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Date: 4/11/2023
SPRINGFIELD — For the past six months, Western New England University’s Occupational Therapy Center has served people across campus and the Greater Springfield area, however, this summer it will expand its offerings even more.
The Occupational Therapy Center is a student-run pro bono operation, known as the Bear Paw Center. The Bear Paw, which stands for Bringing Equity Accessibility and Rehabilitation to People Achieving Wellness, is staffed by occupational therapy doctorate students and is supervised by licensed occupational therapists.
The Bear Paw Center opened in the fall of 2022, following an interest in the community, said Emily Labrie, an occupational therapist doctorate student who works at the clinic.
“There was a need for this,” including those who are not insured, do not have coverage and more, she added.
The clinic provides services to individuals with diverse medical conditions, developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Currently, Labrie said they see about eight clients each week.
About four of those individuals have suffered from a stroke, along with one traumatic brain injury and one spinal cord injury, to name a few.
To serve a wider range of people, the goal for the summer is to expand services in two ways. One way is to offer a driving service that will work with clients who want to begin driving or return to driving. “We will do an off-road assessment of their driving abilities and make recommendations based on that for best next steps,” whether it be a referral to a driving rehab specialist, continued occupational therapy services to address needed skills and so on, said occupational therapy department Chair and Program Director Dr. Brittany Adams.
The other way the center will be expanding is by adding pediatric services.
Labrie noted that the center has existing partnerships with the Springfield Jewish Community Center, Head Start and more, but would like to establish new ones.
Although there will be an expansion, all services will still be offered on the WNE campus. Adams said there are tools the school has that could be utilized such as the indoor pool in the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthy Living Center.
“The goal is to bring everyone here with these offerings,” said Adams.
As the Bear Paw Center is pro bono, Labrie explained that there is no cost to the clients. While it benefits members of the community, it also benefits the students looking to receive an occupational therapy degree. Labrie said it is a requirement that the occupational therapy students work at the Bear Paw Center.
Right now, there are 19 first-year students and 13 second-year students who rotate through a schedule that Labrie coordinates. She noted that this counts as field work experience.
The Bear Paw Center is open on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the occupational therapy labs in the Blake Law Center. Adams said those hours will continue through the summer and is hoping to open more days in the fall, along with offering evening hours so that people can visit after work.
Last semester, Labrie said students were “nervous” and more “apprehensive” to meet with patients. She shared that it has been a challenge to increase morale, however, this semester students seem to be more comfortable as they have had time getting used to the program.
“[It is] nice to see improvements in [the] clients we have., Their successes contribute to the students’ morale,” Labrie said.
Adams shared that some of their clients are making progress seven years post stroke. She explained that these individuals could not receive this type of care anywhere else because they have exhausted insurance benefits, but at the Bear Paw Center there is no cost.
Adams went on to say that they recently started making “a big marketing push” to inform people about the center. This includes posting on social media, handing out brochures and pamphlets to clients, and word of mouth.
The Bear Paw Center recently received a grant from the university’s Alumni Association for its operations.
For more information about the Bear Paw Center, to schedule an appointment or make a donation, contact the clinic at 413-206-9501, bear.paw.center@wne.edu or visit wne.edu/otd.