West-Bruce, Stacy, OTD, MSW, OTR/L

Clinical Interests

Aging, occupational justice, mental health, community-based practice, diversity, equity and inclusion

Research Interests

Dr. West-Bruce is interested in research and interventions aimed at supporting healthy and supportive aging in place strategies for older adults. She is also interested in occupational access based on factors such as race, socioeconomic status and location. She aims to continue research involving justice-involved individuals and advocating to transform the current justice system. Finally, Dr. West-Bruce is interested in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives particularly as it relates to occupational therapy education and practice spaces.

Teaching Roles

Dr. West-Bruce is the course master for Professional Identity and Practice I and II and provides course support for Theoretical Foundations, Applied Teaching Strategies and Leading Change.

Education

2018: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Saint Louis University
2004: MSW, Washington University
2000: BS in occupational therapy, Saint Louis University

Background

After earning her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy, Dr. West-Bruce moved to Chicago and worked at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in inpatient, adult mental health. During this time, her curiosity was peaked regarding what was occurring in the community that led previously stabilized patients to return to the community. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in social work from the Brown School with a concentration in socioeconomic development and issues affecting women. During graduate school, she began working with older adults and found one of her true passions. Dr. West-Bruce has worked with older adults as a staff therapist and director of rehabilitation in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, long-term care, assisted and independent living, home health, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and via the Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders program. She is particularly interested in supporting older adults in aging safely and productively in the community.

Dr. West-Bruce has also done extensive work in justice and community-based settings including working for a homeless services agency and with justice involved individuals both during periods of incarceration and in transitioning back into the community. More recently, Dr. West-Bruce worked within the quality and safety department of a large health-care ministry aiming to optimize care delivery and outcomes, she started a consulting business aimed at obtaining occupational therapy student fieldwork experiences in community-based settings. She has held several adjunct professor positions at St. Louis Community College, Maryville University and Saint Louis University, where she taught Contexts of Occupations, Lived Experience of Disabilities and Chronic Conditions and facilitated Problem-Based Learning Labs. She currently serves on the Nurses for Newborns board and is a Program Committee member for the Center for Women in Transition.

Selected Publications

Jaegers, L. A., Skinner, E., Conners, B., Hayes, C., West-Bruce, S., Vaughn, M. G., ... & Barney, K. F. (2020). Evaluation of the jail-based occupational therapy transition and integration services program for community reentry. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3), 7403205030p1-7403205030p11. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.035287