Ilana Forchheimer

About Ilana Forchheimer

Enthusiastic board-certified occupational therapist with a passion for community mental health and pediatrics. Experience working with homeless, substance use, and schizophrenia populations, in addition to hospital based pediatrics and school children. Greatly interested in using evidence based occupational therapy modalities to increase an individual\'s life skills, independence, and self-efficacy. Grateful for experiences in clinical occupational therapy settings as well as educational and leadership roles and excited to continue learning and growing to become the best occupational therapist and person I can be.

Experience

1. Occupational Therapist

   Project Renewal

   Aug 2022 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Design goal-oriented, skill-based OT services for individuals and families in permanent supportive housing with histories and experiences of homelessness, mental illness, substance use, and incarceration and goals to promote community integration, housing stability, harm reduction, healthy leisure exploration, money management, and cooking• Conduct individual OT sessions at the program site, in the local community, and in client residences to maximize functional independence, promote attainment of goals, and provide services in the most natural environment• Perform standardized and non-standardized assessments to determine client needs, interests, strengths, and barriers to guide interventions• Plan community outings and events to promote skills in community integration, self-efficacy, and increase quality of life and collaborate to design programs across multiple PRI sites to foster a greater sense of community and collaboration• Facilitate a monthly peer-led OT journal club support group to promote a continued commitment to learning, team camaraderie, and support• Educate and supervise OT fieldwork students to contribute to PRI’s mission, enhance client experiences, and contribute to their journeys while gaining professional skills as a practitioner, supervisor, and mentor• Contribute to the student training program by designing and co-leading a de-escalation in-service while also co-leading in-services on group protocols and the Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Evaluation• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and embody a team-based approach to facilitate open communication, resolve conflict and challenges, and provide the highest quality of care• Internalize and implement feedback from weekly collaborative supervision with the VP of OT to set strategic goals, accelerate professional growth, and strengthen skills• Utilize Awards and eCW documentation systems and an internal data system to demonstrate the breadth and depth of OT services

Education

• Solomon Schechter School of Westchester

  High School Diploma

  2001 — 2014

• SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

  Master of Science, Occupational Therapy

  2019 — 2021

• Binghamton University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Human Development

  2014 — 2018