Skip to content
Contact USI

Connect with Southern Indiana focuses on Occupational Therapy in 10th year

May 10, 2016

Thirteen individuals have successfully completed University of Southern Indiana's 2016 Connect with Southern Indiana program. In its 10th year, Connect with Southern Indiana was established through a Lilly Endowment grant and is managed by USI Community Engagement, a department within Outreach and Engagement. The annual program is focused on promoting active citizenship for individuals across a nine-county region in southwest Indiana.

Connect with Southern Indiana focuses on the Romain College of Business Entrepreneurship Initiative model, where participants seek innovative solutions to a variety of problems or needs. This year, the program's theme was Occupational Therapy. As participants were actively immersed in the strategic entrepreneurial process, teams created innovative solutions to address issues of students and professions working with the aging and those with mental health and autism-related issues.

Connect with Southern Indiana is open to Indiana residents living in Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh or Warrick counties who would like to improve the quality of life in their communities.

The 2016 class includes:

Program participants attended 10 full-day sessions between January and May and developed collaborative projects that were presented at the end of the program.

2016 Connect with Southern Indiana Projects:

Outreach for Growth - Lauren Haase and MeLissa Williams
This program offers an opportunity for students in the University of Southern Indiana's Occupational Therapy program to team up with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation's occupational therapist to work with local high students that have been diagnosed with autism and other mental health issues such as anxiety.

Caregiver Me Time - Sally Gries, Monica Spencer and Ryan Vaal
Organized and supervised by occupational therapy professionals, Caregiver Me Time aims to bridge the gap in services for caregivers. This is done in an attempt to impact both the health of the care recipient and the caregiver by addressing caregiver burnout. Caregiver Me Time provides valuable time away for individuals with intensive caregiving duties for personal, social and mental well-being through care recipient supervision services and optional group activities.

What's Behind Your Door - Ashley McReynolds, James Rall and Leslie Tegmeyer
This traveling outreach exhibit takes the community through three interchangeable immersive experiences to drive compassion and expand the participants' knowledge of occupational therapy careers and resources. Each space will challenge participants with interactive tasks of varying stressors and difficulty. Additional partnerships with local non-profits will enhance the experience with open conversation.

Autism Structuring Device - Alejandro Alessio, Kyla Krieg and Joel Matherly
For caregivers and physicians who treat those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, this product will provide them with the freedom and ability to create a structural environment for the patient. The Autism Structuring Device will combine sensory ques with a structured calendar and emergency features.  

Leaving a Legacy - Jeff France and Benjamin Leinenbach
As another tool for OT professionals, the mentorship program helps people of all ages.  Seniors want to leave a legacy; they want to know they have made their mark on the world. Through senior mentorship, we tap into this in a way that benefits both young and young at heart. The young learn from experiences, and the young at heart get the benefit of having someone with whom to share their story.

Recent Stories