Polk State partners with The Mission of Winter Haven to empower students and underserved community through occupational therapy

Polk State College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program has launched a transformative partnership with The Mission of Winter Haven, providing students with meaningful, real-world experience while empowering individuals facing homelessness and hunger through targeted life skills training.

The first of its kind in the nation, this hands-on collaboration allows Polk State’s OTA students to assess clients at The Mission, design interventions and deliver group programs under the supervision of their clinical coordinator.

“We wanted to reach out to occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants because when people ask what the greatest thing people need is, it’s a support system,” said David Berry, the Executive Director of The Mission. “That’s what OT helps us create for our people — a support system to flourish, to grow and to be everything they were created to be.”

The result? A powerful blend of education and service that is already changing lives.

Real-world experience, real-world results

Polk State faculty, staff and students celebrated with The Mission on June 27, presenting clients with certificates of completion for participating in the first training sessions of the newly developed partnership.

“Today is such a special event because it is the completion of our first training series that is occupational therapy led. It is here to provide the clients of the mission to either acquire new skills and/or translate some of their previous skills into work-readiness and reintegrate back into the community,” Polk State OTA Clinical Coordinator Lucerito Gonzalez said.

The program has assisted several individuals, including:

• 4 individuals or families with securing housing
• 2 veterans who are now receiving full-service support, including housing and Veterans Affairs services
• 14 individuals who have gained full-time or part-time employment
• 6 previously homeless clients who have transitioned into part-time paid roles at The Mission, thanks to their successful participation in training and competency development facilitated by OTA students

“All of our students in our Health Sciences programs interact with individuals of underserved populations every day in their careers,” Polk State Associate Dean of Health Sciences Lisa Correll said. “This partnership with The Mission of Winter Haven gives our student interns an opportunity to… develop relationships and an understanding of what these people go through, so that when they are in the field and they are practicing, they are already well-versed in some of the challenges of these populations.”

The OTA-led training series represents a milestone in Polk State’s fieldwork curriculum. Students translate classroom knowledge into practical tools for empowerment, supporting clients in their development of skills they can use to pursue employment, stability and independence.

The success so far has led to The Mission formally embedding occupational therapy into its intake process and service delivery model, Gonzalez explained, with OT recognized as a core component of the organization’s ongoing resources.

“In a significant step toward program sustainability, The Mission has committed to hiring a full-time Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) from the Polk State College graduate pool to further implement and expand this initiative,” she said. “This model sets a national precedent for integrating OT services into community-based settings that serve underserved populations.”

“The ultimate goal is to create an opportunity for our OTA students that meets their goals, their needs and their desires as occupational therapy assistants in the future.”

We are Polk

Partnerships like this embody the College’s motto, We are Polk, not only providing unparalleled experience for students but also making a difference in the community.

Students Julisa Mendez and Ode Remy are participating in fieldwork at The Mission throughout July and shared how they are already seeing visible benefits and opportunities.

“I chose Polk State’s OTA Program because of the rate of success of the students,” Remy said. “The professors and the director, they are all here for you, and you have people who genuinely care about you and your success.”

Mendez echoed this support.

“I would recommend the OTA Program because they are really going to prepare you for this career,” she said. “Here at The Mission… we are getting to assess the clients… and come up with our own interventions that will help them grow.”

Polk State’s OTA Program is offering several upcoming informational sessions and accepts applications in September. More information is available at polk.edu/OTA.