USI Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

10/31/2026

🎃👻 The OTA Class of 2026 is busy learning and having a little fun along the way while out on Level II Fieldwork!

Take a look at these creative Halloween costumes! We love seeing our students embrace the fun while continuing to develop their skills as future occupational therapy practitioners. 🧡

📅 Only 5 weeks away from completing Level II Fieldwork and just 6 weeks away from GRADUATION! 🎓

We are so proud of all they have accomplished and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this amazing group!

We want to see your Halloween fun, too! Drop your therapy department’s Halloween photos in the comments below! 👇🎃

10/22/2026

🩹Hands-On Learning in Wound Care🩹
❤️🦅🤍🦅💙

The USI Occupational Therapy Assistant Program partnered with The Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning to provide students with valuable hands-on wound care experience!

The Center for Lifelong Learning recently hosted a Suture Workshop, where area healthcare providers learned and practiced various suturing techniques using pig feet 🐷.

Following the workshop, USI OTA students had the opportunity to practice suture removal, maximizing the use of shared resources while gaining practical experience.

The OTA students’ Wound Care Lab also included:

🩹Staple removal
🩹Wound measurements and documentation
🩹 Proper wound dressing techniques to protect wounds and support healing
🩹Scar management techniques
🩹Sensation testing

These activities allowed students to practice essential clinical skills while connecting classroom knowledge to real-world patient care.

From protecting healing wounds to assessing sensation and managing scars, students explored several ways occupational therapy practitioners can contribute to wound management and functional recovery.

We are grateful for opportunities to collaborate, share resources, and provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that help prepare our OTA students for success in clinical practice! 💙

A special THANK YOU goes out to the The Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning

10/22/2026

🚨Job Postings Alert🚨

1. Opportunities for Positive Growth has a part time COTA opening at their Fishers, IN location.
Reach out to Candice Ray, OTR/L, MBA for more information at [email protected]

2. Waters of Rockport has a PRN COTA opening at their Rockport, IN location.
Reach out to Rachel Scales via text/call at (217) 663-8865

10/20/2026

Teamwork Starts Early: IPE and Communication for Future Early Intervention Professionals and Healthcare Providers!

Students came together at the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences for an interprofessional education (IPE) event in collaboration with AHEC Southwest Indiana. Through shared learning and hands-on activities, future professionals practiced communication and teamwork to better support young children and their families. 💙

A special shout-out to The Center for Pediatric Therapy, Forefront Therapy, and faculty from USI OT, USI OTA, USI Education, UE PT, and UE PA for helping develop and bring this IPE experience to life! Your expertise and collaboration help prepare the next generation of professionals to work together from the start.

📸 Check out our students in action!

10/07/2026

🩹 Today is Wound Care Lab Day! 🩹

In just a few short hours, this table will be FULL of pig’s feet! 🐷🦶. Why, you ask?

Our OTA students are getting hands-on experience with a variety of skills they may use in clinical practice, including:

🩹 Suture & staple removal (🐷)
🩹 Dressing changes
🖐️ Sensory testing — Semmes-Weinstein, 2-point discrimination, sharp/dull
🩹 Stereognosis
🩹 Scar management techniques
🧠 Graded motor imagery

It’s a busy day in the USI OTA program—and a great example of how our students learn by doing, practicing, and applying their skills! 💙❤️

10/02/2026

Way to go Chrislynn!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to support future therapy professionals!

Thank you to the USI Occupational Therapy Assistant Program for allowing us to be part of their students’ journeys!🩵

10/01/2026

Congratulations Joe! We are proud of you and we are so excited that we were part of your journey. 

🎉 Congratulations to Joe Lay, OTR! 🎉

We are excited to celebrate Joe Lay on passing the NBCOT exam and officially making the transition from COTA to OTR! 👏

Joe’s journey with USI Occupational Therapy is extra special—he is a graduate of both the USI OTA and MSOT programs! During his time in the MSOT program, Joe and his wife also welcomed their daughter, making his journey through OT school one filled with both professional and personal milestones. 💙

Joe has accepted a full-time position with Progressive Health in an industrial rehabilitation setting at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana.

Congratulations, Joe! We are so proud to have been part of your journey from OTA ➡️ OT and can’t wait to see what comes next! 🎓💪

09/30/2026

💙❤️Explore Occupational Therapy at USI! ❤️💙

Are you interested in a career that makes a difference in people’s everyday lives? Come visit us at the Exploring Majors & Minors Fair today!

📍 Carter Hall
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Stop by and learn about ALL of the occupational therapy pathways available at USI:

👐 Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)
🎓 OTA with Community & Public Health Bachelor’s Pathway
🩺 Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Whether you’re just beginning to explore your options or already know OT is the field for you, we would love to answer your questions and share what makes occupational therapy such a rewarding profession!

✨ Come explore your future in OT with us!

We can’t wait to talk to you! 💙💛

09/29/2026

We’re getting closer to this exciting event! USI Occupational Therapy Assistant students and faculty are proud to be heavily involved, and we’re looking forward to supporting our community, putting our skills into action, and being part of such a meaningful experience. We hope to see you there!