Alumni Spotlight- Transferable skills from DCP to Occupational Therapist

Name: Whitney Pfaff

ACR Home: Fulham

Undergrad: Kinesiology – University of Minnesota

Schooling/Career:

I worked at ACR Homes for 5 years throughout my undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Minnesota. I have been an occupational therapist at for the past 2 years. I work with the geriatric population at Minnesota Masonic Home. I recently took on the role of Low Vision Programmer, and am currently supervising an OT student in her level II fieldwork.

How did ACR help reach my goals?

I largely attribute my acceptance to the U of M Occupational Therapy program to the experience I acquired as a Direct Care Professional at ACR Homes. I gained knowledge of medical terminology/ use of medical equipment, and I grew in my communication skills (verbal and non-verbal). Throughout my time in the OT program, I was able to carry over new knowledge/skills, such as activity analysis and therapeutic-use-of-self. I quickly learned how to adjust my demeanor depending on which resident I was interacting with, and think critically to overcome obstacles that were present for that individual in order to facilitate increased participation and quality of life. These skilled have transferred over into my current career, and allow me to quickly build rapport with clients. I feel so honored to have worked at ACR Homes, and blessed to have taken away so much from my experience as a DCP.