In this episode, we will learn from Alondra Ammon, MOT, OTR/L.  Alondra is an occupational therapist who works in community-based mental health and specializes in housing stability & retention. She is a 1st-generation Salvadorean/Haitian American from Maryland. Alondra learned to overcome adversity and strive despite the challenges of being raised alongside her seven siblings by her single parent, her mother, who immigrated from El Salvador. After high school, Alondra enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, working as a dental assistant and hygienist. During her time in the military, she discovered a passion for helping others in the healthcare field. She graduated with her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University and her Master’s in occupational therapy from Samuel Merritt University. During graduate school, Alondra served as the co-president for S.O.T.A. and helped raise over $3,000 for local community outreach and AOTPAC. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Outstanding Student Award and was selected to participate in the Emerging Leaders Development Program through the American Occupational Therapy Association. Currently, Alondra is pursuing her Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy at Texas Woman's University and was recently awarded a graduate fellowship called WoMentoring, designed to support women in leadership and research. Her dissertation topic is centered around exploring how learning is influenced by racial/ethnic bias towards students of color during Level II fieldwork. With an increased demand to diversify the profession, Alondra hopes to create equitable and inclusive resources to support the recruitment and retention of graduate students of color and bring more awareness to help mitigate health disparities.  

Show Key Points:

·      Alondra shares a little about herself and some of her favorite occupations

·      She describes her current uncommon OT work and whom she serves

·      She describes her path and what inspired her to do this type of work

·      She shares challenges and successes in her current role

·      She provides OT practitioners with valuable career advice

·      She provides her resources and contact information

Contact & Resources:

My social media handles: IG & FB @AlondraLaOT, 

Ways to keep up with my "doings": https://linktr.ee/AlondraLaOT

Suggested readings/Articles:

- A systematic review of occupational therapy interventions in the transition from homelessness

- Occupational experiences of homelessness: A systematic review and meta-aggregation

Books: The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog

(Dr. Bruce Perry)- https://a.co/d/aSqG8BB Dopamine -

(Dr. Anna Lembke)- https://a.co/d/dTUFQHg

Websites: AOTA - https://www.aota.org/practice/clinical-topics/mental-health California

Supportive Housing- https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/active-funding/docs/housing-first-fact-sheet.pdf

The Psychiatric Occupational Therapy Action Coalition (POTAC) https://www.potac.org/

Telemundo https://www.telemundoareadelabahia.com/ott-videos-local/t48-al-momento-esta-manana-aterrizo-el-avion-con-la-vicepresidenta-kamala-harris/2314398/

Another inspiring episode, as always, I welcome any feedback from you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at [email protected] or DM via Instagram @transitionsot

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