JCC OTA Program

Building essential skills with the Hoyer lift! Our students are gaining hands-on experience to ensure safe and supportive client transfers.

Come find us at JCC’s Health Fair! 🩺

Some of our students have just finished their experience in Explore & Soar! They’ve gained new skills and perspectives that will help shape their next steps. Looking forward to seeing how they’ll put it all into action at their next fieldwork rotation!

When it’s predicted to be 79° outside during the fall we take lecture outside 🍁🍂

Hands-on practice is key in our program, and here’s a glimpse of it in action! Every week, our students lead a 30-minute intervention tailored to the diagnosis of the week, gaining real-time feedback and collaborative insights from the class. It’s all about learning by doing!

We believe that debriefing time is crucial for enhancing education and fostering growth. These sessions allow students to reflect deeply on their experiences, receive tailored feedback, and develop critical thinking skills. By prioritizing these interactions, we empower our future occupational therapy assistants to become more confident and competent professionals. Together, we’re building a supportive community that values learning through dialogue and connection!

Getting hands-on in the OTA lab (get it?), crafting splints and building skills for better patient care. 👏🏻🤙🏻

It’s hands week! 👋🏻

Curious what our grads are up to? Meet Jenna!

"My name is Jenna Miller- MS, OTR/L and I am a proud graduate of the JCC OTA Program (2010). I am the owner & Occupational Therapist at Well & Wild Child, LLC- a nature-based pediatric practice in Chautauqua County NY, where all of our sessions take place in the great outdoors.

The program at JCC helped shape the way I think about the OT scope of practice and how I view myself as an OT practitioner . The program inspired me to ultimately go on for my Masters degree (Gannon University, 2013) & forever engrained in me to always remember to put on my OT lens. Through those lens, I have been able to purse my passion of connecting children to nature: promoting strength, resiliency, and developmental support for both child ((and family)).

At Well & Wild Child, our outdoor occupational therapy sessions provide simple, effective & impactful opportunities for growth…all with a little help from Mother Nature. Well & Wild Child provides individual OT sessions for children ages 4-12, pop-up nature enrichment groups, mommy & me programs, and community education sessions.

Thank you JCC for shaping OT practitioners like me in our community!"

Join us in celebrating this incredible graduate—check out her page and give her a follow to see all the amazing things she’ll achieve next!

At Northwest Arena, ‘Adapt and Overcome: The Cor’Rales Dupree Story’ brought to life the challenges faced by those with physical impairments. Cor’Rales shared his powerful story of losing a leg at a young age due to a domestic violence incident and how he overcame those challenges to become a successful athlete, mentor, speaker, and professional. OTA students created immersive stations, including adapted soccer and sensory simulations, to help eighth graders build empathy and understanding. A day of learning, connection, and appreciation.

Thank you to John Kinder () for putting together the event!

We’re diving into more than just PPE! We’re learning infection control, patient privacy, and emotional support while navigating communication barriers and isolation protocols. Comprehensive training for every aspect of patient care!

Do any of our past grads recognize what we’re doing in lab? We’ll take any guesses!

From fixing wheels to fine-tuning brakes, today’s mobility device lab was all about making adjustments for our local independent living center. After our hands-on repairs, we took a victory lap around campus, testing our upgrades and attempting to master the art of navigating diverse terrains.

Oh hey there Class of 2026👋🏻✨

🎉 Congrats to all the new OTA students who’ve been accepted into the program! 🎉

Get ready for a fantastic start at our OTA Student Orientation. Here’s what you can look forward to:
✨ Meet your OTA faculty and key college personnel
✨ Discover essential services and departments
✨ Connect with your fellow students and chat with our friendly sophomores
✨ Dive into the OTA program overview and what to expect
✨ Get a walkthrough of the tech you'll use throughout the program
✨ Have all your questions answered

We can’t wait to welcome you and kick off this exciting journey together!

Go Jessi!

JCC Faculty Awarded Cornell University Fellowship Two Jamestown Community College faculty were recently awarded a Community College Internationalization Fellowship by Cornell University’s Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program. Dr. Jessica Swanson, assistant professor for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, and Michelle Richau, World ...

This year CBA nominated and recognized the JCC OTA Program as United Way’s Volunteer of the Year. Thank you to SUNY JCC students and staff for volunteering for several years at Dining in the Dark! We appreciate our relationship and the support you provide every year as sighted guides at our fundraiser! Here is a photo of all the Volunteers of the Year from various organizations in our area. Accepting for JCC OTA Program was Sarah Tranum, Director.