Chairpersons: Jocelynn B. Wallach, OT, MS, OTR, Esther Bertrand OT, MS, OTR
Date: January 21, 2026, 7-8:30 pm
Location: Zoom - to be sent out the day before the event
Title: Developing Meaningful and Measurable IEP Goals
Speaker: Jan Hollenbeck, OT, OTD, OTR, FAOTA
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Bio:
Dr. Jan Hollenbeck, OT, OTD, OTR, FAOTA, is an occupational therapist and special education administrator with over 35 years of experience in public schools. As co-founder of the Partnership for Advancement of School Service-Providers (PASS), she provides practical professional development, consultation, and mentoring to enhance collaboration, staff retention, and student success. She has worked with more than 50 Massachusetts school districts, taught MA DESE-funded institutes (2007–2019), and presented widely at local, state, and national conferences. A published author and co-author of Guidelines for Provision of Occupational Therapy in Massachusetts Schools, Dr. Hollenbeck also serves as MAOT Liaison to MA DESE and Co-Facilitator of AOTA’s State Leaders in School Practice Community of Practice. She is an AOTA Fellow recognized for her leadership, innovation, and advocacy.
References:
American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, & American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2022). Joint statement on interprofessional collaborative goals in school-based practice. https://www.asha.org/siteassets/ipp/joint-statement-on-interprofessional-collaborativegoals-in-school-based-practice-2022.pdf
Wynarczuk, K. D., Chiarello, L. A., Fisher, K., Effgem. S. K., Palisano, R. J., & Gracely, E. J. (2020). Development of student goals in school-based practice: Physical therapists’ experiences and perceptions. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(25), 3591-3605. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1602673
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
Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Stroke Rehab: What YOU Need to Know!!!
Hosted by APTAMA Neurology SIG
IN PERSON at:
635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 101 Sargent College, Boston University Boston, MA 02215
Parking: Limited on-street meter spaces may be available. Meters take credit cards or quarters (there is a change machine at BU’s Leventhal Center at 233 Bay State Road) or can be paid with the Park Boston app. For directions and public transport options –https://www.bu.edu/sargent/contact-us/driving-directions/
Join Dr. Teresa Kimberley, PhD, PT for a clinically focused look at how FDA-approved vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can enhance upper extremity recovery and long-term functional outcomes in your chronic stroke population. Dr. Kimberley will review the latest evidence and outline clear steps for implementing VNS in your clinical practice. She will also highlight new research pairing VNS with gait training and its emerging role in mobility recovery. Clinicians are key to bringing the benefits of VNS to their patients; this presentation provides you with practical strategies to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into real-world clinical care.
Objectives:
The event will open with informal networking and pizza, followed by the presentation. Participants will earn 1.5 contact hours through MAOT.
Registration will close the day before the event. Please register by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026.
MAOT Mental Health SIG
Date and Time: Wednesday January 28, 2026, at 6:00-7:30 p.m.
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: Time to Collaborate: Partnering with Local Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Programs to Support Mental Health Needs in Your Community
PRESENTERS: Andrea Desimone, BSOT, OTR, LMT, CDP; Olivia Freeman, MBA, OTR; Kimberly Shurtleff, MSOT, OTR BCRP, CHT
BIO’s:
Andrea Desimone, BS, OTR, LMT, CDP is the Assistant Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the OT Program at MCPHS University on the Worcester campus. She has over 20 years of clinical experience working with the adult population, including geriatric psych, inpatient rehab, SNF, and dementia care. She is currently working on her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy, including a certificate in trauma-informed care.
Olivia Freeman, MBA, OTR is the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC) at MCPHS University for the Occupational Therapy program on both the Manchester, NH, and Worcester, MA campuses. Prior to her transition to academia, Olivia's clinical focus was the adult-based population in the settings of inpatient rehab, acute care, and SNF. Olivia is currently working on her Doctor of Education degree with a research focus on student stress and anxiety and how it impacts fieldwork performance.
Kim Shurtleff, MS, OTR, BCPR, CHT, is the Assistant Academic Fieldwork Coordinator at the MCPHS Manchester campus. She has over 20 years of clinical experience in hand therapy, acute rehabilitation, and ergonomic consulting, and is both a certified hand therapist and a board-certified specialist in physical rehabilitation. Kim is currently completing her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy along with a graduate certificate in Health Professions Education, with research interests focused on mindfulness- and occupation-based interventions in hand therapy and the learning preferences of occupational therapy fieldwork students.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) University is a private university in Massachusetts, with three campuses: Boston, MA, Worcester, MA and Manchester, NH. The Occupational Therapy program is located on the Manchester, NH and Worcester, MA campuses.
FOCUS: Community mental health needs are growing. OT has a valuable and vital role in contributing to this sector. This presentation discusses opportunities for OT practitioners to integrate OT into community mental health using nontraditional Level I fieldwork in conjunction with educational and community partners.
OBJECTIVES:
REFERENCES:
Brown, A. B., & Mohler, A. J. (2020). SELTEC: Service and Experiential Learning Through Engagement in the Community: A Level I Fieldwork Model: Part 1. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 4 (3). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040317
Mohler, A. J., & Brown, A. B. (2022). SELTEC: Service and Experiential Learning Through Engagement in the Community: A Level I Fieldwork Model: Part 2. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060110
Nielsen, S., Klug, M., & Fox, L. (2020). Impact of Nontraditional Fieldwork on Critical Thinking. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74 (3), 7433045010p1-7433045010p7. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.036350
Please register by 4:00 p.m. on January 27, 2026. Registration will close on January 27, 2026.
Registration will close on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Please register by end of day, Tues, March 27, 2026.
