I’d like to celebrate the life and contributions of Colleen Heaney MS CASAC, a dear friend of OT in New York State and to OT programs around the country. She happened to be a lifelong Westchester resident and a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Payne Whitney, Westchester Division. Colleen died after a short illness on May 14, 2008 at the age of 64. At the time of her death, she was the Coordinator of Education for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Department which includes occupational therapy. Colleen directed the mental health clinical education of countless occupational therapy students from all corners of the United States. When I talk to faculty members who have met Colleen on fieldwork visits, they have smiled and recounted stories about staying a little longer to laugh and talk with Colleen. She was open, engaging and truly enjoyed teaching and mentoring students. In 2006, Touro College awarded Colleen a Certificate of Appreciation in Recognition of her contributions to the education of their occupational therapy students. In 2008, The Occupational Therapy Program at Columbia University awarded Colleen their Friend of Occupational Therapy Award. Dr. Janet Falk Kessler, in her posthumous remarks about Colleen, stated that “She was the “poster child” of a true collaborator, concerned not with territorial boundaries, but dedicated to improving the lives of others by working together. To that end, she has advanced our profession.”

Colleen worked at New York Presbyterian for 40 years; she saw it evolve from a hospital for the rich when high quality beef and fish were served daily in the cafeteria, through its days when the Westchester Division had 25 occupational therapists to managed care and its current state with more occupational therapy students completing fieldwork there each summer than there are occupational therapists. She was a gifted, versatile therapist. With each shift in organization and direction at New York Presbyterian (after rolling her eyes about the soundness of some decisions), Colleen got to work and developed creative programming and strong collaborations with other professionals.

For a number of years, Colleen served as the Program Coordinator of Therapeutic Activities for Geriatric Psychiatric Services; she then became the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist for patients with Substance Abuse. She also co-led parent-child groups, provided vocational rehabilitation, and community re-entry services. Colleen was a strong advocate of getting patients into the community; she used her strong ties with Grace Church in White Plains to get countless patients from adolescents through the elderly involved in their many community programs. Colleen presented and wrote about her work with occupational therapists as well as other psychiatric professionals. She was also a yearly guest lecturer at a number of occupational therapy programs.

My memories of Colleen span 27 years. I was lucky enough to meet Colleen when I was a young therapist. She was my model about how to get things done and my guide and support as I learned to manage, supervise, and mentor others. I will always cherish her warmth, openness, candor, pragmatism, infectious laugh and irreverent humor that could erase the sting of any affront. She was always unassuming and under the radar. She liked to get things done without slowing things down with too much attention. She did amazing things under the radar.

Every student who has graduated from Mercy College’s Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy spent part of an early spring Saturday during their first year with Colleen. In the early years, all students met her for a Saturday morning lecture on Weekend 7; half of the class then went to New York Hospital with her to interview, and use the ACL and Barth Time Construction with patients. Later on, I took all of my students to New York Presbyterian on Weekend 7. For 13 years, I had the opportunity to provide an amazing learning experience for my students while also spending a sunny afternoon with Colleen. I looked forward to sitting down with her and my students to talk about my students’ patients of the afternoon. Each year, she made me think more deeply, as well as made me laugh. I will miss those Spring Saturdays, but most of all, I will miss my dear friend who also happened to be a great advocate for my profession.

Laurie Olson PhD OTR/L
Westchester District Chair