16 January, 2017
Yes, we do need Volunteer Faculty at UNEPH/ FSRL !
OVERVIEW OF CLASSES
During their first year, rehab students from both degree programs (OT and PT) take classes in basic sciences and liberal arts with the FSIL (Faculté des Sciences Infirmiêres de Léogâne) nursing students.
During the second year, the students choose either OT or PT as a profession. Second through fourth year courses in rehabilitation are offered in block intensive format to allow students to complete one full course at a time. The program will be 4 ½ years long: 4 years of academic classes and 6 months of clinical education.
SHORT SEMINARS on FRIDAY AFTERNOONS: We need faculty during semester one, year one, for “Introduction to the Rehabilitation Professions 1”. Volunteer OTs and PTs from the US, Canada, and Haiti will meet with the students to explain and/or demonstrate the variety of therapeutic approaches they use in their disciplines. This course does not carry academic credit, but it is a required part of the curriculum.Volunteers are invited to come even for very short visits, and should be prepared to give a two-hour seminar on their own area of practice. Please consider coming for a one-time seminar on the campus, on a Friday afternoon, when you are volunteering in Haiti.The first semester begins on October 5, 2017, and ends in February of 2018, with a two-week break for Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
PART OR ALL OF AN ACADEMIC COURSE
Longer-term volunteer faculty members are needed, for one week to three weeks (longer if available). A degree of Master’s or Doctorate is required for these credit-bearing courses.The first credit-bearing course in Rehab for our first-year students will began in March of 2017, in the second semester of their first year. The students are participating in a six-credit course called “Introduction to the RehabilitationProfessions 2”. It includes orientation to OT, orientation to PT,philosophy of rehabilitation: Issues and Topics, and an overview of elements of practice. “Introduction to Rehabilitation 2” meets three times a week, which consists of two didactic classes and one lab.
Classes for second through fourth year students are taught in a block intensive format (two to four weeks). There are two different roles for faculty who are interested in these block intensive courses. First, a faculty member with experience in the field may volunteer to write a course, based on the learning objectives provided by the developers of our curriculum. Second, a faculty member may volunteer to come to Haiti to be an in-class instructor, using the materials provided by the course author. Faculty members with an interest in teaching a credit-bearing course will be contacted for a resumé and will have a phone interview. A subsidy is available to cover most or allof the cost of lodging.
CLINICAL EDUCATION
In the first year, students will observe therapy provision.
In the middle and at the end of the second year studentsdo their clinical placements, Level 1, for one week. Three week clinical placements will begin in 2017-2018. OT and PT students will ideally be placed together for clinical education, to learn to work collaboratively. Volunteer clinical educators are needed to commit to one to three weeks or to form a team of a series of faculty to commit to this coverage. The clinical education will be held in January and at the end of classes, in July. If you already have a commitment to an NGO with a clinical facility, please consider contacting FSRL to establish whether your clinic can participate in clinical education, and whether your time with that facility will be during the time of the clinical education. Clinical educators with an interest in this period of supervision will be asked to send a resumé and to have a phone interview.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Some faculty members have preferred to come to teach a one or two-day workshop for practicing professionals in Haiti. There is a Haitian PT society, formed by PTs who received education abroad (mostly in the Dominican Republic or in Cuba). There is also a Haitian OT association, formed mostly by foreign OTs practicing in Haiti. There are many graduates of rehab tech programs in Haiti. All of these groups need and appreciate continuing education workshops. If the schedules allow, our FSRL students will also attend.
COSTS OF TRAVEL AND LODGING
Our funding is limited: we are operating on a shoe-string. But we will share our shoe-string with you! We can give you an honorarium as a thank you gift for your generosity in coming to teach. It will not be enough to cover the cost of travel, but it usually covers lodging. Please consider whether you are financially able to come at this time, planning for the expense in advance. If not, let us think together about how you could be part of our team, while staying at home or working!
WHAT COMES NEXT?
If you are interested and able to plan to come teach, please send your CV and a short letter to give a little of your background.
Your short letter could address your reason for being interested in coming; whether you have prior experience in Haiti, or in a work or volunteer role overseas somewhere else; any language ability in French or Kreyol’ and your preferred subjects to teach. If you already know that one of the above roles would be a good fit for you, you can include that in the letter. You might want to ask questions in the letter as well.
THANK YOU for considering coming to be part of this remarkable educational experience!
Contact info
CONTACT PERSON
Dr. Janet O’Flynn will be in residence as volunteer Dean of FSRL during this (the second) year of the program, 2016-2017.
- Dr. Janet O’Flynn, Acting Dean
or
Haiti phone # 4397-2658; and 3435-8831
If calling from the US, dial these codes before that phone number: 011 (509)
Phone Number of Administrative Assistant for FSRL, Mlle. Miselene Lafleur:
3435-8811: 7 to 3, Monday to Friday.
Phone Number of FSIL Secretary, Mme. Dieuline Vincent,
from Mon. to Fri. 7 am to 3 pm
(Haiti time zone is the same as Eastern time zone in the U.S.)
2813-0416
If calling from the US, dial these codes before that phone number: 011 (509)
- OT Curriculum Developer
Dr. Kate Barrett, OTD
Work 651-690-8767
- PT Curriculum Developer
Dr. Julie Booth
Work 203-582-3681
- Clinical Education Program Developer
Professor Jami Flick
Work: 901- 448-2296
- Faculty development
Dr. Patty Coker-Bolt
843-792-7491