MH SIG Meeting
Dand Time: Wednesday February 25, 2026, 6-7:30pm
Chairperson(s): Emily Walker, OT, OTR, Allyson Lewis, OT, OTR, Rosa Colorado, OT, OTR
Location: Zoom - to be sent out day before the event
Title: Community Mental Health: The ACCS Model & the Role of Occupational Therapy
Speaker: Amanda Cantrell, Rebecca Cohen, Jack Norcross
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) model for adult community mental health services.
2. Describe the population served by ACCS.
3. Describe OT role and process in ACCS model
4. Explain the unique value OT adds to the ACCS model
Bio/Focus
Amanda Cantrell is an Occupational Therapist specializing in adult community-based mental health practice. Amanda has worked for Eliot Community Human Services in the Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) program serving the North Shore region of MA since obtaining certification and licensure in 2022. Amanda earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from Boston University in 2021 and completed a capstone project focused on quality improvement within an ACCS program at Riverside Community Care. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Boston College, and has prior experience in psychology research at Boston College and direct inpatient psychiatric care at McLean Hospital.
Rebecca Cohen is an Occupational Therapist with focused professional interest in adult mental and behavioral health. Rebecca has trained and worked in inpatient settings serving adults with diverse psychiatric diagnoses, as well as co-occurring involvement with the legal and carceral systems. She joined Eliot Community Human Services in the Adult Clinic Community Clinical Services (ACCS) program serving the Metro North region of Massachusetts in 2025. Rebecca graduated from Tufts University (formerly the Boston School of Occupational Therapy) in 2024 with her entry-level OTD. In addition to her passion for supporting people living with serious mental illness, Rebecca is also interested in mentorship and clinical instruction of OT students.
Jack Norcross is the Occupational Therapy Manager at Eliot, overseeing the growth and development of occupational therapy services within Eliot’s Mental Health Division. There are currently 8 occupational therapists within this division (with several additional open positions for hire). Jack’s primary area of work is in community mental health, but he has also worked per diem in geriatric inpatient mental health for many years at Mount Auburn Hospital, as well as occasional per diem work on the adult inpatient psych unit at Melrose Wakefield Hospital. He has a small private practice working with children in home-based care who have significant behavioral health needs. He graduated from Boston University in 2019 with a capstone project focused on OT’s role in performing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
References
Of Note, Event registration closes at 4pm the day prior to the event, participants must register by Tuesday February 24th.
️ Register Now: March 3, 2026 • 6:30 PM (ET)
Join us for “The Impact of 2025 Federal Actions on Occupational Therapy” — an important webinar presented by the New England Occupational Therapy Collaborative!
Dive into key federal policy changes and learn what they mean for OT practice, reimbursement, education, and patient access. Whether you’re a clinician, student, educator, or healthcare leader — this session is essential for staying informed and proactive in 2026.
Objectives:
Contact Hour: Estimated 1 Contact Hour available (digital certificate provided after completion) Format: Online webinar Cost: Free for members | Students $5 | Non-members $15
Stay informed. Protect access to occupational therapy. Register now!
#OccupationalTherapy #Webinar #ContinuingEd #NEOTCollaborative #MEOTA
Date and Time: March 18, 2026, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Chairperson(s): Natalie Sadon, OT and Colleen Craven, OT
Title: Introducing BrainSense Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) for Parkinson’s Disease
Speaker: Colleen (O’Quinn) Coste, OT
By the end of the presentation, participants will:
Understand what deep brain stimulation is and how the system is implanted
Be able to identify which patients with Parkinson’s Disease are appropriate for DBS
Understand the role of OT in treating patients who have DBS or who may be eligible for DBS
Learn how Adaptive DBS can help patients with PD regain more “on-time” with good symptom control
Understand expectations for DBS from a therapy perspective
Bio/Focus: Colleen is an occupational therapist by background, now working as a clinical specialist at Medtronic in the Deep Brain Stimulation division. She worked for 6 years full time as an OT at 3 different clinical sites, including a SNF, long-term acute care hospital, and outpatient neuro clinic. She specializes in treating neurological conditions and spent most of her full-time years working on a neuro unit which had a Disorders of Consciousness rehabilitation program. She now work per diem on the weekends at Spaulding Cambridge Hospital to maintain her OT skills and continue my passion for helping patients. Colleen’s current role at Medtronic involves being in the operating room for product/technological support during DBS implantation procedures, providing patients with education on their DBS technology, and assisting physicians with programming the device to control each patient’s unique symptoms while minimizing side effects.
References:
- Stanslaski, S., Summers, R.L.S., Tonder, L. et al. Sensing data and methodology from the Adaptive DBS Algorithm for Personalized Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease (ADAPT-PD) clinical trial. npj Parkinsons Dis. 10, 174 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00772-5. Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Jimenez-Shahed J. Device profile of the percept PC deep brain stimulation system for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2021 Apr;18(4):319-332.
- Thenaisie Y, Palmisano C, Canessa A, et al. Towards adaptive deep brain stimulation: clinical and technical notes on a novel commercial device for chronic brain sensing. J Neural Eng. 2021 Aug 31;18(4).
- Yin Z, Zhu G, Zhao B, et al. Local field potentials in Parkinson's disease: A frequency-based review. Neurobiology of Disease. 2021;155:105372’
- Morelli N, Summers RLS. Association of subthalamic beta frequency sub-bands to symptom severity in patients with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 2023;110.
- Van Wijk BCM, de Bie RMA, Beudel M. A systematic review of local field potential physiomarkers in Parkinson’s disease: from clinical correlations to adaptive deep brain stimulation algorithms. Journal of Neurology. 2023;270(2):1162-1177.
- Darcy N, Lofredi R, Al-Fatly B, et al. Spectral and spatial distribution of subthalamic beta peak activity in Parkinson's disease patients. Experimental Neurology. 2022:114150.
- Hvingelby, V., Khalil, F., Massey, F., Hoyningen, A., San Xu, S., Candelario-McKeown, J., ... & Krüger, M. T. (2025). Directional deep brain stimulation electrodes in Parkinson’s disease: meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 96(2), 188-198
This event will be closed day before event. Please register by 4:00PM on 03/17/2026.
Please keep this copy for your own records and keep with your certificate. MAOT is not responsible for maintaining records for contact hours.
Registration will close on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Please register by end of day, Tues, March 27, 2026.
Chairpersons: Jocelynn B. Wallach, OT, MS, OTR, Esther Bertrand OT, MS, OTR
Date and Time: March 25, 2026, 7-8:30 pm
Location: Zoom - to be sent out the day before the event
Title: The Use of High and Low Technology in Treatment to Optimize Learning and Independence
Speaker: Karen Janowski, OT
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Bio: Karen Janowski, OTL is an Inclusive and Assistive Technology Facilitator and President and owner of EdTech Solutions, Inc in Reading, MA, providing professional development, coaching, consultations, and assessments in the Greater Boston area. She presents locally and nationally about assistive, inclusive, and educational technology and co-authored the book, "Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year" and “Quick Wins Strategy Cards: Tips for Activating Inclusive Learning” from ISTE and ASCD.
Frolek Clark, G., & Polichino, J. (2020). School Occupational Therapy: Staying Focused on Participation and Educational Performance. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 14(1), 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2020.1776187
Marotta, M,, Janowski, K., Poss, B., Bugaj, C; (2021). Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. International Society for Technology in Education
Piller,A., PhD, OTR/L,BCP, Del Pilar Saa, M., OTD, OTR/L, Tremino, I., DrOT, OTR/L, Carrasco Koester, A., OTD, OTR/L, and Stein Duker, L., PhD, OTR/L.(2021). Using Technology to Enhance Sensory Based Interventions. SIS Quarterly Practice Connections – a supplement to OT Practice, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Volume 6, Issue 1, 2-4, February 2021.
This event will close on March 24, 2026. Please Register by 4:00PM on March 24, 2026.
