NEXT LEVEL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Steve Nawotniak, OTR/L, NYCPS who is a Self-Designed Masters from Buffalo State College, a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Utica College, and is a New York State Certified Peer Specialist. Starting in August, 2000 Steve set out on an 8-month, non-motorized Trek of service where he hiked, biked, sailed and canoed from Buffalo, NY to Key West, FL. He gave presentations to over 1000 youth on the values of volunteerism and education and completed over 230 hours of community service along the way. Two years later, in August 2002, Steve was hospitalized for a week with a major depressive episode and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. From that point forward, Steve has spent his life learning how to live with his condition on the journey from hospitalized patient to licensed healthcare professional. Steve has spoken internationally on occupational therapy and mental health. He has also published the books Handbook for Healthy Living with a Mood Disorder  in 2014 and Bipolar Life Hacks: Keys to Loving Life with a Bipolar Condition in 2018 to share the skills and tools he uses daily to live, what he calls, a desired quality of life.  Mom’s Choice Award winning children’s book series .. Mubu the Morph Series 2015-16 about character development and finding yourself within. Steve believes that successfully living with a condition is not merely managing and coping with its symptoms. It requires adaptability to change, mechanisms for managing challenges, and the development of skills for a fulfilling life. Utilizing an Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework, he works with clients in a variety of activities that include identifying and implementing healthy habits, rituals, and routines, establishing a support network, strengthening normative life roles, exploring sensory strategies, developing approaches for stress reduction, creating strategies for financial awareness and designing a recovery plan. In May of 2020, He started His company, Compass Recovery Coaching, LLC which focuses on providing hope and freedom around difficult emotions and feelings.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Carly Rimes Occupational Therapist. She joined our Therapy Business Builder Program in January of 2020 and it has been such a pleasure watching her start and grow such an amazing business. She has been an OT for 4 years and worked in home health and SNFs. After going through radiation for a brain tumor in grad school she quickly fell into a neurological focus. 

She was hired by a local physicians group to help revamp their treatment for neurological patients, especially home health. PDGM was then announced and greatly changed the treatment those patients would be receiving. So she then started looking into options of how these patients were going to continue to receive the services they need and stumbled upon Mobile Outpatient as an option. She officially launched her business (Mobile Rehab, in Naples FL) in March 2020 with 1 PT and herself. Currently, they have 3 PRN PTs, 2 PRN OTs including Carly, and an administrative assistant. On November 26, she finalized her 1000 notes. And up until then, it was mostly just her and one PT. Just to put that into perspective if she only received $100 per visit, that is 100,000 in 7 months all during COVID.

How amazing is that!!!

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Chelsea Maziarz MS, OTR/L

Chelsea discusses the importance of pivoting in her new business once COVID hit and how she needed to adapt and invest in order to take her business to the Next Level. She invested in the Therapy Business Builder Program which allowed her to make that pivot and take her business earnings over 100,000 in less than one year. Along with the investment, Chelsea shares other key tips that helped her along the way.

Chelsea started her career as an occupational therapist over seven years ago after graduating with her Master's in Science, Occupational Therapy from Sacred Heart University. Initially, her career was focused on acute care with a dedication to the ICU, then moving on to home care services with specialties in geriatrics and cognitive rehabilitation.

Chelsea has a husband, Andrew, and two young children. She is a Rhode Island native, born and raised, with a strong dedication to serving her local community. Chelsea started her practice at the end of 2019 with the idea of building better quality therapy options for at-risk populations. Initially, the practice was directed at home care therapy through contract work and private consulting for agencies. However, she is determined to bring new, innovative, and quality projects to her clients including wellness programming, pediatrics, mobile outpatient, and private consulting for assisted living facilities.

Much of Chelsea's drive and passion for her patients stems from her role as a mother. Chelsea has a son with complex medical needs who have required therapy since birth. She understands the complex nature of the health care system and what it takes to advocate for her clients. This is evident through her dedication to quality initiatives.

Currently, Chelsea is pursuing her Ph.D. at the Concordia University of Chicago and is also a professor at Worcester State University in the Occupational Therapy program.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Megan Dooley is the owner of Innovative Therapy Solutions & and Consulting LLC which is a mobile clinic that serves people across the lifespan. She is currently working full-time at the University of Mary as an assistant professor in the OTD program. 

She received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Mary, and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She is a Certified Living in Place Professional, LSVT Big certified, and Hippotherapy certified. Her passions include working with individuals with neurological conditions, home modifications, and leading groups
related to health and wellness for people with chronic illnesses. 

Prior to teaching, She worked in a free-standing inpatient hospital and was the clinical coordinator at BraveHearts Therapeutic & and Educational Center in Illinois where she assisted in managing the Hippotherapy clinic and treated clients a few days a week. She has done research with individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers for 4 years and has recently started a research project on the impact a pro bono
the clinic has on students. 

She is extremely passionate about occupational therapy, she is a life-long learner, and she enjoys working with clients of all ages. She currently lives in Mandan, ND, and loves the outdoors, spending time with her family and friends, and has a passion for coaching volleyball.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform talks about recent events and her journey as an Occupational Therapy Entrepreneur. Be sure to listen to her top 5 tips!

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform Interviews Jenny Gill, Courtney Smith, Emily Jenkins Lieberman, and Cynthia Drown during a Facebook live in the Side Gigs and Alternative Opportunities group and we decided to share it on the Next Level Podcast.
Info on these four amazing Entrepreneurs.

Jenny: I’m an OTR and a copywriter. I have my own business, Jenny Gill Copywriting, LLC Copywriting uses a variety of skills including: understanding search engine optimization, conversational writing, formatting, strategy, and psychology to help grow relationships and promote products/services related to rehabilitation.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Sue Doyle Ph.D. OTR/L CFE CAPS. Sue has been an occupational therapist for more than 38 years. Sue was trained in Australia as an occupational therapist and opened her first private practice specializing in both pediatrics and adult rehab in the early 1980s. 

Her experience is across a broad area of occupational therapy practice and includes more than 11 years in academia teaching both adult and pediatric treatment courses, neuroscience, and research. Sue has written several chapters in occupational therapy textbooks, presented at multiple conferences including as part of AOTA's Stroke Specialty Conference team, and has multiple international peer-reviewed publications. Her research areas have included evidence-based practice, therapists' decision making, and clinical reasoning, and sensory impairments after stroke. She also was involved in establishment and management free clinics for students at two universities. 

Sue believes in giving back to her local community and has been involved in many ways to improve the health and wellness of others. Since 2009 she has been involved with Battle Ground HealthCare, a free comprehensive medical clinic that provides medical, dental, rehabilitation, and vision services to those who are uninsured and underinsured in the Southwest Washington region. She has served in various positions as a founding board member, rehabilitation services coordinator, chronic pain program coordinator, grant writer, and director of operations for the free clinic. Sue also was involved in running free clinics for students at two universities, providing opportunities for student learning, and also providing practical demonstrations on how to give back to the community. 

Over the last year, Sue has worked on developing her private practice serving adults in their homes and her clinic, which she started in 2016. Her practice includes stroke survivors, aging in place and home safety, and contracts with the Developmental Disability Administration and Area Agency on Aging. When not working Sue enjoys spending time with her family, including her two grandchildren, hiking and being outdoors cooking, and gardening. Sue and her husband are currently building their new barrier-free accessible home in the beautiful pacific northwest.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Marissa Yahil. Marissa is an occupational therapist who specializes in lactation and infant feeding. She owns and operates a private practice called Lactation & Development Resources which serves mothers perinatally and infants ages 0-6 months. Prenatally, she educates and empowers clients with evidence-based information about lactation, breastfeeding, and bottle feeding so that they can go into their birth as prepared as possible. Postpartum, Marissa offers a holistic and integrated approach to lactation support and feeding therapy in order to help her clients achieve their individual goals. Marissa is also passionate about helping other OTs as well as SLPs and PTs transition to specialize in this unique area of practice. She offers business consulting and mentorship for other therapists starting a Lactation practice. She is also one of the Co-Founders of The Lactation OT.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Shainna Young, OT. She became an entrepreneur when her 9-5 job was not matching her work-life balance. She started a home healthcare agency through a partner called Optonome. Shainna’s skillset is in vestibular and visual rehab as well as her focus in neuro and developmental disabilities. When she is not working she is preparing therapy mission trips to Spanish Speaking Countries. Her focus is on containing sustainability within these international countries such as in orphanages and nursing homes.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Emma Grace Cramer an Occupational Therapy student at Eastern Michigan University. Emma graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a BA in Cultural Studies in 2013. After graduation, she moved back to Michigan and worked as a preschool and toddler teacher, while she worked on the prerequisites for the OT program. Emma finished her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2014 and has been self-employed as a yoga teacher part-time ever since. She specializes in adaptive yoga. Emma is able to adapt her classes so that all students can explore and feel safe! Emma co-owns a paddleboard yoga company, called Root SUP, where she teaches weekly classes in the summer and runs an annual training program for other yoga teachers to learn how to teach on the water. Emma has also recently launched an online course, Principles of Peace: External to Internal, that guides students through the first two limbs of yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, in order to learn more about themselves.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Heather Shields. Heather has been an Occupational Therapist since 1997 and is a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist. She provides the only door to door driving rehabilitation service in Maine. She specializes in working with people with all medical conditions, seniors, and young adults with special needs. Heather’s focus is to help people remain driving safely for as long as possible. Some people require adaptive equipment. Others need different vehicles. Most need to refine their driving skills and habits. Heather works closely with physicians, therapists, clients, family members and local vendors. Heather is experienced in knowing when it is safe to continue driving and when it is time to explore driving retirement. If retiring from driving is the safest option, then Heather will explore their community to find transportation alternatives and is willing to practice learning how to use them.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Trish Williams. Trish has been an Occupational Therapist for over 25 years. She holds a BA (Kinesiology) 1991, University of Western Ontario; BHScOT 1994, McMaster University, Occupational Therapy. She was a Professional Associate and Admissions Committee Member, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, McMaster University, 2001-2004; and she is currently an Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta (2011-current). She is also one of the founding faculty of the Calgary Campus for the U of A Department of Occupational Therapy.

Starting Spring Occupational Therapy, a pediatric multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic was born out of the desire to provide a boutique, high touch experience for families and kids with sensory needs. Now in its 6th year of operations, Spring OT has expanded to its current 1700 sq foot dwelling; an old, character home filled with hardwood and large windows that now offers OT, SLP, and Behavioural Strategy in its range of services. Over 50% of clients are private pay and yearly revenue continues to build toward the mid-six-figure range.

Professionally, she is proudest of making the switch from therapist to CEO, and she embraces that role by now providing the same high-end client experience, once reserved solely for her therapy families, to OT entrepreneurs as a business coach. Her niche is helping OTs who know they need to move from hustle to scaling, in order to find more time to grow their business, make more money, and create a bigger impact.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform and Dr. Javier Carlin DPT interview Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP; Lisa Haverly, OTR/L, Angela Bender, OTR/L, and Holly Masters, COTA to discuss the different courses and products they have created.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Deb Jandzio, OTR/L, Certified Aging in Place Specialist.

Deb is an Occupational therapist with over 25 years’ experience working with older adults as a manager in assisted living facility outpatient clinics and managing skilled nursing centers. In 2018 she started a home-based (outpatient) occupational therapy business for older adults called Pinnacle Home Therapy, LLC. 

With a focus on outpatient OT and home assessments, home modifications for accessibility, Deb has been working with a local contractor to modify older adults’ homes through the Pennsylvania Aging Waiver. Deb obtained her Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) in 2015.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Emily Kulesza who is an occupational therapist from New Jersey and graduated from Quinnipiac University. During her time in college, she hoped to combine her passions for occupational therapy, functional fitness and holistic approaches to health and wellness. 

Within the first year of her career as an occupational therapist, she created Growth Nutrition LLC so she can help all adults, with or without health challenges, to build healthy habits and fitness into their lives so that they can achieve and maintain their goals, and finally get their health under control. 

In addition to being a licensed occupational therapist, Emily is also a Certified Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, Crossfit Level 1 trainer, and is Graston Technique M1 trained. Her main focus with her clients is using a collaborative approach to implement incremental habits that result in long-term and sustained improvements to improve their health and quality of life.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Erin Lindberg who has been an Occupational Therapist since 2001. She has always had a passion to help and serve others. She chose the field of Occupational Therapy due to the holistic nature of the profession and her fascination with the mind-body connection. She graduated from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of North Dakota with a minor in Psychology. 

Throughout her career, she has practiced in various settings and leadership. Erin discovered her calling in 2004 when she began her holistic therapy journey with John F. Barnes and his Myofascial Release approach. The personal experience created an understanding and empathy for women suffering from pelvic health issues, which led her to expand her holistic practice into women’s health in 2010. 

Erin is passionate about whole-body health and hands-on individualized care, without the constraints and restrictions of insurance and large corporations. This sparked entrepreneurship with a non-traditional service model that provides comprehensive holistic care to clients that aligned with her personal and professional goals. In 2018, she opened her cash-based, holistic OT practice and multidisciplinary holistic health collaborative. 

This came with challenges and learning experiences due to the limited resources for Occupational Therapists who want to start their own business. Erin’s mission is to empower clients through holistic OT practice and mentor professionals on expanding beyond their traditional OT role.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Jill Garaffa, MS, OTR/L, CPC. Jill is an NJ licensed occupational therapist & professional certified life coach that has been in practice for over 27 years. Through combining the science of occupational therapy with the art of life coaching, Jill is able to produce breakthrough results for her clients in areas of life that matter to them. Jill’s primary focus with clients is on creating a powerful mindset which enhances the quality of life in the areas of career, relationships, and health.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Aaron Shaw OTR/L, CHT, CSCS is an occupational therapist, certified hand therapist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist with 24 years of clinical experience. He is a recognized expert in the shoulder, arm and hands rehabilitation with a passion for hands-on manual therapy, custom orthosis fabrication, and functional exercise performance. Aaron is an author and speaker with a passion for topics including shoulder biomechanics and strategies to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and personal training. 

In April 2015 Aaron founded MoveMend, Seattle’s only neighborhood-based clinic specializing in rehabilitation of the shoulder, arm and hand and post-injury personal training. Since opening, the practice has grown to include physical therapy and massage, expanding the functional approach to rehabilitation to include the entire body.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, CDP who is an occupational therapist and the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy. Rachel is certified in Skills2Care® for caregivers of individuals with dementia, LSVT BIG for Parkinson's Disease, and she is a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Rachel is also a certified master trainer of Skills2Care® through Jefferson Elder Care and trains occupational therapists from around the country in the Skills2Care® program. 

She is also currently an advisory council member for the Dementia Society of America. Previously, Rachel was an adjunct faculty member in the occupational therapy departments at Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University. She also worked as the occupational therapist and Dementia Service Coordinator for the Pew Charitable Trust Grant with Jefferson Elder Care. 

She had the privilege of presenting at the Alzheimer's Association conferences in Pennsylvania and Delaware and was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article in 2017. Rachel attended Penn State University for her Bachelor's in Rehabilitation and Human Services and minor in Psychology and attended Thomas Jefferson University for her Master's in Occupational Therapy. 

She previously served as the Gerontology Chair for the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association's (POTA) District V Board and was the recipient of the "OT Award of Recognition" for "Innovator in Specialized Dementia Care" from POTA in 2019. Rachel has been working with individuals with dementia for over 10 years.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews JoAnn Keller, she is an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist, a business owner, a mentor and a coach for other therapists. She owns Hands for Living, a traditional hand therapy clinic, in Lynnwood, Washington. She is originally from Minnesota, and has worked in several other states, and a variety of practice areas. She has served in many advocacy and leadership roles, and has been recognized for her work at the state and national levels.

JoAnn shares how a bad situation led to a wonderful outcome for her and her career in occupational therapy.  Plus, JoAnn shares many great tips to help future health care entrepreneurs in their journey.  JoAnn is also a CHT and has lots to offer those wanting to be a CHT or those who already are. 

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform discusses why the Next Level Occupational Therapy Podcast has had a 3-month Hiatus.   Learn how changes can lead to bigger and better things!  

**I apologize for the fuzzy audio for the host section** I am turning it in to my VA staff to see if they can do anything with it, but I wanted to get Holly and Ali's story out ASAP.  

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews entrepreneurs Holly Masters and Ali Izzo.  

Holly Masters COTA/L and Co-CEO of Purpose graduated from Penn State in December of 2018 with a Bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies and an Associate of Science/ Occupational Therapy. Holly currently works in 2 skilled nursing facilities with the older adult population and a rehabilitation hospital with diagnosis focusing on TBI and CVA. One of her favorite topics is accessibility and she is a dog mom of two sweet girls- Betsy and Eloise!

Ali Izzo COTA/L and Co-CEO of Purpose graduated from Penn State in December of 2018 with a Bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies and an Associate of Science/ Occupational Therapy. Ali currently works for a skilled nursing facility and a hospital. At the hospital, she works with orthopedic patients, lymphedema, and outpatient pediatric's! Ali and her fiance just moved into their home together and are getting married the first month of November!

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews entrepreneur Michelle Coil.  MIchelle has an undergraduate degree in Health Promotion from Purdue University. She graduated with her Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2004 from the Medical College of Ohio and became a Certified Hand Therapist in 2012. She has spent 15 years in clinical practice in the areas of upper extremity rehabilitation. However, her OT roots allow her to treat the whole person along with her additional certifications as an Ergonomic Assessment Specialist and Professional Yoga Therapist. More recently, she is the founder of Virtual Hand Care, LLC, a teletherapy platform for clients with UE injuries and the first teletherapy company owned and operated by a Certified Hand Therapist.  In addition, she is the founder of HandNerds, an active Facebook group dedicated to helping health professionals learn more about everything upper extremity.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews entrepreneur Maggie Bannigan. Maggie has been practicing as an OT for almost 3 years. (Note in podcast I accidentally said 13) She is from Michigan and received her Bachelors degree from Michigan State University and a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy from Indiana State University. She currently works in an outpatient setting where she works with children and adults. She has always had an interest in fitness and her hobbies include competing in various athletic events such as running, triathlons, and bodybuilding. She also enjoys hiking and yoga. Her goal as an OT was to somehow merge her love for the profession and fitness together, and that’s how All Abilities Bootcamp came to be! 

Maggie's Business FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/allabilitieswelcome/

Maggie's Email: Angela.bannigan91@gmail.com

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews entrepreneur Mandy Chamberlain MOTR/L.  Mandy is an occupational therapist with a passion for working with the older adult population and the founder of SeniorsFlourish.com and the membership site, The Learning Lab. Both are dedicated to helping other geriatric OT's be the best they can be through education, resources, tips and videos.  Her varied clinical background includes working with geriatrics through long term care, home health services, home modification consultation, assisted living, inpatient critical access and outpatient therapy services.  When she is not busy working as an independent contractor, consulting and running a website, she is enjoying the life in the mountains of Colorado with 3 energetic kids and an inspiring husband, all while sipping coffee and planning their next family travel adventure.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT creator of the Next Level Occupational Therapy platform interviews entrepreneurs Sara Lane and Joanna Jacobs, both certified occupational therapy assistants.  Sara has over 16 years of experience analyzing movement in various settings.  Her background over the past 8 years has been as a COTA/L which has given her a holistic lens in which she looks at health and wellness.  She is a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer with a BS in Physical Education and a 200 hour Yoga Instructor. She started her company Sens8tional Movement to teach yoga to children and personal training to individuals who are looking for more than just a workout.  Joanna is the owner/director of OT & Me, LLC. She is a COTA/L and has been practicing for 11 years.   OT & Me, LLC is a home and community based pediatric practice.  They provide OT evaluations, treatment, and consultation services via a traditional OT model. They also provide advocacy and special needs family coaching through a non traditional OT lens.

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