Dominican University New York has been awarded a three-year, $432,714 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a new Occupational Therapy Initiative. The Building Capacities and Strengthening Communities (BCSC) Initiative aims to cultivate a diverse and multilingual workforce in New York State to support children and families in underserved areas.
This new initiative has a number of objectives including:
- Enhancing resources and experiential learning in the OT program.
- Increasing and strengthening community partnerships.
- Preparing students to be culturally-diverse learners and future practitioners.
- Creating a mobile, Pro Bono Occupational Therapy Clinic to bring services to underserved communities.
OT Program Director and Allied Health Division Director Pamela Story, OTD, said, “This new federally-funded initiative presents an unparalleled opportunity to attract a greater number of culturally diverse students to the profession of Occupational Therapy. It will significantly enhance their classroom and clinical preparation, equipping them with the latest and best evidence-based knowledge and skills to provide highly competent services for children and families in underserved areas throughout New York State and the Greater NYC region.”
This initiative was developed and will be administered by a project leadership team of Dominican University faculty, which includes: Project Director Nadia Rust, OTD; Project Co-Director Catherine Cavaliere, Ph.D.; Project Oversight Advisor Pamela Story, OTD; Community Partner Outreach Coordinator Dr. Mary Walsh Roche, DMH; and Pre-OT Admissions Coordinator Dr. Caitlin Sorrentino, OTD. The project is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education.