UNE shines at the Maine Occupational Therapy Conference

Students, recent graduates, and faculty from the University of New England recently made presentations at the Maine Occupational Therapy Conference, an annual event sponsored by the Maine Occupational Therapy Association (MeOTA), an organization actively working to advance the profession of occupational therapy (OT) in Maine.

Caitlin O’Connell, M.S. ’20 (Occupational Therapy), Kristy Moody, M.S. ’20 (Occupational Therapy), and Emily Wasina (Occupational Therapy, ’21) delivered a presentation titled, The Maine Trykers: An Interprofessional Project to Support Community Mobility and Participation.

They were supported in their presentation by Kathryn Loukas, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L, FAOTA, clinical professor of occupational therapy, and Eileen Ricci, PT, D.P.T., M.S., PCS, associate clinical professor in the Physical Therapy (PT) program, both of whom are officers of the Maine Trykers and directors of the Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND).

O’Connell is a LEND graduate and is now the early intervention specialist and occupational therapist at the Maine Education Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Moody is also a LEND graduate and is now a pediatric occupational therapist at Gallant Therapy Services.

A second presentation titled, Reflections on the Rapid Transition to Telehealth, was delivered by Bethany Gruskin, Kathryn Maiato, and Gabriella Timuscuk, all current M.S. OT Class of ’21 students, along with faculty advisors Loukas and Regula Robnett, Ph.D., OTR/L, professor of occupational therapy and associate director of the UNE Center for Excellence in Aging and Health (CEAH).

Research for the presentation was very timely and included findings of positive aspects of the shift to telehealth, as well as challenges experienced by OTs, PTs, and speech and language pathologists during the pandemic.

Loukas stated both presentations were well done and appreciated by the Maine OTs in attendance.