Occupational Therapy Department Establishes Excellence in Its First Decade

When Lauren Sponseller, PhD ‘18, MSOTR/L, MEd, chair of the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Salus University, joined the department in 2012, the program was in its infancy. Her goal at the time was trying to educate the University as to what the OT profession is, what it does and what resources the program would need to become successful.

Ten years later, on the anniversary of its first decade of training OT students, it’s evident the department has made its presence known. Salus OT graduates are recognized as among the best in the country.

“It was challenging because OT is a profession that does so much and has such a wide scope of practice. So, it’s hard for people to understand what the profession is when you are jumping from one area to another,” said Dr. Sponseller.

OT started out as part of the University’s College of Education and Rehabilitation (CER) — now called the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) —and graduated its first class in 2014.

“The college was always supportive, but I still think that it was hard for people to understand what we do,” said Dr. Sponseller.

So, what exactly is it that OTs do? The ultimate goal, Dr. Sponseller said, is to have patients achieve maximum independence in areas of importance to them that helps enhance quality of life. The department defines “areas of importance” as “occupations” — and anything a patient does is considered an “occupation" under the OT department’s definition.

“The reality is that we are a profession that looks at the whole person, so our scope of practice is not t just for the physical disability, it’s also mental health and overall wellness,” she said.

For example, it’s not only getting a patient to be able to bathe and dress themselves, it’s also coming up with stress management techniques, coping strategies and time management techniques to be able to get done what patients need during the day.

 "Our students come in, they learn the basic sciences and theories needed to practice as an OT, and then they quickly move into pediatric practice, then adult practice, then into geriatrics and community and mental health,”’ said Dr. Sponseller. “Then they’re out the door on full-time fieldwork rotations that are well-rounded experiences.”

The one constant throughout the first decade of the program, Dr. Sponseller believes, is the OT faculty. Not one full-time faculty member that has been added in that time span has left the program, and every position that has been posted for 10 years has been for growth.

In addition to Dr. Sponseller, the faculty includes: Andrea Tyszka, OTD, MS, OTR/L, SIPT; Caitlyn Foy, DOT, MOTR/L, director of the doctoral program in Occupational Therapy (OTD); Anna Grasso, MS, OTR/L, CAPS; Sharon Marcy, MSOT ‘16, OTR/L; Brandi DeVeaux, MS, OTR/L, CLT; Brianna Brim, PhD ‘22, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM, CLIPP, director of the Occupational Therapy Institute (OTI). Fern Silverman, EdD, OTR/L, the inaugural program director and chair of the OT program, and Jayne Mangini who has been administrative assistant the entire time — and the glue that holds the department together — according to Dr. Sponseller.

“Everyone has achieved so much professionally, which is really cool. There’s not a sense of competitiveness among the faculty, and I think that is what really has helped to shape the type of OTs we end up putting out into the field,” said Dr. Sponseller.

One of those Salus-trained OTs now out in the field actually stayed home. Sharon Marcy, who graduated from the program in 2016, joined the faculty in 2019. Marcy spent the first half of her career in elementary education, but as her children got older, she decided to re-evaluate her career path.

“I found, because of my age and stage in life, a real connection to the professors. I felt like they were my people. We all had a common desire for the care and well-being of others, whether they be in a classroom, in the community or in a healthcare facility recovering,” said Marcy.

She also believes the OT program at Salus is so strong because it changes as the needs of the profession and students change and evolve. For example, the department was immediately able to transition to online once the pandemic hit. There were no classes missed and the level of instruction maintained its high standards.

“Whether it’s immediately moving to online or needing to create emerging practice fieldwork sites, innovative community-based fieldwork sites and experiences,” said Marcy.

She added that another area of strength for the department is that it remains connected to its alumni.

“I think it speaks to the value of the program. We reach out to our alumni for fieldwork opportunities, see if they’re interested in assisting in the lab, and serve as a guest lecturer. And, nobody says no,” said Marcy, who said Salus OT alumni have migrated to all areas of the country and many are now leaders in the field.

The creation of the Occupational Therapy Institute (OTI) — an on-site clinical facility for patient care and a training site for OT students — in 2021 also helped keep alumni connected with the department. Many alumni are willing to participate as field work supervisors or provide guest lectures. 

The OT Department offers both professional and post-professional programs. The professional program is a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy (MSOT), a 23-month program that emphasizes interdisciplinary perspectives, critical reasoning, the value of occupation, and professional development. The department also offers two post-professional programs for registered occupational therapists. The first is a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree. This program, which is primarily online, is designed to help licensed OTs progress in their field by becoming advanced content experts, future leaders, or assume teaching roles in higher education. The second is an Advanced Specialty Certificate, which provides advanced content and clinical expertise in selected specialty areas.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Dr. Sponseller said she would like to see the OTI expand and hopes further expansion of the program could include different specialty certifications, such as maternal health and wellness, health literacy and advocacy and low vision.

Marcy said she’s happy with her career change to OT and that the OT department at Salus was the perfect fit.

“I made the right decision. And, because OT is so broad, if you find yourself working in an area and something changes in your life, you can make the switch,” she said. “It’s never dull.”