Holly Ross, OTR/L, WSI/T, LTP, ATRIC: OT in Aquatic Therapy
In this episode, we will learn from Holly Ross, OTR/L, WSI/T, LTP, ATRIC. Holly is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s in Science and a Master’s in Occupational Therapy. Growing up in the state of Michigan, Holly has been in the field of aquatics for going on 15 years in December 2024, and has taught over 3,000 students. With her relocation to the state of Colorado in 2018, Holly pursued her occupational therapy career in pediatrics & home health care. In February 2020, Holly founded Building Blocks OT, LLC to level up her services and provide the best for her clients. Now rebranded, CANOE services both outpatient occupational therapy needs and aquatic needs for children, teens, families, and young adults. Holly’s specialties are aquatics, feeding, and vision therapies. When Holly “clocks out” she loves spending time with her husband, JR. They enjoy going to sporting events & being active. JR and Holly enjoy working out consistently at the swimming laps, going hiking, and spending time with her fur baby Winnie. When she’s not working or being active, Holly enjoys watching TV and movies.
Q & A with Holly:
Please tell us a little about yourself and a few favorite occupations.
Well, I am 29 years old, and I live in Colorado. I am originally from Michigan and moved to Colorado in 2018 after finishing graduate school at Eastern Michigan University. I started my practice on February 20th 2020, and then opened the aquatics sector in the summer of 2021. Some of my favorite occupations include swimming, hiking, and napping. I must say I also love what I do as an OT, so working is also another favorite occupation for me.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
Patricia actually approached me on Instagram! After listening to a few episodes and hearing what the series was about, I thought it would be a good fit for where I practice.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve, and the needs that you address.
I think the UncommonOT area I work in is aquatic therapy and learn to swim. So far, I have not found another provider in this state that will do aquatic therapy through OT and learn to swim/water safety within the same service. I have seen companies do either/or but not both in the same service. So, this is where I think my unique value lies currently. Also, I am developing a breath training program for those with aspiration risk, non-talkative, and young ones with disabilities. This also appears unique to me. I serve the ages from 2mo-26yrs of age is what I advertise. I will take older ones on a case-by-case basis. Some of the needs that I address with my clients are; gross motor development which includes (strength, coordination, balance, and endurance), Cardiovascular health, breath training and intercostal control, sensory regulation, activities of daily living, and occasionally fine motor skills as well.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
I was inspired to expand into this area because I have a large background in aquatics, and upon client request, I tried looking for providers that could do both services at the same time. I couldn’t find any so I said, well, I’ll do it myself.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
Oof! This is 45 minutes right LOL. So I started in pediatric home health in Colorado. After I had worked in that field for almost two years, I realized that employee-based work wasn’t for me. I wanted to be able to do exactly what my clients needed and wanted in therapy while still staying within my scope of practice in the state of Colorado. In February 2020, I opened my LLC, Building Blocks OT, and mainly when I started, I had independent contracts with a caseload I carried from my employment days. This was best for me because as a contractor, I am not monitored as heavily as an employee so I have the luxury of practicing my full scope to the best of my abilities to serve best the clients I work with. The COVID hit, and I was forced to move all my people to Telehealth. While stressful, and I actually forgot some of this time period, I think I was in fight vs. flight almost the whole time. I made it. I also retained my water safety license through the American Red Cross this whole time because I just wasn’t ready to give it up since I had it since I was 18 years old. Clients kept asking me after seeing my credentials…” Hey, do you still teach, my child has disabilities and no one will work with them because they have quadriplegia.” I would say no, but then I had more and more of my clients and word-of-mouth parents asking. So, I decided to look for a way to send a referral to someone. However, there was no one in my area. So, I said, well I could turn them all down, and they get no services, or I could develop a program and do it myself. I was already an OT and I would just have to apply those concepts to the water I have my teaching license with AMC, so I went for it. There are so many more pieces for all of this as I am now considered a mobile facility with the Red Cross, got my certification through ARTI, and have plans to become a WSIT in December and certify more therapists as teachers. I also run 3 free disability swimming events a year where a person with disabilities of all ages can bring their whole family, to come swim, and I raffle fun equipment and toys that families might now be able to afford. I also sometimes have resource booths for families to be able to access more in their community. We opened our first outpatient clinic in October so clients have the option to go to the clinic instead of the pool if they're not feeling it that day. We can also store all the equipment there instead of in my garage. February 2025 is coming, and we will be celebrating our 5 year business anniversary. I would say a lot of businesses don’t make it here, which is just humbling. We are growing slow and steady, my preferred route, and we hope to continue to do more in the community, see more clients and expand our team.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
I’m going to go with a session. Sessions are typically 45min-60minutes. I would say this is really dependent on the client and what the day looks like. Now, parents and/or clients and I have made goals but it really depends on how they’re feeling that day. I’ll just give an example as if they say yes to everything. I have a 17-year-old that I work with, her typical session starts with 15 minutes of walking/running in the current channel. This is great for her heart health. Then I’ll ask her if she wants to do extremity floats. I she says yes, we put them on and this allows increased sensory input and cardio work, she’ll wear those a few laps and try to suspend herself as well. After she seems regulated and happy, I’ll ask her to work on her front floats or back floats with kicks and work towards doing this independently. After that we’ll work on BUE simultaneous arm control with suspension on a floatation device sitting upright. Lastly, she’ll try out the neck pillow and float independently on her back. At about 45 minutes her internal clock says all done. She’ll sign all done or I’ll remind her it’s been 45 minutes; she’ll exit and head home. She loves to swim with her mom, so she’ll join her each time too.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Recent highs: starting the clinic, we got a great location and it was just so lucky, I ran the numbers and realized when I could make it work, how excited I was. We also have some 2025 events planned that could be big, so we’re hoping to announce those soon. I also found my first therapist to hire! Now, she wants to be part-time, which is okay with me, but I am so excited to be adding a therapist to my team. Hopefully, more to come. Recent challenges: Liability insurance. This is always a struggle each year. After many many phone calls, I decided to split my policies so I could make it happen and be affordable. Another challenge is actually finding therapists, because this is so niche, it takes time to find the right people but I’m up for the challenge.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I am a part of OTAC and AOTA. I try to stay up to date on research and OT politics. ATRI also offers continuing education so I attend those as well. In addition, there are online courses I’ll take from time to time. I am also a part of business groups on social media and surround myself with other business owners so I don’t feel as isolated and can find business educational resources too because they don’t teach business in OT school.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
Outpatient OT pays between $90-180 per session depending on time (45-60 minutes) and type of treatment provided through Medicaid. It’s a little less for private pay because I want to make my rates affordable for families. I also accept wavier funding through the state of Colorado and some non-profit funding from places that I work with.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
My advice would be to build a relationship with the facilities that you want to work with. Pool space is a hot commodity, so the relationship with the facility is key. Because building a pool of my own is currently not on the docket, however, it is a long-term dream. Also, being able to set boundaries for your work and home life. Work will always flow into your home life when you own a business, but there should be some personal and professional times when they’re separate. Finding a few good mentors can be really helpful for some.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
Although my sessions look like play, we are working and learning to swim too. Swimming as an occupation is something that OT’s can address and breath training should not be skipped. Us aquatic therapists should be modeling what to do and if that includes underwater, then you do it too.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you and promote your unique work?
You can find me on my website www.canoecommunity.org.
My Instagram @canoe.community
Facebook at Community Aquatics n’ Occupational Engagement.
Oh! I’m on LinkedIn too as Holly Ross. I work with small sponsors and small businesses all the time and we promote each other, so that's another way to get involved with me as well. All the sponsors we work with, use money to fund community events, and raffles, and help the community as a whole. We're a for-profit with a non-profit heart for sure.
Please list any resources you would like me to include with your Show Notes (courses, articles, assessments, tools, etc.)
Our free blog for parents and clients! You can submit requests for OT related topics you want education on as well, send me an
email holly@canoecommunity.org.
https://www.canoecommunity.org/blog
I've done a few online articles and 1 YouTube as well featuring my business journey and tips/tricks: https://www.youtube.com/live/vPqiEyentSc?si=fKK4CMP1JXAkJPdP
And then the articles:
I've also presented at my Alma Mater EMU for their conference. I am open to sharing slides for people to read. I presented at OTAC this year, and there is some educational materials for that too. But you'll have to email me for those.
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 transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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