Karen Keptner, PhD, OTR/L: OT with Students in Higher Education
In this post, 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.
Q & A with Karen:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
I am from Cleveland, Ohio, and have been an OT for almost 25 years. I am currently the doctoral capstone coordinator at Cleveland State University. I live with my partner and (almost) 8-year-old daughter. Outside of spending time with my family, I like to spend time with friends (going out to eat, drink coffee), hiking, and reading. I am also learning Spanish (lol - it has taken a lot longer than I care to admit). I also like to travel and "adventure". We spend a lot of time in Costa Rica - gardening, riding ATVs, and going to waterfalls, and hot springs and living a more natural existence which is a great break from city living.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
I am really passionate about the possibility of OTPs working in higher education environments -there are a lot of barriers to this work, but if more OTPs considered this as a possible practice area and worked together to open doors, we could make a significant difference in the lives of students.
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.
At the moment, I primarily work with students on our campus who have aged out of foster care. Every summer I provide a summer intensive to help them prepare for the new school year. I have also developed programming on the campus for occupational therapy services with students with disabilities and resources for health promotion for graduate students. A lot of the work is improving executive function and addressing habit development. Also looking at coping skills - I do a lot with sensory modulation and emotion regulation with students.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
A lot of my interest comes from personal experience. I really didn't know what I wanted to do in life as an 18 or 19-year-old and it was really stressful at the time. I thought that I should do a gap year and was told by my parents that no way they would support it (I believe gap years are more common in the US now - so maybe if I was born a little later...) - so I got to thinking about what I might want to do in life. Three career major transitions later and my 'backup plan' to OT school (a longer story that got me to OT - a chance meeting with a 3rd or 4th cousin of mine who was an OT) was to be a high school math teacher. I was (and still am I think) really good at math and I also really love adolescents - old enough to know a lot, but still immature about life. I did not get into OT school on my first try so I actually got pretty far in my math and education majors. Anyhow - I just really like the opportunity to help students kind of like me (struggling a bit in life) - figure out what they want to do and how to get there. The world has changed a lot and I think that students are under a lot more pressure than I ever felt as a teen - and I don't think it is right honestly. I think a lot of adolescents and young adults are not learning the skills that they need to be successful at school and in life but happy that my OT skills can be useful.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
Honestly, it has been a lot of hard work. I have been told "no" too many times to count. I have reached out to people who have never responded. I have been told "sounds great but we don't have the money" more than I care to admit. I have had to be creative and persistent in the face of a lot of challenges. I can go into more detail - really, it was being prepared when I found the right person at the right time for everything to come together.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
I am currently providing a summer intensive to aged-out foster youth who are embarking on their college careers. A lot of the work I do with them is to provide them with skills for life and address "exposure gaps". So, right now we do things as basic as how to use the learning management system at school to download their syllabus and set up their calendar for the semester. We also talk about habit development, reducing procrastination, and healthy lifestyle (nutrition, physical activity, sleep, social participation, etc.). Finally, we also explore coping strategies to help them thrive in the higher ed environment.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Last year, I was awarded the Model Practice Award by the Ohio OT Association for this work. My daughter was a little disappointed that the prize was not a new car, but I was happy. Low points are when I talk to people and they tell me how much they think occupational therapy could help but that they cannot manage it (then I see them hire a bunch of new 'coaches').
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I am constantly learning - I read a lot, I take courses, and I try to talk to as many people as I can.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
OTs or OTAs with a bachelor's or master's degree in university settings can work in various roles. There are positions that I think OTs would be well-suited to that many do not consider - Director of Disability/Accessibility Services, Director of Technology/AT, Director of Wellness, Mental health supports for special groups on campus (first-generation, athletes, etc.), Learning specialists, etc. The pay for these positions is not the best (I would say they range from 55000-75000) - but there are benefits that a lot of people are not aware of. For example, a lot of universities will let you take courses for free. So, if you are looking to upskill through an additional degree, it might be worth a pay cut. For a lot of the work I do, it is grant-funded - so that is a whole different story and I can usually get a fair amount for the work I do (the grantors have been happy with the OT services provided and will approve services when needed). We have also been creative in getting OT services to students. For example, I have a course that I designed (Occupation and the College student) that was developed through the underpinnings of occupational science. I have designed it so that only an OT can teach the course. We get referrals to run the course from the Office of Disability Services and our crisis management team on campus. (I also run a section for the foster youth) If we get the enrollment needed to run the course, we can usually pay an OT about $3000 to run the course. The course is fun - a lot of group process and basic skill development.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
I think persistence and thinking outside the box are key. I think OTPs can be so helpful in the transition to adulthood even if it is not directly in a university setting. The need is there and OT can fill this unique gap. For example, I would love to see school districts promoting OT more in the transition process and more OTPs accepting the challenge to provide service to address executive function and life skills in high school students (I worked in the schools too - I know that so many OTPs discharge students by the time they reach middle school - I also know that referral patterns are not set up for high school counselors to consider OT support in the transition process for students who are not on IEPs in particular). I also think about orientation/summer programs that could be developed through partnerships with local high schools and colleges. I think providing continuing education courses to college/university faculty on how to support students with disabilities and neurodiversity in their courses is a huge need - learning about universal design for learning and providing workshops to help faculty incorporate the principles into their teaching - these can be so valuable and something that OTPs can do. Of course, seeing OTPs directly working on campus as a direct service provider providing services in a multi-tiered system would be my dream.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
1) I am not talking about teaching OT students here - providing OT services on campus as a direct service. A lot of universities are toying with providing services through the OTD capstone and I have mixed feelings about it.
2)We are really expensive. I have been told that they could not hire an OT because we are too expensive. This might be true - I believe that we cannot lose sight of our skills when pricing ourselves into positions. We are cost-effective (we can think through a students issues a lot faster than a coach and have skills that are unparalleled in the higher ed space - we know the human body and mental health - that is important).
3)We don't qualify for positions on campus because we don't really know the laws/specifics of higher ed. Untrue. All OT/OTA students learn about ADA and disability. The transition to higher education is something all OTPs are capable of - we have the skills to provide a valuable service - of course, there will be things to learn but we are adaptable.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you and promote your unique work?
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 kkeptner@gmail.com (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.
Please list any resources you would like me to include with your Show Notes (courses, articles, assessments, tools, 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.
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