Kelsey Travor ’19 transitions therapy to online sessions for students
By Sidney Goodman ‘21
COVID-19 has altered many people’s daily lives, and the world of education is no exception. Kelsey Travor ’19, a graduate of Alvernia’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program, has experienced this firsthand. Many people in need of therapy are unable to access services by traditional means because of the pandemic.
As an occupational therapist employed with Liberty Resources: Liberty Post and Infinite Services, Inc., Travor has a full-time caseload of 50 students throughout New York City. When schools moved online because of the pandemic, Travor had to adapt her therapy treatments to meet the evolving circumstances. Working twice the hours, she delved into the world of teletherapy and built an effective treatment system for her students.
“I felt inspired and motivated to continue to serve the community because I was willing to make sacrifices, without hesitation, because my students’ families were willing to work with me to support their children,” Travor said.
Online therapy did not come without challenges. Many of the families in the school districts Travor serves did not have access to necessary resources, while others had difficulty with the technology needed for the academic curriculum. She found solutions to these problems by emailing customized worksheets and sending school supplies to her students.
“I feel humbled that I have the opportunity to serve my students and their families during this time,” said Travor. “I am not only an occupational therapist, but I am a mental health advocate and a ‘safe person’ for people to confide with.”
Travor uses the values and experiences that she gained from Alvernia in the way she conducts therapy. She does her best to prioritize her patient’s needs over the time constraints of sessions and approaches each appointment with compassion.
“As an occupational therapist, not only do I rely on my clinical reasoning skills, evidence-based practice, and professional guidelines to provide quality patient-centered care, but I also rely on the fundamental values Alvernia instilled in me to approach every day as an ethical leader with moral courage.”
By embodying these core values, Travor became more than just a therapist to many of her patients.
“I also served as an active listener for those who are stressed, and I was able to help my students by working with them to develop a healthy life balance while living in a changing environment.”
Travor’s drive to serve her community extends beyond the borders of education.
“As the school year ends, I plan on working on the front line to work per-diem through Infinite Services for home health, with people from ages five to 90,” she said. “I couldn’t be more proud to represent Alvernia and to serve the residents of NYC during this time.”
