Dr. Molly Bathje joined DePaul University in the Spring of 2022 an Assistant Professor of the Masters of Occupational Therapy. Prior to joining DePaul, Dr. Bathje was a faculty member in the entry level OTD program at Rush University for 10 years. An occupational therapist for over 20 years, her primary area of expertise is mental health, but she also has clinical experience in pediatrics, acute care medicine and long term care settings.
Her scholarly areas of interest include understanding and addressing health disparities faced by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, identifying and decreasing barriers to travel people with disabilities encounter, and best practices in occupational therapy education, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Service to others and the profession is important to Dr. Bathje. She currently serves the Director of Communications for the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, volunteers with organizations supporting people experiencing or at risk for homelessness, and is a Board member for Community Support Services, an organization providing services to people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families.
Dr. Bathje enjoys spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, fitness, gardening, travel and walks with her dog.
Education
- BS in Occupational Therapy, Saint Ambrose University, 1998
- MS in Health Systems Management, Rush University, 2009
- PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Western Michigan University, 2016
Professional Memberships
Licenses and Certifications
- IL OT License
- NBCOT Certified
Selected Publications
- Bathje, M., Schrier, M., Williams, K. & Olson, L. (2021). The lived experience of sexuality among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A scoping review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 75(4).
- Stasell, M. & Bathje, M. (2021). Hotel experiences of people with disabilities: A qualitative study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 75(4).
- Bathje, M., Conrad, S., Ross, M., Medick, M., Fogg, L. (2021). Differences in Hospital Based Care for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(3).
- Wilson, C., Berton, E., Farnsworth, E., Fogg, L., Bathje, M. (2020). Evaluation of an interview process for admission into an occupational therapy program. Journal of Allied Health 49(2). 114-119.
- Bathje, M., Lannoye, M., Mercier, A., Panter, K. (2018). A review of occupation based life skills interventions for young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 34 (2).
- Bathje, M. (2014). Sculpting the Illness Experience. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2(4).
Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ojot/vol2/iss4/8/ - Bathje, M. (2012). Art in occupational therapy: An introduction to Occupation and the Artist. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1(1). Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ojot_occupationandartist/1/
Selected Presentations
- Morris, H., Chun, E., Brown, F., Fera, J., Bathje, M. (2021). Effectively Responding to Racism and Discrimination During Fieldwork. Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, Virtual.
- Bathje, M., Brennan, S., DiGuilio, R., McCormack, M. & Snyder, M. (2021). Hospital Emergency Department Staff Training for Effective Documentation of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Alliance for Disability Health Care Education, Virtual.
- Bathje, M, Crisp, M. & Kim, A. (2020). Using simulation to teach IRM: A Case Example. Intentional Relationship Model Unconferenced, Virtual.
- Ailey, S. & Bathje, M. (2020). None of us want to stand still: What advocates and leaders are doing: Improving healthcare for persons with intellectual and developmental disability. American Public Health Association Film Festival, Virtual.
- Bathje, M., VanPuymbrouck, L., & Stasell , M.(2019). Addressing the occupation of travel: Educating the hotel industry to improve access and hospitality for people with disabilities. American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA .
- Bathje, M. (2018). Community participation in young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Ailey, S., Bathje, M., & Heller, T. (2017). Transforming health care with people with disabilities. International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Asia-Pacific Congress, Bangkok, Thailand.