January was a month of strategic planning for the Nebraska AgrAbility team. Staff have been coordinating maternity leave coverage, organizing support for current and incoming clients, preparing for upcoming booths and events, and moving forward with ongoing grant work. This focus on planning also reflects the importance of overall preparedness, a concept they emphasize with clients to help ensure continuity when unexpected situations arise.
At the start of January, Program Manager Emily Jacobson and Michelle Arens, a capstone occupational therapy student working with Nebraska AgrAbility, began working with two new clients. One client qualified for services through Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), while the other did not due to financial eligibility requirements. The difference between these pathways has provided meaningful learning opportunities for Michelle as she gains experience with the variety of processes clients may encounter. Regardless of eligibility, AgrAbility continues to provide thorough assessments and detailed reports with recommendations tailored to each client.
Soni Cochran, Nebraska Extension, has been working with Ed Sheldon, Purdue University, on a presentation for the NTW. Also presenting during this session are Alexandria Ward and Caitlin Arnold Stephano with Farm Aid, Natalie Roy with AgriSafe, and Angelo Sorg with the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team. Ed and Soni will also be sharing a poster that highlights AgrAbility and its connection to the National Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) at the EDEN Spring Training in Tampa in February. Nebraska AgrAbility team member Aaron Yoder will also be attending the EDEN Spring Training.
Michelle Arens, a capstone occupational therapy student working with Nebraska AgrAbility, is conducting a client survey to assess the impact of AgrAbility's assistive technology (AT) recommendations using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Through the COPM process, clients self-rate both their performance and their satisfaction with completing key tasks before and after the implementation of recommended AT. This evaluation will help Nebraska AgrAbility better understand client outcomes and improve service delivery.
Submitted by Soni Cochran