Samantha Valasek OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy

Room: HRA 500
(323) 442-3354
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Biography

Samantha Valasek is a clinical faculty member at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, the USC Chan Division’s private clinic where occupational therapists deliver lifestyle-based interventions. As an experienced provider of Lifestyle Redesign® services, she works with clients with various chronic conditions to support the acquisition of health-promoting habits and routines that can help people lead healthier, happier, and more meaningful lives. Dr. Valasek balances her clinical responsibilities with teaching, fieldwork education, and scholarly pursuits.

Dr. Valasek received her Master’s degree in occupational therapy from USC in 2015 and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree from USC in 2016. Her clinical residency focused on the development and expansion of occupational therapy services in primary care settings to improve clients’ access to quality health care, which continues to be an area of focus in her clinical and scholarly work.

Education

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2016 | University of Southern California

Master of Arts (MA) in Occupational Therapy
2015 | University of Southern California

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Natural Science: Pre-Physical/Occupational Therapy
2012 | Loyola Marymount University

Publications

2019

Journal Articles

Cunningham, R., & Valasek, S. (2019). Occupational therapy interventions for urinary dysfunction in primary care: A case series. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(5), 7305185040p1-7305185040p8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.038356 Show abstract

Urinary dysfunction is commonly reported in primary care contexts. A shortage of primary care providers is affecting access to relevant services. Occupational therapy practitioners work in primary care settings and typically address urinary dysfunction in an outpatient context. Evidence regarding the delivery of occupational therapy interventions for urinary dysfunction in primary care has been limited. In this study, 3 women received 9–14 occupational therapy sessions in a primary care setting to address urinary symptoms. Plan-of-care duration, assessments, and urinary dysfunction interventions were individualized to accommodate personal and environmental factors. Across all case-series participants, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure scores demonstrated clinically significant improvement. Mixed results were found for SF–36 health-related quality-of-life subscale scores. Assessment scores specific to urinary dysfunction decreased, indicating reduced symptom severity and functional impact. This article provides preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility of occupational therapy interventions addressing urinary dysfunction in primary care settings.

2018

Other Articles

Valasek, S., & Halle, A. (2018). Practicing in an established primary care setting: Practical tips and considerations. OT Practice, 23(15), 8–11, 13. https://doi.org/10.7138/otp.2018.2315.f1

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.®, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (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.