Serving the community

Occupational Therapy Pro Bono Clinics

As a USAHS OT student, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a Pro Bono Clinic on your campus, guided by expert faculty and supporting treatment of real patients.

625+

patients served each year

4,500+

pro bono clinical experiences each year

1,800+

telehealth pro bono sessions each year

Serving the underserved

Pro Bono Purpose

Occupational Therapy students in the Residential, Hybrid Immersion and Flex programs at all five of USAHS’ campuses have the opportunity to participate in one of our 13 innovative OT Pro Bono Clinics.

Students work under the supervision of licensed practicing OT clinician-academics, delivering the full range of OT care to both adult and pediatric patients, including stress management and novel experiences such a recent popular cooking clinic held for young adults with disabilities.

Our OT Pro Bono Clinics provide an exceptional opportunity for clients to receive services where they may not have access to occupational therapy or to receive additional services not covered by their current insurance plan.

Our Pro Bono Clinics are fundamental to our efforts to give back to the communities in which we operate, and align with our B Corp values.

Student Benefits

As an OT student, you’ll benefit from unparalleled clinical experience with real patients as well as top-notch guidance, assessment and clinical education training from our expert faculty.

USAHS Pro Bono Clinics offer students invaluable learning opportunities beyond the classroom:

  • Participate in real patient care
  • Supervision from licensed, practicing OT faculty and staff who are experts in the field of occupational therapy
  • Implement what you’ve learned in your curriculum and simulations
  • Receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidance for evaluation and treatment

  • Weekly feedback from clinical educators on your clinical sessions and planning for upcoming sessions
  • Collaborate interprofessionally with students and faculty from USAHS’ PT and SLP programs
  • Campus and discipline-based input from our Pro Bono Clinical Advisory Council

Did you know?

USAHS students, faculty and staff members and their families are eligible to receive treatment at any of our Pro Bono Clinics as a benefit of attending or working for the university!

Clinical Educators and Supervising Faculty

Raquel Guarino, MS, OTR/L, CHT

Raquel Guarino

Adult Rehabilitation

Christienne Parten, OTD, MEd, OT

Dr. Christienne Parten

Neurological Rehabilitation

Erik Perez, OTD, OTR

Dr. Erik Perez

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Student Testimonials

“The opportunity to work with individuals and their families in pro bono was one of the highlights of my educational experience at USAHS. Working hands-on with clients in this setting was very helpful to my understanding of what the world of OT is like and how to work with people when I get out into the field.”

Kate M.

OT student

Kate M.

“This experience has broadened my horizons as a student to get real-life hands-on experience. The pro bono experience is so unique in getting to understand how to be a better occupational therapist and giving myself confidence.”

Ashton B.

OT student

Ashton B.

“Getting real, hands-on experience working with kids through the pediatric pro bono clinic exceptionally improved my knowledge and confidence working with this population.”

Ashlyn L.

OT student

Ashlyn L.

“The pro bono experience is an amazing way to begin to apply the therapeutic use of self and the knowledge we’ve learned thus far.”

Kaitlyn A.

OT student

Kaitlyn A.

Patient Sign-Up

If you’re a patient interested in receiving treatment at one of our OT Pro Bono Clinics or our OT telehealth service, we invite you to contact us to discuss your needs. You’re eligible for no-cost treatment if you satisfy any of the following conditions:

  • You don’t have health insurance
  • Your health insurance limits or does not cover therapy services indicated for your condition
  • The number of allowed visits under your insurance coverage has already been met
  • You’re a student, faculty or staff member at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, or you’re a family member of a student, faculty or staff member

You may contact the USAHS OT Pro Bono Clinic by email: Pro Bono Clinic San Marcos, CA; Pro Bono Clinic St. Augustine, FL; Pro Bono Clinic Miami, FL; Pro Bono Clinic Austin, TX; or Pro Bono Clinic Dallas, TX.

FAQs

Which USAHS campuses offer OT Pro Bono Clinics?

Our OT Pro Bono Clinics are offered at all of our campuses — San Marcos, California; St. Augustine and Miami, Florida, Austin and Dallas, Texas — to all students enrolled in the Residential, Hybrid Immersion or Flex OT program. In addition, OT students at our Miami campus can participate in the free community OT and PT program offered at Rock Steady Boxing.

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As an OT student, how do I get involved in the Pro Bono Clinic?

Students may participate in an OT pro bono clinic as part of the Older Adult, Pediatric or other courses within their OT program curriculum.

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As a student, how many days a week will I work at the Pro Bono Clinic?

As part of the class, students are required to participate for at least 8 hours per term, per clinic.

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What conditions could I be treating?

All conditions are treated, including orthopedic, neurological and mental health, as well as motor, cognitive and physical delays in our pediatric OT Pro Bono Clinics. We also offer an OT stress management clinic and a cooking clinic as a service to patients.

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Will I treat both children and adults?

Yes! The OT Pro Bono clinics offer occupational therapy to children of all ages and adults, providing evaluations as well as individual treatment plans.

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How will I be supervised?

All graduate students are supervised by licensed, practicing OT faculty. The expert faculty at USAHS work with OT graduate students to provide special assessments and treatments, in addition to quality clinical education for the students.

Clinical educators meet weekly with graduate student clinicians to get feedback about clinical sessions, plan for upcoming sessions, and provide top-of-the-line clinical education training to ensure quality services for clients.

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Is there teletherapy?

Teletherapy is offered in some instances. All Pro Bono teletherapy sessions are delivered in real time via a HIPAA compliant secure Zoom platform.

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What are the hours of the clinic?

Hours vary by campus, please contact us to find out more:

Nicole Capell – [email protected]
Christian Guarino – [email protected]

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