{"id":40802287050,"date":"2025-02-04T08:14:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T13:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/?p=40802287050"},"modified":"2025-02-12T15:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T20:01:03","slug":"monmouth-university-expands-interprofessional-collaboration-with-partnership-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/monmouth-university-expands-interprofessional-collaboration-with-partnership-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Monmouth University Expands Interprofessional Collaboration with Partnership in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monmouth University students and faculty from the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies and the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences recently participated in a service-learning trip to Delhi, India.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional counseling graduate students Khloe Crimando, Emily Miller, Kayla Breeden, Makaela Andes, and Kevin Egler, and undergraduate student Mary Jodry gained hands-on experience working with nonverbal children from diverse cultural backgrounds through One Life to Love<\/a>, a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing home for abandoned, orphaned, and disabled children, as well as education and care for local migrant children. The trip also helped strengthen interprofessional partnerships and opportunities for the University\u2019s Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program, including the development of assistive technologies, creation of occupation-based programming for children with disabilities, and staff training to enhance therapeutic care at the organization\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis trip is a continuation of our commitment to interprofessional education and community impact. By leveraging the long-standing relationship, the Professional Counseling Department in the School of Humanities has with One Life to Love, we are opening doors for our OTD students to make a difference internationally while gaining invaluable practical experience,\u201d said John Patro Jr., OTD, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy and OTD program director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative, supported by the University\u2019s Global Education Office, is part of the Transformative Travel course. Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., associate professor and director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, spearheaded the trip, while Patro attended to explore interdisciplinary opportunities for OTD capstone students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership with One Life to Love provides students with an opportunity to integrate clinical and academic training in real-world settings. Students gain firsthand experience in culturally responsive care, supporting the University\u2019s mission to prepare compassionate, globally minded professionals who can work with children and support caregivers at the organization\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMonmouth University students have an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in hands on learning with other ways of knowing and doing. By bringing together professional counseling and occupational therapy, we can continue to contribute to the multifaceted needs of the communities that One Life to Love serves, while providing a transformative educational experience for our students,\u201d said Jodry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this trip is typically based in Delhi, this year\u2019s itinerary included visits to Amritsar, Dharamshala, Jaipur, and Rishikesh along the Ganges River, where students participated in cultural immersion and spiritual activities to foster cultural humility. Looking ahead, plans to formalize the partnership between the OTD program and One Life to Love will include sending students to Delhi to collaborate with professional counseling students and local teams, further solidifying Monmouth\u2019s role as a leader in global health care education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur collaboration with One Life to Love offers a perfect opportunity to expand our students\u2019 horizons while making a meaningful difference. I look forward to seeing how this partnership evolves and how it continues to enhance the lives of both the students and the communities,\u201d said Patro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Life to Love was founded by New Jersey native Courtney Lalotra, whose work serves as an inspiration to students, demonstrating the impact of serving underserved communities. The organization\u2019s mission aligns closely with Monmouth\u2019s values of compassion and global engagement. Founded on the belief that every child deserves a loving home, One Life to Love provides residential care, education, and resources to all children in need, as well as support for individuals with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OTD program also participates in an interdisciplinary initiative with the School of Social Work, allowing students to collaborate on addressing the complex needs of underserved populations in Vietnam. Through this latest effort, the University continues to demonstrate its commitment to interdisciplinary education and global engagement, ensuring its students are prepared to meet the challenges of a diverse and interconnected world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., and John Patro Jr., OTD, with professional counseling graduate students exploring the rich culture of Northern India at a farmstead in Amritsar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jodry, Courtney Lalotra, and Patro gathered together to kick off the transformational travel experience at One Life to Love in Delhi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Monmouth professors and students pictured with young women from the Girls Education Program who received laptop computers donated by the University to continue their studies to obtain advanced education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Patro with Jai, a One Life to Love student, after fitting him for a walker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jodry moderating a panel session with Patro and professional counseling graduate students, focusing on strategies to promote mental health with young women enrolled in the Girls Education Program at One Life to Love.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Monmouth University students and faculty from the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies and the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences recently participated in a service-learning trip to Delhi, India. \u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Monmouth University students and faculty gathered with the school children at One Life to Love after running groups focusing on mental health and wellness.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students and faculty from the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies and the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences traveled to Delhi, India, gaining invaluable practical experience with providing culturally responsive care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1872,"featured_media":40802287394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104,414,176,215,444],"tags":[5063,3358,5060,1459,3378,3462,4291],"person":[5064,5068,1465,2725,5071,5074,5073,5069,5075],"audience":[8,50,131,128],"school":[233,149,3486,224,26,140,89,248],"program":[],"class_list":["post-40802287050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-excellence","category-campus-life","category-diversity-and-inclusion","category-experiential-education","category-monmouth-now","tag-global-education-office","tag-occupational-therapy","tag-one-life-to-love","tag-professional-counseling","tag-school-of-humanities-social-sciences","tag-school-of-nursing-and-health-studies","tag-school-of-social-work","person-courtney-lalotra","person-emily-miller","person-joanne-jodry","person-john-patro","person-kayla-breeden","person-kevin-egler","person-khloe-crimando","person-makaela-andes","person-mary-jodry","audience-faculty","audience-graduate-student","audience-prospective-graduate-student","audience-prospective-undergraduate-student","school-graduate-school","school-graduate-studies","school-occupational-therapy","school-psychological-counseling","school-school-of-humanities-and-social-sciences","school-school-of-nursing-and-health-studies","school-school-of-social-work","school-study-abroad"],"squareimage":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40802287050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1872"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40802287050"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40802287050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40802287397,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40802287050\/revisions\/40802287397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40802287394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40802287050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40802287050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40802287050"},{"taxonomy":"person","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/person?post=40802287050"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=40802287050"},{"taxonomy":"school","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school?post=40802287050"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=40802287050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}