Shannon Strate

Shannon Strate, OTD, MS, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapy practitioner in Rhode Island since 1999, working with older adults in short-term rehab and long-term care facilities. She has worked with individuals who have physical, cognitive and mental impairments that impede their ability to complete the daily tasks they need and want to do as well as possibly return to their prior living setting. She has also worked in home health and outpatient settings. Strate has many years of experience as a rehab manager in skilled nursing facilities, leading the occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy staff while collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.

Strate started her occupational therapy career as an occupational therapy assistant, returning to school to achieve her master's degree and NBCOT board certification for OTR. In 2019, Strate received her OTD-PP as she has always enjoyed educating OT students on fieldwork experiences and wanted to further that practice into the classroom setting. Earning a doctorate also provided an avenue for research including an interest in health disparities in older adults. Her doctoral project focused on increasing quality of life through purposeful activities in long-term residents of a nursing home. One of Strate’s favorite activities is bringing her dog into the nursing home and now the classroom for reducing anxiety and stress, increasing joy in all environments. She also enjoys mentoring new and experienced clinicians and managers.

She is an active member of state and national OT associations, representing the state of Rhode Island through the representative assembly (RA) with the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Education

• OTD, New England Institute of Technology
• M.S., Occupational Therapy, New England Institute of Technology
• B.S., Communicative Disorders, University of Rhode Island
• A.S., Occupational Therapy, New England Institute of Technology

Teaching Interests

Older adults, leadership, healthcare systems

Scholarly Interests

• Cognition and disorders/disease processes pertaining to cognition, Multiple Sclerosis
• Educating Occupational Therapists

Courses

• OTD7170: Occupational Performance and Participation in Groups
• OTD7210: Neuroscience
• OTD8240: Occupational Therapy Practice I Lab
• OTD8310: Leadership & Advocacy
• OTD8140: Healthcare Systems and Policy
• OTD8360: Occupational Therapy Practice III