Gillian Brandt, OTR/L
Summary
Seasoned occupational therapist with 24 years of experience in early intervention and childhood education serving in both the clinical and educational settings. Well versed in supporting families and educators to nurture child development. Experience with consulting, training and providing technical assistance to families and other professionals. Eager for the opportunity to use my experience to explore new opportunities in the educational setting with a specific interest in further developing my experience in assistive technology and early intervention.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
3
3
Certification
Work History
Occupational Therapist
Rio Rancho Public Schools
08.2022 - Current
- Provide full continuum of occupational therapy services to students ages 3-13 years.
- Conduct comprehensive evaluations to accurately identify students' strengths and areas for improvement to inform individualized treatment plans.
- Participate in development of IEPs and team collaborative goals to best address the students needs.
- Collaborate with special education and general education teachers, integrating therapeutic strategies into lesson plans for a cohesive approach to learning support services.
- Develop and implemented classroom accommodations to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
- Implement evidence-based therapeutic interventions to improve sensory processing, fine motor, visual motor and visual perceptual skills necessary for students to access their education and perform activities of daily living.
- Facilitate group sessions aimed at building social skills among students with diverse abilities and backgrounds.
- Assist students with disabilities in developing self-regulation strategies, resulting in increased participation during class activities in addition to creating a sensory space for students with sensory processing differences.
- Provide training to general education and special education teachers on the use of universal design software (text-to-speech, speech-to-text and word prediction) to maximize students' participation and access in the classroom.
- Provide ongoing progress monitoring, making necessary adjustments to ensure continued progress toward established goals.
- Provide timely daily documentation and Medicaid billin
- Participate in professional development opportunities, staying current on best practices within the field of occupational therapy.
- Mentor new occupational therapists, sharing best practices and expertise in school-based settings.
- Create annual professional development plans including goals for personal growth, student growth and Level III Leadership Roles.
- Determined best treatment plans to meet objectives for school, work, and home life.
Occupational Therapist
ExplorAbilities Therapy Services
02.2022 - 07.2022
- Provided clinical, virtual and aquatic therapy services to children ages birth-18 years.
- Utilized standardized assessments to provide comprehensive evaluations to inform individualized treatment plans and goals.
- Provided ongoing assessment to inform necessary adjustments to clients' treatment plans for optimal outcomes.
- Facilitated parent involvement in therapy sessions through caregiver coaching and family centered practices to support developmental needs.
- Increased children's participation in activities of daily living and feeding issues by addressing sensory processing challenges through sensory integration strategies.
- Tailored therapeutic interventions to address fine motor, visual motor and visual perceptual deficits.
- Boosted success rates for achieving therapy goals by developing customized home exercise programs and sensory diets for each child.
- Advanced social skills development in group settings through engaging play-based activities that fostered peer interaction and cooperation.
- Supported the transition from early intervention services to school-based services by collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and families throughout the process.
- Optimized clinic efficiency by maintaining accurate documentation, managing caseloads effectively, and adhering to regulatory guidelines.
Occupational Therapist
Peninsula School District
08.2019 - 01.2021
- Provided full continuum of virtual and direct occupational therapy services to students ages 5-21 years.
- Conducted comprehensive evaluations to accurately identify students' strengths and areas for improvement.
- Participated in IEP development, multi-disciplinary team collaboration, and provided consultation and training to teachers and paraprofessionals to optimize student participation and outcomes.
- Collaborated with teachers to address general education students with sensory processing differences to provide sensory accommodations in the classroom.
- Developed and implemented classroom accommodations to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
- Utilized online platforms and software to provide comprehensive virtual therapies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Became proficient in Schoology and Google Classroom to provide therapeutic interventions for parents and virtual students specifically tailored to address student's IEP goals.
- Compiled and distributed learning packets to families to address fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills for ease of service delivery during virtual therapies.
- Consulted with parents and caregivers regularly, offering guidance on how to reinforce therapy strategies at home for maximum benefit.
- Collaborated with motor group on professional development goal for writing measurable and developmentally appropriate goals.
Occupational Therapist
South Kitsap School District
09.2015 - 03.2019
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services to to students ages 3-13 years to include evaluation, IEP development and treatment for fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills.
- Collaborated with Child Study Teams and teachers to provide screenings and response to intervention strategies in the classroom.
Occupational Therapist
Gillem Speech Language Pathology Services
07.2014 - 05.2015
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services for preschool ages 3-21 years in the Falcon School District to include evaluation, IEP development and treatment for fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills.
- Participated in multi-disciplinary evaluations of the regional Child Find and birth to three populations.
- Served as occupational therapist on the Augmentative, Alternative, Assistance Communication Team (assistive technology team), providing evaluation for access with students requiring assistance with written and verbal communication skills.
- Supervised and trained two certified occupational therapy assistants while managing a caseload of 90 students.
Occupational Therapist
South Central Board of Cooperative Educational Services
08.2013 - 05.2014
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services to twelve rural school districts in south central Colorado including one online school, covering 10,000 square miles.
- Provided evaluations to students ages 3-21 years to include evaluation, IEP development and treatment for fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills.
- Participated in multi-disciplinary evaluations for the birth to three and Child Find populations.
- Supervised and trained two certified occupational therapy assistants while managing a caseload of 95 students.
Occupational Therapist
Cooperative Educational Services, Inc.
01.2003 - 01.2011
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services in the Santa Fe Public Schools to include evaluation, IEP development and treatment for fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills for students ages 3-21 years.
- Collaborated with the Student Success Team using the response to intervention model to provide screening and interventions to be used in the classroom.
- Participated in ESY
Occupational Therapist
Progressus Therapy Services, Inc.
01.2001 - 01.2003
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services for ages 3-13 years in the Marin County Public Schools to include evaluation and treatment
- Conducted comprehensive evaluations to accurately identify students' strengths and areas for improvement in the areas of fine motor, gross motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills.
- Supervised Level 1 occupational therapy student.
Occupational Therapist
Educational Assessment Systems, Inc.
01.1998 - 01.2001
- Contracted with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to work in the schools on five Native American Reservations.
- Provided full continuum of occupational therapy services to preschool, elementary and middle school students to include evaluation, IEP development and treatment for fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual and sensory processing skills.
- Collaborated with multi-disciplinary team to create functional treatment plans that were culturally sensitive.
- Cultivated relationships with colleagues, students and families, despite language and cultural barriers.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Occupational Therapy
University of New Mexico
12.1998
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
University of New Mexico
05.1992
Skills
- Family, teacher and student education
- Clinical reasoning skills
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Intervention planning
- Supervisory and training experience
- Proficient in Google, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Schoology platforms
- Effective time management and schedule coordination
- proficient in the PDMS-3, BOT-2, MVPT, TVMS, TVPS, VMI, DTVP-3, DTVP-A, SFA, Sensory Profile, SPM-2, Day-C, Brief-2, EASY and HELP assessment tools
- Organizational skills and time management
- Excellent written communication skills
- Assistive technology experience
Certification
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc, 1033407
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, OT4491
- New Mexico Public Education, 269789
References
Angela McMillan, OTR/L Site Supervisor at RRPS, Shining Stars Preschool ph. (505) 270-0769, amcmillan@llschools.net
Amala Waldon, SEIL (Special Educational Instructional Leader and site supervisor) ph. (580) 301-0834, amalawaldon@gmail.com
John Yellowlees, Former Director of Special Education, Peninsula Public Schools, ph. (253) 376-9539,
Personal Information
Title: OTR/L
Timeline
Occupational Therapist
Rio Rancho Public Schools
08.2022 - Current
Occupational Therapist
ExplorAbilities Therapy Services
02.2022 - 07.2022
Occupational Therapist
Peninsula School District
08.2019 - 01.2021
Occupational Therapist
South Kitsap School District
09.2015 - 03.2019
Occupational Therapist
Gillem Speech Language Pathology Services
07.2014 - 05.2015
Occupational Therapist
South Central Board of Cooperative Educational Services
08.2013 - 05.2014
Occupational Therapist
Cooperative Educational Services, Inc.
01.2003 - 01.2011
Occupational Therapist
Progressus Therapy Services, Inc.
01.2001 - 01.2003
Occupational Therapist
Educational Assessment Systems, Inc.
01.1998 - 01.2001
Bachelor of Science - Occupational Therapy
University of New Mexico
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
University of New Mexico
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