My pronouns are ella/she/her. I started my career in Occupational Therapy as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at a very young age and I carry with me experiences from then into my daily life that I continue to grow from; through the years my passion for the profession has not diminished. My clinical background as an occupational therapist is mostly in neurorehabilitation (specifically traumatic and acquired brain injuries), though I thoroughly enjoyed a ten-year "stint" working in skilled nursing facilities.
Over the years I have developed an interest and have been fortunate to start a collaboration with a local domestic violence shelter in Montgomery County, where I developed a Level I fieldwork experience, a volunteer program and capstone experience and projects for students. From an academic perspective, I have developed an interest in researching Emotional Intelligence in graduate occupational therapy students, the implementation of trauma-informed care in occupational therapy sessions with survivors of domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and in exploring the impact of doctoral level education to the occupational therapy profession. I have served on Ad Hoc Committees for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and it has been a pleasure to learn from and engage with OT colleagues across the country.
I am interested and invested in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in occupational therapy education and healthcare in general. My occupational roles include: wife, "mum" to two rambunctious Jack Russell Terriers, daughter, sister, friend, crafter, dancer, and Netflix aficionado(a).
Widener's College of Health and Human Services partnered with Youth Development United to educate local kids and their families about jobs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech- language pathology through hands-on activities. Program Director of the Institute for Physical Therapy Education Adrienne Pickney, and Clinical Associate Professors Lydia Navarro-Walker and Lindsay Milgram are quoted.