently serves as an occupational therapist working inpatient rehab and acute care at Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in Waco, Texas. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Warfighter Engaged and Operation Supply Drop, two organizations that support military service members across the spectrum of care.On this episode, Erik shares about his experiences as an OT including how he uses gaming as a therapeutic medium and his work with non-profit organizations. You can learn more about Erik by visiting his blog, Army OT Guy, at http://armyOTguy.blogspot.com and his website, www.erikunleashed.com

Occupational therapist Lenin C. Grajo, PhD, EdM, OTR/L, talks about his work in the area of Occupational Adaptation, the role of OT in literacy, and his efforts to promote diversity and cultural competence in the occupational therapy profession. Dr. Grajo serves in several leadership positions including as the Chairperson of AOTA's Education Special Interest Section and Director of the post-professional OTD program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. He has taught in the Philippines as well as in various locations in the U.S. In addition, he is author and co-editor of the recently published book "Adaptation through Occupation: Multidimensional Perspectives." A pediatric occupational therapist in practice, he is a strong advocate of evidence-informed, occupation-based, theory-guided, client-centered, and occupational justice–promoting occupational therapy service provision.

Debora Davidson, an occupational therapist whose career spans 4 decades as an OT practitioner, academic educator, and consultant, is the founder of a website called Authentic Occupational Therapy, Inc. She currently lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL and enjoys caring for her young granddaughter, kayaking and going to rock, jazz and blues performances with her husband, Ken.On this episode of On the Air, Deborah and Stephanie talk about ways to get the most from an OT education. If you're an aspiring or a current OT student, this one's for you; if you're an OT practitioner, we'd be interested to get your input on the ideas we share on today's show; please reach out to comment on the website - www.OnTheAir.us - after you listen if you'd like to share your advice to prospective or current OT students.

Angela Box, an occupational therapist who works for the school district in Oxford, MS, runs a nonprofit organization called Oxford Special Needs Creations. On this episode, Angie shares about how she got the idea behind that organization, how she created the group, and what the group is doing in the community where she lives and works.

Occupational therapist Guili Krug is the founding program director and a professor in the Program in Occupational Therapy at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX. She has been an OT for 29 years and has worked across many practice settings with varied populations, but her clinical passion is in adult neurorehabilitation. Guili has been an OT educator for over 20 years. On this episode, I talk about how I met Guili, and she shares about her path into the field of OT and into academia. We reminisce about our days as OT students, and Guili recalls an experience she had on Level II fieldwork that left a big impression on her.

Karen Frank Barney, an occupational therapist with over 50 years of experience in practice and higher education, is the guest on this episode entitled "Full Circle" because Dr. Barney was one of the OT educators who taught Stephanie Lancaster, the host of this podcast, when Stephanie was in OT school. Dr. Barney has worked in a variety of medical and community settings in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, and Guatemala, providing direct aging system services and consultation. She has taught in university settings for 38 years, served as primary faculty for the aging-related courses in three university programs, and served as the occupational therapy discipline expert for the Geriatric Education Center (GEC) at Saint Louis University for 22 years. She is the Founder of the Transformative Justice Initiative at Saint Louis University, currently working with justice systems to improve processes, programs, policies and outcomes.On this episode, Dr. Barney looks back at the start of her career into the field of OT and