Janice Rocker OTD, OTR/L, CHT, CEAS

Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy

Room: CHP 133
(323) 442-6050
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Biography

Janice Rocker received her clinical doctorate of occupational therapy degree from USC in 2014, her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Boston University in 1985 and passed the Hand Therapy Certification examination when it was first offered in 1991. In 2005, she became a Certified Structural Yoga Therapist in order to help her clients manage stress and pain due to injury or degenerative conditions, and in 2019, she became a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist. Dr. Rocker has lectured extensively on wound healing, custom static and dynamic orthotic fabrication, ergonomics, physical agent modalities, joint protection, cumulative trauma, body mechanics and hand/upper extremity rehabilitation. Her articles have been published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. She coordinates the outpatient hand and upper extremity rehabilitation program at Keck Medical Center of USC.

Education

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2014 | University of Southern California

Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy
1985 | Boston University

Bachelor of Science (BS)
1980 | University of Maryland, College Park

Publications

2018

Other Articles

Wong, S., & Rocker, J. D. (2018, October). Helping a client with carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger fingers pump gas. OT Practice, 29–31. Full text

2012

Other Articles

Rocker, J. D. (2012, January). Professional power through membership. ASHT Times: The Official Newsletter of the American Society of Hand Therapists, 19(4), 11, 13. Full text

1996

Book Chapters

Rocker, J. D., & Nelson, D. L. (1996). Affective responses to keeping and not keeping an activity product. In R. P. Fleming Cottrell (Ed.), Perspectives on purposeful activity: Foundation & future of occupational therapy (pp. 527-532). Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association.

1988

Journal Articles

Rocker, J. D. (1988). Promoting occupational therapy by using a simulated hemiplegic arm to demonstrate dressing technique. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 42(2), 123-126. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.42.2.123 Show abstract

When creating a promotional booth to increase awareness about occupational therapy remember that (a) people learn by participating and (b) positive reinforcement encourages a greater sense of learning. In addition, follow these rules: (a) keep the task simple, (b) eliminate jargon and use nonmedical terms, (c) encourage interaction and reward thoughtful reflections, and (d) make sure that participants leave with some promotional materials in hand. As described here participants acquired a hemiplegic arm and tried to dress. They were immediately rewarded with an occupational therapy sticker. Acting as patients, they experienced visual deficits with a special pair of glasses. The occupational therapist encouraged people to ask questions about dressing and visual deficits and about the display of splints and adaptive equipment. People helped themselves to occupational therapy promotional buttons and literature. They left with a basic understanding of hemiplegia. They also understood how an occupational therapist works with a patient to help the patient regain functional independence.

1987

Journal Articles

Rocker, J. D., & Nelson, D. L. (1987). Affective responses to keeping and not keeping an activity product. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 41(3), 152-157. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.41.3.152 Show abstract

This study examined whether keeping or not keeping the products of a craft activity influences affective meaning and mood. Four groups of undergraduate (n = 23) and graduate (n = 20) students created block-printed stationery. Two groups were allowed to keep their stationery, and two groups were not. The measure of mood changes was the Bipolar Profile of Mood States, which subjects completed before and after the activity. After the activity, subjects also completed the Osgood 12-scale short-form semantic differential, which measured the affective meanings of the activity. Data analysis revealed significant differences between conditions on two out of nine variables. The subjects who could not keep their products became significantly more hostile and significantly more energetic than the subjects who kept their stationery. Implications for occupational therapy theory and further research possibilities are discussed.

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master's degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for certification by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.