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OTA students serve at pediatric camp in Yazoo City
The Holmes Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) students recently completed a pediatric day camp for the children at Warren-Yazoo Mental Health (WYMH) on the Yazoo campus. The OTA students led groups of children ranging from ages 5-17 daily in the month of June.
During the camp, the OTA students provided the children with a multitude of activities to address their psychosocial needs, including teamwork skills, communication skills and coping skills. In collaboration with the WYMH staff, Holmes' OTA students also developed groups aimed to increase the participants' success in the community and at home. The students utilized theoretical basis and practical application of group intervention under the direction of their OTA instructors, Jason Miles and Kana Williams.
"The pediatric experience enhances the OTA students' awareness of a dynamic population in the psychosocial setting," Williams said.
The Warren-Yazoo Mental Health is a regional community mental health center certified by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health to provide comprehensive behavioral health services.
The Holmes OTA program is located on the Ridgeland Campus, and involves two years of study to prepare students to work as a co-participant in the entire occupational therapy process, at the discretion of the supervising licensed occupational therapist. Graduates of this program may apply to take the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant which is administered by the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). The OTA application process opens annually on the first day of September and closes on the last day of February for the class that begins the following August.
"The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is a flagship program for our Ridgeland Campus," said Director of Career-Technical Education Dr. Amy Whittington. "Since 2012, our program has had a 100 percent pass rate on the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant. Not only do our students excel academically in this program, but they also develop personal and professional relationships that prepare them for a successful career. I am proud of the work that our instructors are doing to make this the premier OTA program not only in our state but also on the national level."
For more information about the OTA program, contact OTA Program Director Kana Williams at kwilliams@holmescc.edu or (601) 605.3343.
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IN THIS PHOTO: Pictured are Holmes OTA students after working at a pediatric day camp for the children at Warren-Yazoo Mental Health. Save Save
