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College of Health, Human Services & Nursing
Department of Occupational Therapy                                             
Lecturer

310-243-2726                                 
ksantos31@csudh.edu

EDUCATION

2021
Master of Science, Occupational Therapy | ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, Dominguez Hills | Carson,
California

2015
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Minor, Management | University of California, Irvine | Irvine,
California

Professional Experience

AUGUST 2025 - PRESENT

Part Time Faculty – Fieldwork Faculty |CSU, Dominguez Hills | Carson, California
Supervise and mentor occupational therapy students during clinical fieldwork placements,
fostering professional reasoning, evidence-based practice, and clinical skill development.
Collaborate with academic faculty and fieldwork sites to ensure alignment between academic
curriculum and clinical experiences. Provide feedback to support students’ growth as emerging
practitioners.

AUGUST 2022 - PRESENT

Occupational Therapist | The Stepping Stones Group| Garden Grove, California
Provides occupational therapy services to the students of Garden Grove Unified School District.
Responsible for working with the interdisciplinary team to develop individualized education plans
for students in special education. Collaborates with students, parents, teachers, and related
service providers to create academic related goals that are meaningful, functional, and
achievable. Responsible for screening, evaluating, treating, and discharge planning for K-12 and
adult transition program students. Delivers occupational therapy services via response to
intervention, consultation, direct treatment, and recommending adaptive equipment and/or
accommodations.

MARCH 2024 - PRESENT

Occupational Therapist (Per Diem) | Sage Behavior Services | Fullerton, California
Responsible for occupational therapy screening, evaluations, consultation services and direct
therapy for early intervention clients referred for occupational therapy.

AUGUST 2021 – JULY 2022

Occupational Therapist | Orange County Speech Services |Huntington Beach, California
Responsible for evaluating, establishing treatment plans, reporting progress, initiating discharge
planning, and implementing treatment programs through direct service to children ages 0-17
years. Educates and collaborates with family and interdisciplinary team members on strategies
for generalization of skills to a variety of settings. Experienced with providing treatment
intervention for fine motor, visual motor, visual perception, motor coordination, and handwriting.
• Supervised a Fieldwork I Occupational Therapy Student, providing guidance, mentorship,
and support in clinical practice. Facilitated the development of assessment, intervention,
and documentation skills while fostering professional growth.

JANUARY 2021 – APRIL 2021

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork II Student | Orange County Speech Services |Huntington
Beach, California
Independently delivered standardized assessments: BOT-2, PDMS-2, SPM, REAL, Beery-VMI.
Assessed, treatment planned, and delivered services to full caseload. Attended and contributed
to student IEPs.

SEPTEMBER 2020 – DECEMBER 2020

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork II Student | Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center |Downey,
California
Executed ADL, ROM, gross strength, vision, muscle tone and sensory evaluations. Utilized
neurodevelopmental treatment techniques within intervention for upper extremity spasticity
management, motor control, and motor learning. Collaborated with transdisciplinary team
members on a daily basis and discussed client-centered priorities and needs during weekly
meetings.

Publications

Huang, Y. H., Nagao, C. A., Santos, K. M. B., & Werchowsky, M. I. (2022). Impact of Culture,
Spirituality, and Mental Health Attitudes on Intergenerational Asian-American Caregivers:
A Pilot Study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(2), 7602205030.

Research Activities

JANUARY 2020 – AUGUST 2020

Impact of Culture, Spirituality and Mental Health Attitudes on Intergenerational Asian American
Caregivers: A Pilot Study
Conducted quantitative research examining the relationships between cultural values,
spirituality, and mental health perceptions among intergenerational Asian American caregivers.
Managed participant recruitment, ensuring a diverse and representative sample through
community partnerships and targeted outreach. Administered surveys and structured
assessments, collected data, and performed statistical analysis to identify key trends and
correlations. Contributed to reporting and dissemination of findings to support culturally
responsive caregiving and mental health interventions.

MAY 2019 – DECEMBER 2019

The Experiences of Occupational Therapists Working with High-Needs, High-Risk Youth
Conducted qualitative research exploring the experiences of occupational therapy clinicians
serving high-needs, high-risk youth. Led participant recruitment, ensuring a diverse sample of
clinicians, and conducted in-depth interviews to capture their perspectives. Managed
transcription and thematic coding, analyzing key patterns and insights to inform the study’s
findings. Disseminated research findings at CSUDH Student Research Day.

Conference Presentations

AUGUST 2022

Presenter | World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Congress| Paris, France
Presented research findings from the study, Impact of Culture, Spirituality, and Mental Health
Attitudes on Intergenerational Asian American Caregivers: A Pilot Study. Delivered an oral
presentation to an international audience of occupational therapy professionals, highlighting
key insights on the intersection of cultural identity, spirituality, and mental health perceptions in
caregiving. Engaged in discussions with global researchers, fostering cross-cultural dialogue on
supporting diverse caregiving populations through occupational therapy interventions.

Honors and Awards

MAY 2021

Fieldwork Recognition Award Recipient | ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, Dominguez Hills,
Occupational Therapy Program
Recognized for outstanding performance during fieldwork placements, demonstrating a high
level of clinical competence, professionalism, and dedication to patient care. Consistently
received positive feedback from supervisors and colleagues for exemplary therapeutic skills,
critical thinking, and ability to adapt interventions to meet the unique needs of diverse patient
populations.

APRIL 2020

Second Place | Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences, Graduate Level | California State
University Student Research Competition
Selected by ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, Dominguez Hills to represent the university at the CSU
Statewide Student Research Competition. Competed against graduate-level researchers from
23 California State Universities, earning 2nd place in the Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences
category. As part of the competition, recorded an oral presentation of our research and
participated in a live virtual Q&A session with judges, defending our findings.

FEBRUARY 2020

First Place | Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences | ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, Dominguez Hills
Student Research Day
Awarded first place in the Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences category for delivering an oral
presentation on the qualitative research project titled "The Experiences of Occupational
Therapists Working with High-Needs, High-Risk Youth". Participated in a Q&A session with both the community and research judges.

Professional Membership and Activities

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) | DECEMBER 2018 - PRESENT
Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) | DECEMBER 2018 - PRESENT
Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE) | MAY 2019 – MAY 2021
Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) – Executive Board: Event Coordinator | MAY
2019 – MAY 2021