As an occupational therapist, I am most dedicated to maximizing the quality of life for all people whom I meet. I have been an occupational therapist for over 10 years in many settings after graduating from Texas Woman’s University with my masters in occupational therapy. I also received my bachelor degree in family and child sciences to provide a foundation for understanding child development and family systems.

In 2017 I began working in driver rehabilitation, primarily with experienced drivers. I initially took this position as a way to get my foot in the door with a specific company, but quickly realized I have a passion for ensuring people are safe to drive and figuring out how to get around the community as independently as safely possible.

As I progressed in my knowledge and skills, I began to wonder the rest of our community does for these services. What about all those kids I worked with when I worked in outpatient pediatrics? Or the teenagers and pre-teens I saw in the hospital who had life changing conditions?

As I began researching, I realized our community has limited options for these families. I became interested in developing a driver rehabilitation program that focuses on young adults and teenagers. In 2020 I began educating pediatric occupational therapists around the Salt Lake City area on address driving in their practices. I also initiated a driver readiness clinic at Primary Children’s Hospital to determine if young adults and teenagers had the foundational skills necessary to drive.

While working in this clinic I realized that it wasn’t enough. These families needed someone who could regularly follow up with them. Someone who could take them on the road and evaluate how their clinical skills translated to on the road skills. They needed someone who could teach them how to use adaptive equipment and walk through the complex process of obtaining adaptive equipment with them.

As I prepared to open En Route to Independence, I also found that the limited availability of driver rehabilitation programs in our community limited services for many people, not just new drivers. I realized that new and experienced drivers alike need more options for consistent follow up, consultation with driver educators or other professionals, adaptive equipment, training and education on how to navigate the community when driving isn’t safe, or to maximize safety as a passenger. My passion for maximizing quality of life for people across the life span can now be combined with my love for driver rehabilitation.

From helping older adults determine the just right time to stop driving (not too soon, but not after a devastating crash either) to helping new drivers get on the road for the first time to everything in between, En Route to Independence is ready to tackle the challenges of community mobility with you!