Support OT Students' Service Work with the Cheyenne River Sioux

Sacred Heart University Occupational Therapy graduate students Emily Corrice, Alyssa Pearce, Andrew McKay, Jennifer Lee, and Kaliyah Burris will be traveling to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota from October 6 - 13, 2018 to participate in a service learning trip. Here, they will work with the Lakota Tribe, an extremely impoverished population of people suffering from mental and physical illness due to centuries of intergenerational trauma, discrimination, and lack of proper health services. These SHU OT graduate students will work in local schools, clinics, and community centers to provide the tribe with culturally sensitive services that will help them with both their physical and mental health needs. Currently, there are no occupational therapists to provide skilled services to assist the population with day to day functions.

The OT students participating in this transformative service learning experience are volunteering their time, but also must fund their own travel expenses. The total out of pocket cost for the group is $5,000, which presents a significant burden. Every dollar donated through this campaign will directly offset the travel expenses for these students. Should the campaign exceed goal, all funds will be held in reserve for a future OT service learning project.  

We hope that alumni, family, and friends will consider supporting this dedicated group of SHU Occupational Therapy students and allow them to make a difference in the lives of the Lakota Tribe.

ABOUT THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM AT SACRED HEART

Founded in 2000, Sacred Heart University’s Graduate Occupational Therapy Program was the first in Connecticut to meet the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education’s (ACOTE) requirement that all entry-level occupational therapy education programs award a post baccalaureate degree. The occupational therapy program is housed within the College of Health Professions along with physical therapy, speech-language pathology, athletic training, exercise science, healthcare informatics, and physician assistant studies graduate programs. Sacred Heart University is Connecticut’s only university that offers educational programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology; the three core rehabilitation professions considered critical to restoration of patient’s functioning. Occupational Therapy participates with the other College of Health Profession’s programs and the College of Nursing to provide students with distinctive interprofessional learning opportunities that replicate the treatment team.