On The Air

Alondra Ammon, an occupational therapist who entered the field of OT as a first-generation Salvadorean/Haitian American and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, talks about developing as a leader through activities in OT school and in the community, via presenting at professional conferences, and as a participant in the American Occupational Therapy Association's Emerging Leaders Development Program. She also shares about her work on projects that raise awareness on the importance of creating a culturally diverse and inclusive workforce to better serve clients, along with addressing topics that relate to underrepresented practitioners within the profession.

Jami Flick and Orli Weisser-Pike, occupational therapists who attended and presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) Conference in Cape Town, South Africa in May 2018, share about their experiences leading up to and attending and presenting at the conference. (On a side note, Jami and Orli are the first repeat-guests on this show!)

Occupational therapist and driving rehab specialist Susie Touchinsky talks about her role as an OT with a specialty certification in driving rehab. She shares about how she found out about OT (shout out to all the high school guidance counselors out there who know about OT!!) and her passion for providing exceptional care for all drivers through work with clients in her private practice, contributing to the field and the community through her advocacy efforts, and sharing her knowledge with others through lectures, publications, presentations, volunteer work, and educational offerings. See the show notes at www.OnTheAir.us

Jessica Kersey and Natalie Barnes, hosts of the Glass Half Full podcast, are the guests on this episode. Jess and Natalie talk about how engagement in the occupational therapy community helps to shape one's career through inspiration, education, support, and mentorship. They talk about how they met and how they started their podcast as well as their passions and how that relates to what each of them is currently doing in the field.

Occupational therapist Mandy Chamberlain shares about her passion for working with the older adult population and her work as the founder of SeniorsFlourish.com, host of the podcast Seniors Flourish, and as a mentor new grads and OT students through her membership site, The Learning Lab. She also discusses her dedication to helping other OT practitioners working with older adults be the best they can be through education, resources, tips and videos.

London-based occupational therapist Tara Whiteford talks about her work as the co-founder and co-owner of Look Hear Australia, a free resource library for allied health professionals and families of children with unique educational and healthcare needs. She reveals about how Look Hear Australia was formed, how it got its name, and what the vision and mission of the organization is as well as how others can connect and share resources through the group.

Tamara Calhoun discusses the processes leading her into practice as an OT in acute care, to her decision to pursue a post-professional OTD, and to her research, which centers on increasing cultural competency among rehabilitation professionals in order to better serve the African American community.

Jill M. Steinburg is an attorney specializing in litigation in the field of medical malpractice, nursing home liability, product liability, and premises liability. She has over 30 years of experience in the field and through her work has gained considerable insight into the documentation practices of OT practitioners and other healthcare professionals. On this episode, Jill discusses the importance of documenting observations and care in specific ways, both for continuity of care and to avoid lawsuits.

Nerida Hyett is an OT working as a lecturer in the OT program at La Trobe University Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. She has worked in community health, alcohol and drug services, youth mental health, and project management. Nerida's research is in the area of consumer and community participation, and she is developing a model of community-centered practice for use in OT. On this episode, she discusses her path into the profession of occupational therapy and her work and research in community-based practice.

Amy Mooney, MS, OTR/L, our guest for Episode 22, is back to continue the discussion about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or "ME," through the lens of an OT practitioner and as a mother of a child with this condition. On this episode, Amy talks about the distinct role of occupational therapy in working with individuals with ME, and she calls for a shift in thinking that is sure to resonate with OT practitioners and others interested in and involved with ME.

Amy Mooney, an occupational therapist and the mother of 3 school-aged children, talks about her family's journey with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. We discuss gaps in care and support sometimes experienced by individuals and families with chronic conditions and how a background and training in occupational therapy enters into the equation in assuming the role of caregiver for a loved one with a chronic illness.

David S. McGuire, who currently serves as the president of the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association, talks about his path into the field of occupational therapy as a second career. He shares about how he first found out of OT, why he decided to take on a leadership role in OT in the state of Tennessee, and what he sees as his leadership style.

Debbie Amini is an occupational therapist with expertise in hand rehabilitation, splinting, occupation-based hand therapy and documentation, and OT education. On this episode, Debbie - who currently serves as the Director of Professional Development for the American Occupational Therapy Association - talks about occupation-based hand therapy.

Karen Sames, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA, talks about a unique Level I fieldwork experience she had as an OT student, how she caught the "advocacy bug," and connecting the profession of OT with business, leadership, and advocacy know-how.

Karen Jacobs is a clinical professor of occupational therapy and the program director of the distance education post-professional occupational therapy programs at Boston University. She has expertise in the development and instruction of on-line graduate courses. In addition to being an occupational therapist, she is also a certified professional ergonomist (CPE) and has a private practice in ergonomics. Karen co-hosts a cable TV show called Lifestyle by Design and recently launched a podcast by the same name. She is the author of multiple children's books as well.

Amanda Warren is an occupational therapist specializing in hippotherapy. Amanda has a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University and works with Southern Reigns Center for Equine Therapy, an organization established to serve individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities and hardship by providing equine activities and therapeutic riding to empower, inspire, nurture and succeed.

Danielle Lancelot Watson, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist specializing in hand therapy. In the summer of 2011, while rock climbing in Colorado, Danielle fell and sustained a T6-level SCI. She went through several surgeries and an extensive rehab process as a result and later went back to school to earn a Master’s degree in OT at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Danielle competes regularly in a variety of wheelchair and adaptive sports and involved with multiple adaptive sports organizations. With a passion for advocating for disability justice, she currently works as an OT in Yelm, WA.

Occupational therapist Barb Heilman, MOT, OTR/L, and her daughter Becca Davidson, MBA, used their ingenuity and talents to address a need they identified, and then they partnered to launch a company called UnBuckle Me to sell the product they developed by that same name. On this episode, they share the story of that discovery and launch, give advise for fellow innovators, and talk about what's next.

Jill Loftus, MS, OTR/L, shares about her path to becoming is a pediatric occupational therapist, parenting coach, educator, and author focused on enabling and empowering children and families. Jill's experience includes school-based practice, home health, and clinic and community-based practice in New York, San Diego, and Denver. In addition, she owned and operated a private practice called Honest Occupational Therapy in NYC and now lives with her husband and 2 dogs in the Denver area.

Alexis Joelle, MS, OTR/L, talks about her work as an OT in acute care and in travel therapy, her experience in taking (and in re-taking) the NBCOT certification exam, working with OT students and practitioners to help them address challenges and break down barriers in their own lives, using videochat and other online tools to mentor and connect with other OT practitioners, and motivational interviewing.