Amy OT

I have pledged to volunteer in Nicaragua for 6 months at a special needs school. Why? When? Is it safe? Do you even speak Spanish??  Why Central America? I got my first taste of Central America back in 2011 and loved it. I visited Honduras for a short medical mission trip. I've returned - to Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica - and can't get enough. The culture. The food. The language. The simplicity of life there. The focus on family and relationships rather than wealth and getting ahead. People with less possessing more joy and contentment. I want what they have.   Why Nicaragua? Short answer: There's an opportunity there for my faith and career to intertwine! I was first introduced to the special needs school (Tesoros de Dios) back in Jan 2015. I had the privilege of visiting for a week with a professor and 3 other students. I witnessed the amazing work being done to provide for the students. Heard the stories of hope and progress mixed with others...

So history repeats itself - when life gets busy, I neglect the blog... let me fill you in... I completed my second 12 week fieldwork, the one in mental health. I cried (go figure). I will treasure the card the clients signed - their short goodbye sentiments reflected their personalities perfectly. Even though the 12 weeks stretched me beyond my breaking point, the challenges made for a rich experience. I miss the sweet and feisty clients alike. I actually miss the feisty clients the most - can you relate? The ones I was losing sleep over and weathering storms with were the ones I built strong bonds with... ironic.. I often wonder how they're doing. They left their mark on me for sure..  I studied for my boards exam. I poured my heart into learning, memorizing, connecting knowledge to experiences.. I took 2.5 hour practice tests, read rationales for each answer.. I watched YouTube videos with anatomy animations. Videos on the lived experience with cerebral palsy...

FAQs about Occupational Therapy (OT) ...  I just want to step back and explain what OT is in a general sense. I think it can still be muddy, despite my efforts to explain throughout the blog. Here's a snapshot to clear.. and maybe muddy.. some things up. :) Q: Do you help people get jobs? A: Yes and no.  The word "occupation" is a general term meaning more a job. In OT, occupation refers to anything someone needs to get done to maintain their well-being (eating, showering, getting dressed, etc.), anything someone needs to do to take care of their household (make meals, take care of a child or pet, drive, grocery shop, access the community), and anything that is important to their roles and sense of self (resuming hobbies, passions, leisure activities, social activities, work). So yes, I may help someone with a worker's comp injury to get them back to work. I may help someone with a disability get a job with modifications and advocate for them to the employer. ...

Rejoice! Some days I walk away so fulfilled! Like YES! A client who doesn't engage much with staff was willing to meet with me! Someone else opened up about some things and is open to trying some new fitness activities to meet their goal of a healthier lifestyle. Someone who walked out on me yesterday over the littlest thing had a great session today! Someone else who rarely talks was lured in through basketball - did part of an OT evaluation and then he schooled me on the court! Which is a win-win, because we're building rapport (aka he's beginning to tolerate me), he's getting to be in the position of teaching something he's really good at, and I'm finally learning how to do a lay up! Praise God - it's about time :) Taking the Good with the Bad It's so funny reflecting on the past 2 days. Yesterday I was so frustrated with the lack of progress with clients, the flawed system I'm working under, yada yada. So focused on the bad that I cou...

Not all glamorous.  So I've been really focused on keeping what I say here objective. With the  babies   I kind of said whatever came to mind and shared bloopers because I was making mistakes left and right. But babies are cute. Babies with disabilities are looked at with sympathy and compassion. I didn't feel a need to defend them. I didn't feel the need to spotlight their strengths because people just naturally like babies.  Not so with mental health. It's weird and foreign. It's not talked about much. There's a fog of stigma that mental illness is fake or a choice or a sign of weakness. So my mindset has been to advocate and educate until I'm blue in the face...  But it's time to be real.  This work is hard.  This field is difficult. My client's issues keep me up at night. It's hard to detach from work when I go home. It's easy to feel like you didn't do enough. Week 2 I had a breakdown. A sobbing-at-home-most-of-the-ni...

Impact It's not hard to make an impact. A lasting impression. It just dawned on me that wow, these clients will actually remember me. If I bump into them 2 years from now, they may know who I am. So neat! The babies and toddlers I poured my heart out for in my last placement will not remember. :) But I'll remember them - they taught me so much! Anyways, a positive in working with adults. Consistency is Crucial  It's also easy to impact this population because their standards for human relations are so low - so tainted by the trauma they have experienced. Childhood abuse and neglect deeply shapes a person. Deeply ingrains that no one can be trusted. No one will follow through on their word or be there for you. As a result, any sane person would build walls to protect from future attacks. High, thick, deep brick walls.  Little things go a long way. As a staff, telling them the days I work and showing up on those days counts for something...

Shedding Light On Mental Illness Follow this link to a 13 question quiz on mental illness. See how well you do. :) (I didn't do so well).  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T38Y8ZM Some of the answers shocked me. And even after taking it I was like hmm, I'm taking this at a training by a facility that's all about mental health.. aren't they a little biased? Maybe the numbers are off? (just sharing my own process with you to show that I'm resistant & skeptical at times) By the People, For the People I had the privilege of attending a training on mental illness by people with mental illness. They shared their stories. Their trials. Their victories. Obstacles. Stigma. Shame. Frustrations. Ted Talks.. It was powerful.  Some things that stuck with me: 1. We give them a bed, pill, and rest. They want a home, job, and friend. Wow! This sunk deep into me. A home is a safe place, rather than a bed in a facility where there is lack of consistency and pre...

Learn with Me? As my fieldwork setting has changed, so has the feel of this blog. Previously, I was working with babies, who are cute, warm, and cuddly. They are fun to talk about and lots of people love children. Or feel no hard feelings about children. Any poor behaviors can be pointed back to the adults in a child's life.  But now I am working in a mental health setting. And you may no longer feel comfortable reading this blog. It may get heavy. It may be uncomfortable to read. You may not have any desire to learn from those with mental illness. I can relate to that. I would not have voluntarily put myself in this position. But I'm learning so much now that I'm here and grateful I've been forced to face this population.  Young adults with mental health disorders. This does not sound as warm and fuzzy. They are not as inviting as the toddlers were. And there are layers and layers of stigma surrounding mental illness. As I am being educated at various trainings...

Goodbye, early intervention! Ok, so forgive me for the delay!... I promised you some cheap toy ideas we did and I will deliver! :) But before I get into that, just want to say my 12 weeks are up. They were really fulfilling and I learned so much - the kiddos were my teachers! As were my supervisors - so grateful for their patience, support, and belief in me. It meant the world. So, if you're considering being an early intervention OT, things I'd tell you... Be flexible! - the scheduling, the weather, the commute between clients (if you're doing your job, you'll be late to things - it's ok!), the activities changing up 1,000 times within a 1 hour treatment session..  Don't take it too seriously.. what I mean is kids are resilient and you can't change the world in a day, but by being a consistent source of love and kindness to these families, you are making a difference.. even on the days it doesn't feel like it!   You gotta love kids...