Hopewell Junction, New York, United States
I have been asked countless times over my 15+ year career "What is Occupational Therapy? Is that like a job counselor or something?" I always give the same answer: Picture a wall as far left, as far right, and as far high as you can see. In that wall, there is a door. On the other side of that door is what makes your heart happy. If you're having a bad day and you do this thing, it's not such a bad day anymore. It could be coloring. It could be walking your dog. It could be sewing or rock climbing. It could be as simple as getting dressed by yourself. It's different for everyone. Some people are born lucky and have their keys their whole lives and have no issue getting through that door. Others aren't as fortunate. They either lost their key or never had it to begin with, and it's my job to get them through that door. If I can't, together we bust a hole and make a new door.
I currently provide occupational therapy services remotely for medically fragile children who live in areas where the demand for therapists exceeds the number of providers available for in-home services or are too frail to chance having additional people in their home due to the potential to contract community-borne diseases.
I provided in-home Occupational Therapy services that promoted aging in place. My clients varied in their needs, ranging from assistance in acquiring durable medical equipment and assistive devices, training on devices already in the home, fall prevention, strengthening, increasing range of motion, sensory reintegration, and pain management. I was part of a multidisciplinary team and greatly enjoyed collaborating with nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, speech/language pathologists, and social workers as well as physicians to promote the greatest well-being for each individual served.
As a member of 327th Medical Detachment Combat Operational Stress Control (COSC) Unit, I worked closely with multidisciplinary providers to promote the mental health of Troops at home and abroad, particularly in combat zones. I also provided training to unit regarding patient care in deployed setting.
Assigned to an orthopedic hand clinic, my responsibilities included providing care to Active Duty Service Members, retirees, and beneficiaries. I diagnosed and treated upper extremity orthopedic disabilities to include fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, decreased strength and range of motion, neuropathies, and pain management using various methods including modalities, splinting methods, and therapeutic exercises. I coordinated and provided care to multiple Troop Medical Clinics across Fort Benning in addition to providing services at Martin Army Community Hospital Occupational Therapy Main Clinic. In order to improve patient-provider relations and patient education, I created and distributed an in-house Occupational Therapy Anatomy Guidebook. Following my deployment, I used my newfound experiences and knowledge to coauthor and co-present a webinar on combat concussion care.
As OIC of the Concussion Care Center (CCC), I oversaw all operations of my clinic. I performed all intake interviews and assessments, designed all treatment plans, and carried out all treatments for patients who had experienced a concussive event (explosion, vehicle rollover, helicopter crash, workplace injury, etc.). The CCC was one clinic within the Warrior Recovery Center (WRC), so I was able to help direct my patients to the necessary provider (physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy hand clinic, combat operational stress control, chaplain services, nursing, and physicians) to ensure they received the proper assessment and treatment for all injuries, both visible and invisible. I was the liasion between the WRC and the NATO Command Team of KAF. I was responsible for the training of approximately 300 incoming providers on the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE). I was also tasked with managing and reorganizing the Occupational Therapy Peer Review System for the OT's across Afghanistan to ensure documentation met Department of Defense guidelines.