Presentations and Presenters
Caring Together 2.0
Supporting Children and Youth along the Mental Health Continuum
Cicily Talerico, OTD, MS, OTR/L
Supporting Children and Youth along the Mental Health Continuum will explore the skills that children and youth need to be mentally healthy. Participants will learn about the mental health continuum, how to identify children and youth who need additional support, and how to use strategies to support children and youth to build resiliency. Children who are mentally healthy regularly attend school, have fewer physical illnesses, demonstrate age appropriate social emotional skills, and have the highest levels of psychosocial function. This workshop will expand participants’ knowledge of activities to support children and youth along the mental health continuum.Cicily Talerico, OTD, MS, OTR/L is a practicing occupational therapist and educator with over 18 years of experience working with children and families. Cicily has training and experience working with children and youth with mental health conditions, sensory processing challenges, and children with special considerations that impact their engagement in school, home, and the community.
3:1 Related Service Workload Model: Getting Started
Andrea Brown, PT, DPT, PCS; Lauren Clonan, MA, CCC-SLP; Marika Monahan, MA, CCC-SLP; and Christine Vestigo, OTR/L
This session will define the 3:1 service delivery model with perspectives from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy providers. The session will describe the benefit of this model such as best practices, the expanded role of school-based therapists, collaboration with general education and special education classroom teachers, generalization of skills, and least restrictive environment. It will provide practical suggestions to begin implementation and provide helpful tips based on experiences from a school based related service team.Andrea Brown, PT, DPT, PCS; Lauren Clonan, MA, CCC-SLP; Marika Monahan,
MA, CCC-SLP; and Christine Vestigo, OTR/L represent the related service team from Donlin Drive Elementary School in Liverpool, NY
Navigating Wellness Blind Spots
Tim Abraham, MS and Megen Hemstrought, MS
What does “environmental wellness” mean to you … recycling, shutting off the bathroom faucet, etc.? This is NOT a how to “go green” session! Come experience a unique perspective on minimizing your “blind spots” that can diminish wellness in our work environment. Learn strategies that will lead to better job satisfaction, and most importantly, can lead to better patient outcomes. Concepts presented will focus on how we interact with others and how those interactions affect our environment.Tim Abraham, MS is an Assistant Professor of Wellness and Adventure Education at Utica College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois—Chicago and master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign. Tim served as an athletic trainer in professional baseball for 12 years at various levels with the Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, and lastly as the Head Athletic Trainer of the Washington Nationals He came to central New York to serve as the Sports Medicine Outreach Coordinator at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group from 2008 – 2017.
Megan Hemstrought, MS is an Assistant Professor of Wellness and Adventure Education at Utica College. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Movement and Sport Studies (physical education) from Springfield College and her master’s degree in health education from SUNY Cortland. Megen has taught various levels of physical education and health, as well as coached soccer and basketball at different levels.
Combating the Opioid Crisis through Education, Collaboration and Community Support: A Panel Discussion
Join both alumni and community experts as we discuss the critical issues of the public health opioid crisis in Oneida County. The panel will discuss treating pain on the front lines and the new approach many professions have undertaken to try and stop the opiate epidemic.Panel Facilitator: Phyllis Ellis, BSN, MS, FACHE has been Director of Health for Oneida County since 2013. She has experience working as a charge RN at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in the emergency room. Additionally, she has held administrative roles ranging from Vice President of Emergency Medical Services to Trauma Coordinator.
Education Panelist: Jillian Smith, MS, RN specializes in neonatal and pediatric nursing. She has worked with hundreds of families who have experienced the effects of the opiate crisis, particularly caring for neonates treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome. She is currently on faculty at Utica College in the nursing department.
Emergency Medical Services: James Monahan, MS, RN, AEMT-P is the Director of the Traditional Nursing Program at Utica College. Jim has also been a paramedic with the New Hartford Fire Department for 30 years and is presently the EMS Chief at New Hartford, as well as the Oneida County EMS coordinator. Jim also oversees the EMS program at Utica College.
Law Enforcement: Robert Swenszkowski, MS is a Criminal Justice Professor of Practice at Utica College, while concurrently serving as the Oneida County Assistant Sheriff. He has over 27 years of experience in the criminal justice field, including serving as Oneida County Undersheriff, Village of New York Mills Chief of Police, and Corrections Officer, among other positions. In addition, he is a New York State Division of Criminal Justice instructor.
School: Paul Vitagliano is a community outreach specialist who has spent his entire career in substance abuse treatment and prevention working in some capacity with every school district in Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties. He worked at Insight House for nearly twenty years as a counselor and community outreach specialist. Additionally, he has worked as the character education counselor for the New Hartford Central School District. Paul holds NYS OASAS CASAC certification, as well as serves as an instructor for the program.
Youth Empowerment: Occupational Therapy Based Yoga Classes for Self-Esteem
Justine Hutchings, MS
From experiencing bullying and low self-esteem herself, Justine will share how she went from moving through her own tough times to helping guide others through theirs. This presentation will focus on factors that contribute to low self-esteem in young women including bullying and negative body image. Through discussion and participation, attendees will be exposed to a variety of tools that Justine has found effective with herself and in helping others.Justine Higgins, MS graduated from Utica College with her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015. She currently works full time as a pediatric occupational therapist for Little Lukes/Milestones Children Center. In November 2018, she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at In Bloom Yoga in New Hartford, NY. Combining her background in occupational therapy with her recent yoga teacher certification, Justine works with young women in the community to share tools to move through times of bullying and low self-esteem. Her work teaches young women strategies such as guided meditation, yoga, journaling, communication skills, and positive body image.
OT Toolbox for Effective Push-ins, Collaboration, and Time Management
Kim Wiggins, OTR/L
Collaboration is essential in providing therapy services in school systems. Research indicates that students succeed when support is provided to the individual, team, and systems in place. Although pull-out sessions can be effective, pushing into the classroom and collaboration is the new norm. A huge barrier to push-in sessions is TIME! This session will review how to determine dosage/frequencies, strategies for using your time efficiently, research, and case studies that support increased collaboration in school systems.Kim Wiggins, OT/L is an experienced occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics who has worked extensively in public school settings, outpatient, and home-based services to children of all ages with a variety of diagnoses and special needs. Kim is currently a full-time therapist at the Binghamton City School District and the owner of OTKimWiggins, which primarily focuses on providing educational opportunities for parents and professionals. She is an experienced national program developer who has produced and presented training workshops and seminars on a variety of topics related to handwriting, vision, primitive reflexes, sensory techniques, and technology to therapists, teachers, administrators, and parents. Kim received her Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy from Utica College. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, a member of the NYS Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA), and a past NYSOTA Pediatric Special Interest Coordinator.
Exploring Spiritual Wellness: The Most Neglected Aspect of Our Selves
Paul Lehmann, MS
Spiritual Wellness may not be something that you think much of, yet its impact on your life is unavoidable. The spiritual element of wellness can be the most personal piece of the puzzle when trying to place all of the dimensions of wellness together. The basis of spirituality is discovering a sense of meaningfulness in one’s life and coming to know that one has a purpose to fulfill. Just as we must exercise to condition our bodies, a healthy spirit is nurtured by purposeful practice. This session will explore the different aspects of Spiritual Wellness and ways to improve our spiritual wellbeing. At the end of this session, each participant will have a clearer sense of where they are on their personal spiritual journey and what techniques they may want to work on to improve their spiritual health.Paul Lehmann, MS spent 20 years in higher education with 12 years as the Director of Student Activities at Utica College. Paul was ordained as a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. After his ordination, he accepted the position as the Hospital Chaplain at the Mohawk Valley Health System and has been in this position for six years. Paul works with patients, family members, and staff members in their exploration of their Spiritual Wellness and how their spirituality effects their ability to lead a life full of meaning, purpose, and rich relationships.
Advance Care Planning: Presented by Momentum
Prepare for National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), April 16, 2020. The NHDD exists to inspire, educate, and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. NHDD is an initiative to encourage people to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be. Come learn more about starting and/or continuing the conversation as members from Momentum provide information and resources on this important topic. The presentation will incorporate video clips, live discussion, a notable activity, and Q and A. Give your loved ones a most memorable gift by planning for your future!Shauna Malta, PT, DPT, MS is a Professor of Physical Therapy at Utica College and is a board member of Momentum, a local non-profit community agency.
Nursing and Occupational Therapy Collaboration for the Family and Child with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)
Jillian Smith, MS, RN and Kyrra Marchese, MS, OR/L
Addiction to opiates is a worsening condition in our society today. Today’s healthcare professionals need to be educated on this crisis and aware of treatment options. As a result of the continuing opiate crisis, the prevalence of children born to mothers using opiates has risen significantly. It is essential that health care professionals collaborate to identify the need to educate the family to prepare for their newborn who may exhibit symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Early identification and intervention are key to identify the cognitive, emotional, psychosocial, and sensory-motor needs of these children.This session will discuss the need to address care for the child with NAS from the prenatal period through early childhood via the scope of nursing and occupational therapy practice, including early identification of children with NAS, medication management, addressing of sensory-motor needs of the infant, education of the family/caregivers, and transfer to the Early Intervention System upon hospital discharge.
Jillian Smith, MS, RN, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Utica College and a Registered Nurse. Her background includes neonatology and pediatrics, with a focus on caring for and providing education to families with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who have a variety of special needs. She is also a graduate of Utica College’s undergraduate nursing program.
Kyrra Marchese, MS, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor of Health Studies at Utica College and a registered Occupational Therapist. Her background includes OT practice in the field of pediatrics with a focus on Early Intervention treatment and work with children with a variety of developmental delays. She is a graduate of Utica College’s graduate program in Occupational Therapy.