Upcoming Events
MOTEC Fieldwork & Capstone Educator Days
Please view the MOTEC Educator Days Flyer
The Michigan Occupational Therapy Association welcomes all therapists, assistants, students, and educators in the profession of occupational therapy to explore and enjoy this website.
Patients and their family members and advocates will find information about how the OT practitioners across the state can help them to participate fully and perform at the highest level within their personal life roles...truly living life to it's fullest!
As you use this site you will note that some areas are for members only. We wish to thank those members who have demonstrated their support for their profession and this association, which is the Voice of OT within the state of Michigan.
We hope that those who have not yet joined will take this opportunity to become a member of MiOTA. MiOTA is a voluntary professional association of occupational therapy practitioners who are dedicated to supporting the profession through advocacy and communication.
Welcome
MiOTA Member Spotlight
SUSAN CLEGHORN, DrOT, MS, OTR/L, CAPS, FNAP
Dr. Susan Cleghorn is Professor in the Occupational Science and Therapy Department and serves as the Director of the Post Professional Doctorate Program (DrOT) at Grand Valley State University. She graduated from Illinois State University in 1989 with a BS in Therapeutic Recreation, GVSU with an MSOT in Occupational Therapy, and Creighton University with a DrOT.
Dr. Cleghorn was inspired to pursue occupational therapy after working as a Rehab Director in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), where a dedicated team of OTs told her, “You are an OT at heart.”
Since 2008, she has been a full-time faculty member, teaching across all OT programs at GVSU, including traditional and hybrid MSOT and DrOT tracks. Her extensive clinical experience spans pediatrics and older adult care in diverse settings such as schools, outpatient clinics, SNFs, acute rehabilitation, hospice, home healthcare, and private practice.
Dr. Cleghorn has served in the community as board chair for Four Pointes Center for Successful Aging, Aging in Place OT consultant with Tri-Cities Habitat for Humanity, and board member with Welcome Home Vision Services.
Her scholarship includes peer reviewed articles and textbook chapters on topics including autism spectrum disorder, childhood bereavement, assessment tools, interprofessional curriculum development, aging in place, and simulation. Dr. Cleghorn is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (FNAP), and a member of the Michigan State Advisory Council on Aging (SAC).
Dr. Cleghorn’s current project and passion includes advocacy for older adults in Michigan through her service with SAC. She chairs the research committee which is responsible for creating reports for the Michigan legislature that educate and advise members about timely issues impacting older adults such as aging in place services, respite care, and affordable/accessible housing. This passion was born from working in home healthcare and serving on the board at Four Pointes in Grand Haven, which identified gaps in community-based services for older adults.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, nature walks, all lake life activities, her dogs, and spending time with cherished family and friends. She and her husband live in Pentwater where they are building their own aging-in-place home on an inland lake. They have 2 amazing adult children, a daughter who is an education and grants attorney in DC and a son who is an environmental scientist and firefighter with the Michigan DNR.
Dr. Cleghorn is passionate about education and advocacy and admires the work that MiOTA does in each of these areas. She encourages OTPs and students to join local, state, national, and international groups where they can work to improve health in our communities and strengthen our profession through education and collaboration.
If you would like to be highlighted or would like to nominate a MiOTA member, please email us at website@miota.org. (Attn: Renuka ‘Ray’ Roche)