#155 - Supporting Families in Rural Settings

Families living in rural and frontier setting may live hours away from the nearest specialist and have a small pool of therapists and providers from which to choose. How can a support system and work force be formed for these families?

Links to Mentioned Content:

Telehealth and telepractice regulations vary by state. Therapy-focused national associations track these regulations, by state.

AOTA

• State Actions Affecting OT in Response to COVID-19

• Virtual School-based Services via Telehealth

ASHA

• Tracking of State Laws and Regulations for Telepractice and Licensure Policy

• Telepractice Services and Coronavirus/ COVID-19

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• The National Bureau of Health Workforce 

• ECHO – Extension for Community Health Outcomes: 

• Find your state Assistive Technology Program

• F2Fs 

• Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) 

• LEND programs 

About the Guests: Molly Kimmel, OTR-L & Martin Blair, PhD

• Molly Kimmel is the Program Director of MonTECH, within the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities in Missoula, Montana. MonTECH provides technology, support, and services that focus on improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities across the state. After graduating from Gonzaga University and an early career in adult education, Molly decided to pursue occupational therapy (OT) as an avenue to help adults and children more fully participate in meaningful, necessary, and valuable activities. She received her master’s degree in OT from the University of Washington in 2010 and has practiced at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula for nearly 11 years. Molly transitioned to the role of Program Director at MonTECH in April of 2020 and has carried the program forward, managing pandemic-related challenges while still meeting the evolving assistive technology needs of Montana families. In addition to her role at MonTECH, Molly is the Montana State Coordinator and OT faculty for URLEND (Utah Regional Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), a collaborative and interdisciplinary training program for students and professionals working with children with special health care needs. In April of 2021, Molly was elected as the President of the Montana Occupational Therapy Association. She is passionate about neurodevelopmental rehabilitation, building connections to provide best practices in care, and helping people achieve greater independence in all aspects of life. Understanding a work/life balance is the cornerstone of any good OT, so Molly also spends plenty of time traveling, floating down Montana rivers, and tending her community garden. 

• Dr. Martin Blair began his career as a special education teacher. Following that experience, he spent the next two decades at Utah’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD), as director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program, Chair of Utah’s Interagency Outreach Training Initiative, the policy director of the National Center on Disability and Access to Education, the Associate Director of the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education, and the CPD’s Assistant Director for Policy and Development. In these various roles he has built trusting, collaborative relationships with colleagues from a variety of disciplines in university, community, state and national circles. In 2013, Dr. Blair assumed leadership of the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, Montana’s UCEDD. Dr. Blair has presented over 60 papers to national and international audiences and authored dozens of professional articles. He has generated nearly $25 million in grant and contract funds to support his efforts. He currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Public Policy Committee of the Association of University Centers on Disability. Dr. Blair’s work is focused on improving the quality of services and supports for individuals with disabilities and their families by working closely with trainees, Center staff, university faculty and administration, state and federal legislators and administration officials, and those who are the primary beneficiaries of the services and supports that he and his colleagues provide.