Episode 38: Army OT Guy

As an occupational therapist in the U.S. Army for more than ten years, Major Erik Johnson, MS, OTR/L, was instrumental in the care for service members who had sustained devastating physical, cognitive and mental health injuries during combat operations. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work with brain injuries while deployed to Afghanistan. Erik currently serves as an occupational therapist working inpatient rehab and acute care at Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in Waco, Texas. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Warfighter Engaged and Operation Supply Drop, two organizations that support military service members across the spectrum of care.

On this episode, Erik shares about his experiences as an OT including how he uses gaming as a therapeutic medium and his work with non-profit organizations. You can learn more about Erik by visiting his blog, Army OT Guy, at  and his website, 

Resources & recommendations shared on this episode:

• Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship  - A children's book written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, a wife and husband who were injured in the Boston Marathon bombing. Jessica and Patrick were keynote speakers at the 2016 AOTA Conference. They have a service dog named Rescue who's the star of the book. Rescue also has his own Instagram account where you can follow him @Rescue Boston 
• Info on a career as an OT in the Army
• Article by Erik Johnson: The Role of OT Within Military Settings 
• Blog post by Eric on OT Potential 

Learn more about and connect with Erik:

• ​Erik's Blog - Army OT Guy  - http://armyOTguy.blogspot.com
• Erik's website - www.erikunleashed.com 
• Twitter - @OTunleashed
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ErikJohnson6
• Email - armyOTguy@gmail.com

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