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Terri Cassidy, OTD, OTR/L, CDRs Mary Beth Thiel, OTD, OTR/L Session: Driving and Community Mobility for Neurodivergent Novice Drivers Terri is an occupational therapist and the founder of Health Promotion Partners, which provides driver rehabilitation and community-based therapy services. She completed her occupational therapy graduate work at Colorado State University and received her clinical doctorate from the University of Utah. Terri has held leadership roles as president of the Colorado ADED chapter, the Colorado representative to AOTA's Representative Assembly, and co-facilitator of the Fitness to Drive Community of Practice through the AOTA Special Interest Sections. She has been honored to receive the Marjorie Ball Award from OTAC and the Innovative and Emerging Practice Award from AOTA.
Session: Getting Back to Occupation: Occupation Based Kits, Interventions & Documentation Mandy earned her Master of Occupational Therapy through the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences and has been an OT since 2003. She is the founder of OT Flourish® and the OT Accelerator, an online membership community supporting OT and OTA new grads, fieldwork students and those transitioning to working with older adults to be more confident, creative and use the evidence for excellent care. Mandy has a strong and varied clinical background working with the older adult population through all adult settings, has presented CEUs for state OT associations, guest lectured at OT/OTAs across the U.S. and co-authored a chapter on community based practice in an international OT textbook titled, "Occupational Therapy for Older Persons" through Springer Publishing.
Session: PANEL Discussion - Pathways to Success: Transitioning to Adulthood and Meaningful Employment for Those With Chronic Conditions and Autism Patricia is a passionate occupational therapist and leader with over 30 years of clinical experience. She completed her doctorate degree at Creighton University where she focused on neuro-occupation, functional cognition, and lifestyle medicine. She studied occupational science at the Karolinska Institute and is the past president and board member of the Allen Cognitive Network. Dr. Cornille collaborated extensively with the author of the cognitive disability model (CDM), Claudia K. Allen and received an award for education and use of the CDM in clinical practice. She is a certified Brain longevity specialist and works with adults and children autistic. Additionally, Dr. Cornille trained and mentored numerous healthcare professionals, students, and caregivers–nationally and internationally and successfully led teams in the development of a variety of community programs.
Session: Follow Your Dreams Through Entrepreneurship as an OT Krista owns an innovative private-practice titled Covell Care and Rehabilitation which help clients become safer, more independent and engaged in their home and community through a unique, one-of-a-kind model. Krista developed this model from the ground up which allows clients to access OT, PT, SLP, Driving Rehabilitation, Pelvic Health Therapy, and Fitness Instructors in their home and in community settings. Krista is an expert in issues related to aging adults and has extensive experience working in the home setting and helping clients reintegrate into the community. Graduating from Colorado State University with degrees in Social Work and Occupational Therapy, she is also board certified in biofeedback for pelvic muscle dysfunction. Krista is the former president of the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado and has been a speaker at the association's annual conference for pelvic health and entrepreneurship. In addition to her deep passion of working with her clients, Krista enjoys providing coaching services to therapists to assist in development of their own private practices, cultivate their passions and thrive in their careers.
Session: Live Your Best Life: Introduction to a Six Week Occupational Therapy Pain Management Curriculum Linda is the current president of the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado and has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years. Linda has presented locally, nationally, and internationally on pain rehabilitation and person-centered pain care and was a contributing author to the AOTA position paper "The Role of Occupational Therapy in Pain Management." She is the founder of the international PAIN OT Facebook group and is active in mentoring OT practitioners and advocating for the role of OT in pain management. Thirteen years ago, Linda was a disabled OT living her life in chronic pain until she set off on a quest to discover the knowledge, skills, and courage needed to direct her own therapy plan and became pain free in 2014.
Session: Cultivating Breath, Harvesting Empowerment Rebekah uses her knowledge about breath, yoga, and meditation with the oncology population while working as an OT with Oncology Rehab. She starting a personal yoga practice in 1999 and, for the following 15 years, was blessed with opportunities to learn and train from yoga teachers in the U.S., Europe, and India. She completed 200-hr teacher trainings in each of hatha, kundalini, and Vedic chanting yoga and a 500-hr with focus on use of Patanjali Yoga Sutras for conflict resolution. She served as teacher in the 7-Centers Yoga Arts 30-day YTT. Safe to say, she is indeed a nerd of the yoga and esoteric arts!
Session: Double Trouble: When Autism Co-Occurs with Other Mental Health Diagnoses Session: PANEL Discussion - Pathways to Success: Transitioning to Adulthood and Meaningful Employment for Those With Chronic Conditions and Autism Debora earned her BSOT from University of Illinois (1979) and MS in OT from Boston University (1982). Her career has included mental health settings, universities, and community-based contexts in various regions of the U.S. Her passion for helping people who are "stuck at home" due to intellectual, developmental, mental health, or chronic health conditions led her to start her private practice in 2011. She is invested in inspiring and supporting OT students and colleagues by sharing what she’s learned along the way, and from the research available to date.
Session: The 1000-hour Play Gap: Why Occupational Therapists Should be Promoting Play-Based Early Childhood Education Lisa joined the Colorado State University Occupational Therapy Department as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2012 and is the primary instructor for the entry-level OTD pediatric curriculum. She graduated Cum Laude from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy in May of 1999 and earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University in August 2006. Lisa has extensive experience in pediatrics, working in both primary and secondary education, outpatient pediatric therapy, in-home private pediatric practice and in a Level IIIA Neonate Intensive Care Unit. Lisa’s current practice and research interests center on the role of play-based learning in facilitating school readiness and the value of universal access to occupational therapy within early childhood education.
Session: NBCOT® National Certification Exam: Information You Need to Know Jill is the Colorado Ambassador for NBCOT. She is an Occupational Therapist who has served in the role for two years.
Session: "Not Half-Bad!": Practical Implications of Addressing ADLs and IADLs with Clients who have Hemiparesis Becky is a 2009 graduate from the Creighton University Entry Level OTD program. She focused her practice on adult physical rehabilitation in Omaha for 12 years primarily in Acute Rehabilitation. She focused her time working with patients with a variety of neurological diagnosis. While working in this setting she created vision assessment and treatment programming for the neurological population and continued to support it throughout her time in acute rehab. She also served as a Neuro Fellow Mentor and a Coordinator of Clinical Education. She joined Creighton University in 2021 as an Assistant Professor and Academic Clinical Education Coordinator. She is fueled to see therapists (future and current) fall in love with neuro-rehabilitation and is dedicated to continuing to grow this area of practice.
Session: A Blueprint For Success - Finishing Fieldwork and Landing Your First Job Heather is a board-certified and licensed occupational therapy assistant (COTA/L), working in early intervention and pediatrics. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Business and Marketing (Regis University 2007), and completed her occupational therapy assistant coursework at Pima Medical Institute in December of 2021. Heather plays a critical role in helping children and families achieve their developmental goals. Her work focuses on supporting children who may be struggling with various developmental challenges, such as fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care tasks, and social interaction. Heather loves spending her free time outdoors and enjoys all the activities available on the Western Slope. As a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEI) at Swann Clinic, she is passionate about providing services to those populations that are disproportionally underserved.
Session: Crafting a Chronic Pain Management Curriculum for the Forensic Inpatient Psychiatric Population Session: Supportive Sensory Strategies for Chronic Pain, Mental Health, and Beyond Katy is a new graduate from CSU's Occupational Therapy program, where she earned the distinction of Outstanding Grad for the College of Health and Human Services. In her time at CSU, she pursued a specialty in pain science, completing a capstone that discussed the role of occupational therapy in chronic pain management. During a fieldwork assignment at the Utah State Hospital, she was able to capitalize on this knowledge and curate a 12 session curriculum that seeks to teach people with serious mental illness how to manage chronic pain.
Session: Occupational Therapists as MDS Coordinators in a Skilled Nursing Facility Carolyn spent the first two years of her career specializing in dementia care as an occupational therapist before advancing to the role of director of rehabilitation. After expressing interest in the world of MDS, Carolyn was granted an opportunity to be the MDS coordinator for a new acquisition in 2021 (under the supervision of an RN). She has since received her Certified MDS Assessment Coordinator (CMAC) Certification, became the first cluster lead MDS coordinator in her market, and most recently became the first Chief MDS Coordinator in her market. Carolyn is passionate about furthering her knowledge in the ever-evolving world of MDS, as well as advocating for therapists to take on this role. Carolyn has been featured in OT Practice Magazine and The Non-Clinical PT.
Session: 7 Business Models for OTpreneurship Sarah is a licensed and certified occupational therapist. With over 14 years of experience in early intervention, she is the founder and clinical director of Sarah Bryan Therapy. Her company specializes in therapy interventions and assessments in the home environment and primarily works with children from birth to 3 years of age. Sarah is also the host and creator of OT 4 Lyfe, a podcast and website dedicated to highlighting who occupational therapy practitioners are and what they do. She is also a co-founder of OTPreneur and The Real OTs of Early Intervention. Sarah loves talking about all things OT, podcasting, early intervention, and OT entrepreneurship.
Session: Orthosis Fabrication Course Sarah currently works at the Children's Hospital Colorado as a hand therapist and is the Pediatric Hand Therapy Fellowship Coordinator. Prior to working at CHCO she had 3 years of experience working in adult outpatient hand therapy clinics in Tucson, AZ. She also currently works PRN with Hand Surgery Associates in Englewood, Colorado. Earlier this year, she traveled with the Touching Hands Project to San Pedro Sula, Honduras for a week long hand surgery/therapy brigade.
Session: How Mentoring OTD Capstone Students Can Cultivate Growth and Resilience in Your Everyday Practice Julie is an Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University. She is also the director of the Community Practice Lab and OT Share Program at CSU OT’s Center for Community Partnerships. Julie has an extensive background in working with adults and older adults in the community. Her interests include facilitating student engagement in community-based service learning and strengthening partnerships between community non-profits and local universities. She is excited to apply her passion for student engaged learning to the doctoral capstone experience. Julie enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, watching documentaries, and putting together puzzles.
Stephanie Jones Session: Improv Comedy for Occupational Therapists: Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice Alison is a registered play therapist, visiting assistant professor at Regis University, and the Clinical Director and Co-Founder of Comedy Is Therapy. She incorporates the practice of improv comedy into her work. Stephanie, a former speech-language pathologist, and iO-Trained Improviser, is also a Co-Founder of Comedy is Therapy. She applies the tenets and practice of improv to various areas, including instructional training and design, technical education, corporate training, and community-building.
Session: Pave Highways in the Child's Brain Through Nature Play: Addressing Therapeutic Goals in Nature Kim is the owner and founder of Nature's Path Occupational Therapy, and is a pediatric occupational therapist in Colorado Springs, CO. With 17 years of experience as an OT, her initial 3 years were dedicated to adult neuro-rehab, focusing on brain and spinal cord injuries. She continues PRN work with this group. For the past 13 years, Kim has specialized in pediatric clinic-based and early intervention services, often incorporating outdoor therapy. Witnessing nature's therapeutic benefits both professionally and as a mother of 6, she is fervently devoted to integrating nature into childhood development. Nature's Path was conceived as an alternative therapeutic model. Kim holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from Boston University and an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alabama, where she also earned her Low Vision certificate. As a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), she supports the mother-baby dyad in the infant's first year, addressing infant and toddler feeding from a developmentally holistic perspective. Beyond her roles as a mother and OT, Kim enjoys running, hiking, snowboarding, camping, and exploring the mountains.
Session: Occupational Therapy's Role in Diabetes Management Kaily received a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science and an Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Arkansas State University, in Jonesboro, AR. She now practices primarily at an independent living facility in Boulder, CO. With a focus on chronic conditions, she is working to bridge the gap between education and implementation of health management and lifestyle modifications. As a fieldwork educator, she is passionate about empowering students and her clients to reach their full potential.
Session: Play with Partners: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Supporting Play Skills Through Peer and Parent Interactions Julie is an occupational therapist and the social-emotional team lead at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She earned her MS and Doctorate in Occupational therapy from Boston University. Julie is a DIRfloortime® instructor and has extensive training in sensory processing from STAR Institute. When she is not working, Julie enjoys hiking, playing pickleball, and traveling.
Session: Leading Rehab Transformation: Exploring Concepts of Change Management
Amanda Hoffman, MS, OTR/L BCPR is the Manager of Rehabilitation Services- acute care at the University of Colorado Hospital. She completed a psychology degree from Stonehill College in 2003 and Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in 2007 and began working at a long-term acute care hospital. A travel OT position brought her to a subacute rehab setting in Colorado. Since starting at UCH in 2011, Amanda has served in many roles. She worked clinically for 15 years and is dedicated to measuring outcomes, promoting health equity, and bridging the gap between academia and clinical practice. This year, Amanda completed a yearlong certificate training program with the Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency (IHQSE). She is excited to share insights learned from this and actively leading change within UCH. |
Mandy Chamberlain, MOTR/L
Patricia Cornille, OTD, OTR/L
Krista Covell-Pierson, OTR/L, BCB-PMD
Linda Crawford, OTR/L, CDWF
Rebekah Bhavani Crisp, MAT, MS, MSOTR/L, CLT, Yoga Alliance E-RYT200, RYT-500 (expired), PORi-Certified Oncology Rehabilitation Specialist
Debora A. Davidson, PhD, OTR/L
Lisa Fyffe, MS, OTR/L
Jill Groskreutz, OTD, OTR/L, CLT
Becky Kinnison, OTD, OTR/L
Heather Noonan, COTA/L
Katy Owens, OTR/L
Carolyn Pluta, MDS, OTR/L, CMAC
Sarah Putt, MA, OTR/L
Sarah Schmeda, OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Julie Silver Seidle, PhD, OTR/L
Alison Sheesley, PhD, LPC, RPT
Kimberly Wilson, MS, OTR/L, CLC
Kaily Nix Wood, RD/LD, OTR/L
Julie Yaroni, MS, OTD, OTR/L
Amanda Hoffman, MS, OTR/L, BCPR
2023 OTAC conference sponsors and exhibitors! |
ABOUT OTACOTAC is the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado. It is a non-profit organization that strives to increase the quality of care and level of professionalism to the practice of OT in Colorado. Have a feedback or need more help? Email: info@otacco.org |
