In this episode, we will be learning about an occupational therapist who works in kinship care. Angela Provenzano-Tobin, OTR/L, OTD is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University occupational therapy program. She has had her fair share of travels- as she is a Connecticut native and attended Mississippi State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology with a Spanish minor. She started an online support group for kinship caregivers, Kinship Caregivers Connect, in June of 2020 at the height of the pandemic with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. She developed a passion for serving kinship caregivers due to personal and research experiences, seeing an acute need for this often-forgotten population. For Angela’s doctoral capstone project in January, she is partnered with the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center, a translational research center, to design and implement trainings for professionals in the school system to promote a better understanding and support of kinship families within this system. Angela’s support group has reached university-wide and state-wide recognition. She was recently awarded the Jane-Case Smith Outstanding Student Award from the Ohio Occupational Therapy Association, as well as the Engaged Scholars Grant, The Scholarship of Excellence Award, The Legacy Award, and the Hite Family Scholarship. Outside of these accolades, Angela finds continual passion and purpose in supporting such a special population and has embraced the idea of being an Uncommon OT!

Show Key Points:

·      Angela gives us a glimpse of her background and interests

·      She describes her Uncommon OT work and whom she serves

·      She describes what inspired her to do this work and her

·      She explains her service and how it can benefit others

·      She provides OT practitioners valuable career advice

·      She provides resources and her contact information  

RESOURCES:

Website: https://kinshipcaregiversconnect.com/

My email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-provenzano-otd-149594149

Twitter: @Kincareconnect

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kinshipcaregiversconnect

Instagram: @kinshipconnections 

Capstone project summary: https://youtu.be/8BJB0LJmxuA

Full capstone project presentation: https://ohiofamiliesengage.osu.edu/2022/03/25/webinar-recording-kinship-connections-how-schools-can-partner-with-kinship-families/

OhioKAN: https://ohiokan.jfs.ohio.gov/ 

Ohio Grandparent Kinship Coalition: https://ohiograndparentkinship.org/

Related article: Taylor, M. F., Marquis, R., Batten, R., & Coall, D. (2016). Understanding the mental health travails of custodial grandparents. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 32, 259-280.

As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of 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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