MABUHAY!
Occupational Therapy
What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?
"So... You help people find jobs." This is just one of the most common response that I get when I ask people if they know what Occupational Therapy is.
My quick pitch: What are things/activities that are important to you? Have you been doing them lately? If not, I'll help you identify the challenges that hinders you from engaging in these activities (occupations) and explore resources and ways to help you increase your performance while participating in these tasks. Occupational therapists are meaning makers. We will help you find or rediscover that purpose in your life.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) introduces occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants as individuals who help people across the lifespan participate in things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations, as I mentioned above, and which you will hear a lot from OTs). Common OT interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recover from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive challenges.
My Personal Statement
Thank you for viewing my e-portfolio. My name is Jhennylyn Rivera. I am an enthusiastic Pediatric Occupational Therapist who is currently (Fall 2024-Summer 2025) pursuing my Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (PP-OTD) degree at University of Southern California (USC). I obtained my Master of Occupational Therapy degree from Loma Linda University in June 2021. I have my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Exercise Science from California State University Northridge. I was born in the Philippines and graduated high school from La Salle College, Antipolo City. I moved to the USA with my family when I was seventeen. I obtained my Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Los Angeles City College. I am NBCOT certified and CBOT licensed and excited to give back to the field of OT as a practitioner! My passion is with the pediatric population, early intervention, and community based program development.
For eight years, I have worked with the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation as a Recreation Services Leader where I developed programs and shared many skills and interest with the community. These include my love for music by singing ang playing the guitar, piano, ukulele, and drums, my passion for physical wellness, art, gardening, cooking, outdoor activities, and sports such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, badminton, soccer, and lacrosse. I was also given opportunities to participate in leadership roles such as supervising interns at exercise programs for adults in the community, being part of the board of officers at academic and cultural organizations in the institutions I have attended. I am also active with advocacy and participation in our state and national occupational therapy associations.
During my journey to occupational therapy school, I had a chance to observe practitioners in interdisciplinary teams in the outpatient and inpatient departments at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center as a volunteer. I was also given an opportunity to work as a Wellness Coordinator / Rehabilitation Technician at an assisted and independent living facility. My academic and clinical endeavors in the occupational therapy program allowed me to gain experience in hospital-based in-patient psychiatric setting, as well as early intervention and school-based pediatric sites. I am excited to learn more about different areas in the field of occupational therapy and work with individuals from a variety of population. My mission is to utilize my experience, skills, knowledge, and resources to help individuals achieve their maximum potential and live a better quality of life.
Once again, thank you for your time and for visiting my e-portfolio. I hope you find that it speaks for all the values and characteristics mentioned above.
P.S. I designed and created the shirt on the above photo. Feel free to check out my Etsy store: JhennyBerryOT