Student-run Occupational Therapy Stroke Clinic
Michelle Klein, MOT, OTR/L, is the clinic supervisor and Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD, OTR/L, and Pat Nellis, OTD, OTR/L, serve as mentors in the Student-run Occupational Therapy Stroke Clinic. Individuals who have suffered a stroke often receive inpatient medical care and rehabilitation at one of our partner organizations, Barnes-Jewish Hospital or The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis (TRISL). However, they may not either have insurance or if they do , they don’t have the benefits to receive outpatient services, so while they may be able to return to the community with the ability to perform self-care activities, they often struggle to participate in occupations they need and want to do to lead meaningful lives after stroke. The Student-run Occupational Therapy Stroke Clinic is designed to provide occupational therapy services to those individuals who have had a stroke, have no insurance or benefits to cover outpatient treatment and need therapy to improve occupational performance.
General Description of Student Activities
Students selecting this scholarly experience will assist a licensed OT in developing occupation-based treatments for individuals who have had a stroke or other disabilities. Students are expected to:
- Attend weekly clinic sessions to provide occupational therapy services to community dwelling individuals who have experienced a stroke. (Clinic times are selected based on the student’s schedule.)
- Perform standardized assessments and evaluations for clinic participants
- Develop and implement evidence-based and performance-based occupational therapy treatments for individuals participating in the clinic
- Complete a scholarly project either in a group or individually
Examples of Projects
- Development of a mirror therapy protocol: Translating evidence into practice
- Development of a training program to increase student clinician competency when communicating with people with aphasia
- Mental practice for motor recovery in stroke
- Participation outcomes for stroke survivors
- Experiential learning outcomes for student learners