In this episode, we will learn from Karen Keptner, Ph.D., OTR/L. She is an Associate Professor and the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at Cleveland State University. She frequently works with individuals who are at risk of dropping out of post-secondary studies. In the last few years, she has developed a credit-bearing skill-building course for students returning to campus following a medical withdrawal, introduced occupational therapy as a service on campus, and provided direct occupational therapy services to undergraduate and graduate students referred by the Office of Disability Services. She also works with aged-out foster youth, addressing ‘exposure gaps’ they experience as they transition from adolescents to adults. As a faculty member, she advocates for inclusive teaching practices and addressing systematic barriers that hinder student success. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and spend time with her family.

Contact & Resources:

My business name is "The College OT". I have a website - you can find me at keptnerot.com or collegeot.com. I am also mostly on LinkedIn (just cannot get the time to do others at the moment) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-keptner-phd-otrl/

I am always happy to connect through email at [email protected] (and never be offended to send me a reminder email - it is something I just cannot keep up with sometimes!)

I just came out with a book "Primer for OT Professionals in Higher Education". It explores the basic structure of higher education campuses and ways OTPs can find a unique gap in a campus near them. It is only $20 and I am promising anyone who purchases by August 31, 2023, a free copy of the next version (already in process). I put this book out to get an idea of what OTPs are looking for in the practice area -and see if there is interest. So, using the book as a way to design other things down the road as well.

I am also finishing up a practical workbook to use with students - it can be used by OTs, school and transition counselors, etc.

I do a blog at collegeot.com (I am not great at posting but there are some helpful blog posts in there - for people working with adolescents/young adults as well).

I am just listing a bibliography of my professional journal articles here - I am happy to give people access to the pre-print version of most of these if they contact me.

Eichler, J. & Keptner, K.M. (online, May 2023). Defining Occupational Therapy practice with higher education populations: A census of practitioners in an emerging space. British Journal of Occupational Therapy https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226231168008

Heath, M. & Keptner, K.M. (accepted January 2023). The impact of belonging and discrimination on psychological well-being among transitioning adults: A study using the Panel Survey for Income Dynamics Transition Supplement. Current Psychology

Keptner, K. M. (2017). Long-term follow-up of an occupation-based group addressing occupational performance and satisfaction in university freshmen. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 33(4), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/0164212X.2017.1331150

Keptner, K. M. (2019). Relationship between occupational performance measures and adjustment in a sample of university students. Journal of Occupational Science, 26(1), 6-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2018.1539409

Keptner, K.M., Fitzgibbon, C., & O’Sullivan, J. (2021). Effectiveness of anxiety reduction interventions on state anxiety: A comparison of four techniques incorporating sensory modulation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 84(5), 289-297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022620935061

Keptner, K. M., Harris,A., Mellyn,J., Neff,N., Rassie,N., & Thompson,K. (2016). Occupational therapy services to promote occupational performance, performance satisfaction, and quality of life in university freshmen: A pilot study. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 32(2), 185-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/0164212X.2015.1135094

Keptner, K.M., Lambdin-Pattavina, C., Jalaba, T., Nawotniak, S., & Cozzolino, M. (accepted March,2023). Preparing and responding to the current mental health “Tsunami”: Embracing Mary Reilly’s call to action. American Journal of Occupational Therapy

Keptner, K. M. & Rogers, R. (2019). Competence and satisfaction in occupational performance among a sample of university students: An exploratory study. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research: Occupation, Participation, and Health, 39(4). 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449218813702

Keptner, K.M., & McCarthy, K. (2020). Mapping occupational therapy with post-secondary students: A scoping review. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 8(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1617

Keptner, K.M. & McCarthy, K. (2020). Disruption of academic occupations during COVID-19: impact on mental health and the role of occupational therapy in tertiary education. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 76(2),78-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/14473828.2020.1822575

Book chapter

Eichler, J. & Keptner, K.M. (May 2023). Transitions and their implications across the lifespan for the OT in Primary Care in Primary Care Occupational Therapy. Day, M., Smith, K., Dahl Popolizio, S., Muir, S., & Manaard, W. (eds.) Springer, Inc.

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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