Our Secret Ingredient? Occupational Therapy Clinical Interns!
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If you haven’t heard of Occupational Therapy (often called OT by insiders), occupational therapists work to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of their patients with a physical, mental or developmental condition.
Occupational Therapists often collaborate with clinicians from other disciplines, including medicine, nursing, social work, among others.
For many of our clients coming in off the streets, living independently presents many challenges that you might take for granted. For example, developing a menu plan for the week, shopping for groceries, learning how to keep food from going bad, or how to organize your living space might be something you learned growing up. OT steps into that role for our clients, aiding them in navigating the many new problems they face.
Now imagine how much harder this can be with those who also struggle with mental illness…not easy, right?
Our students are with us doing the psychiatric rotation of their training, and they come from the Masters in Science program in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. Their enthusiasm and helpful trainings don’t just help clients, they help the students to gain a knowledge of how the least served in our community can benefit from this useful discipline!
So get to know our summer interns—and reach out to us if you want to know more!
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Ashley Hunsberger, Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
We work to help the clients take the next step in their necessary process. This includes life skills such as communication, stress management, and goal setting.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
UnderDog—he always surprised everyone by saving the day.
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Konju Briggs Jr., Mental Health Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
Mental Health occupational therapy fieldwork at the Recovery Center on 3rd Street, running groups and doing one-on-one sessions with clients.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
Zen Master Bodhidharma
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Hoan Nguyen, Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
I am running the Lifeskills group at the Recovery Center, as of right now we are focusing on stress management.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
If you have heard of the legendary Monkey King, a Chinese legendary god figure, I would be like him. I grew up watching the Chinese TV series with my family and he made a great impression on all of us.
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Anna Czinn, Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
I am running health and wellness groups and completing home visits to help individuals live more functionally and independently.
I am also assessing clients and writing letters on their behalf in order to assist them with obtaining disability funding.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
I would be Spiderman (but the female version)
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Heidi Woo, Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
I’m working at the Clinton Residence this summer, developing groups to facilitate the development of functional skills, and working with individuals one-on-one to identify goals and improvement areas in their daily occupations.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
Athena (old school “superhero”)
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Stephanie Crane, Occupational Therapy Intern (Columbia University)
Q) What are you working on?
I am working to empower the residents there with independent living skills like money management, stress coping strategies, symptom recognition, and meal planning.
Q) If you could be any super hero who would you be?
There are so few female super heroes that the choice is somewhat limited, but I would want to be Elasti-girl from the Incredibles. She is a strong, independent woman who balances her dedication to her family with her duty to society.
Want to learn more? Ask Doug Warn, our Director of Training and OT Supervisor a question!
