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Here is a collection of news articles, videos, & blog posts related to occupational therapy.

University Awarded $1.25 Million from U.S. Department of Education to Fund Occupational Therapy Doctorate Education

The University is one of 13 programs nationwide to receive federal funding to help increase the number and diversity of occupational therapists serving school-aged children with disabilities and high-intensity needs.  Read More >

We’re thrilled to announce our feature in OT Practice's October 2024 issue, focusing on the vital role occupational therapists play in mental health. This special edition features insights from Bay Path’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program Director Julie Watson, PhD, OTR/L, and highlights Assistant Professor Rae Ann Smith, OTD, OTR/L, who presented a student’s mental health capstone project at AOTA INSPIRE 2024. Our full-page ad in this issue coincides with the AOTA Specialty Conference on Mental Health in Oak Brook, IL, on October 25-26, 2024, ensuring extended reach and visibility to a national audience and conference attendees. This opportunity showcases our commitment to advancing mental health support through occupational therapy.

Bay Path University is proud to highlight our faculty and alumni as they present and participate in upcoming national and state occupational therapy conferences:

National Conferences:

  • At the AOTA Education Summit (NC, Nov 8-9, 2024
  • OTD Program Director Julie L. Watson, PhD, OTR/L, will present a poster on the Evaluation of a Capstone Orientation to Prepare PPOTD Students for Independent Research
  • Alumni Dr. Amanda Rodriguez and Dr. Latasha Dionne are presenting Adulting Academy: Inception & Implementation of a Community-Based Adolescent Level I Fieldwork
  • At the AOTA Children and Youth Specialty Conference (WA,  Dec 13-14, 2024), alumna Dr. Nicole Newell will present on School-Based Trauma-Informed Care for Children with Autism
  • At the AOTA INSPIRE 2025 Annual Conference & Expo (PA, April 3–5, 2025), three alumni have been accepted
    • Dr. Elizabeth Dixon: Academic Dishonesty in Occupational Therapy Education: A Quantitative Survey
    • Dr. Nicole Newell: School-Based Trauma-Informed Care for Children with Autism
    • Dr. Rachael Mathieson: Using Response to Intervention to Improve Kindergarten Students' Fine and Visual-Motor Skills

State Conferences:

  • ConnOTA Annual Fall SIS Conference (CT, Nov 2, 2024): Director of Graduate Admissions Anastasia Spremulli will host a vendor table
  • MOTA Annual Conference (MD, Nov 2, 2024): OTD Assistant Professor Rae Ann Smith, M.Ed., OTD, OTR/L, will present a poster on the Evaluation of a Capstone Orientation to Prepare PPOTD Students for Independent Research and participate in a panel discussion on Enhancing and Advocating for OT Services for School-Based Mental Health
  • NYSOTA Annual Conference (NY, Nov 15–17, 2024): Interim Program Director of MOT, Dr. Tracy L. Bentley-Root, will attend and share Bay Path University OT materials

We are excited to support our faculty and alumni as they contribute to advancing the field of occupational therapy at these prestigious events.

Our Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Projects Lecture Series featured innovative research by our doctoral students! This series showcased the important work in occupational therapy and addressed various contemporary issues.

Presentations included:

  • Tina Conley: Decreasing Barriers to Care for Mental Health Clients: A Continuing Education Course
  • Lori Glancey: Parents' Perspectives on the Effects of Screen Use on Preschool-Age Children with Autism: A Phenomenological Study
  • Autumn-Raine Martinez: Utilizing Online Education to Address Mental Health in Police Officers: A Pilot Program
  • Caitlin Ocasio: Caregivers Lived Experience with ABA Clinic-Based Related Service Providers: A Phenomenological Study

In this Hot Topics in Healthcare series, presented by Dr. Nicole Newell G'24, Dr. Newell addressed how occupational therapy practitioners uniquely support mental health in schools due to their specialized skills. Positive mental health and well-being help children and youth function better in academic and non-academic settings. These objectives aim to build a comprehensive understanding of how school-based occupational therapy practitioners can support student mental health within educational systems.

In this Hot Topics in Healthcare series hosted by Bay Path University's post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, Hayley Chrastowski, OTD, OTR/L, CEIM, and Jessica Peterson, OTD, OTR, CLC, PMH-C, co-founders of Maternal Health OT explore the emerging practice area of occupational therapy in maternal health and the practitioner's role during the perinatal period and motherhood.  This presentation reviews occupations and common needs for support from preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

In this Hot Topics in Healthcare series hosted by Bay Path University's post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, Sarah Selvaggi Hernandez (she/they), author and owner of Living Sensory Occupational Therapy LLC, explores sex as an occupation; motor, sensory, and regulation considerations for intimacy and connection; sexual orientation and the gender spectrum; and reproductive justice.