Staff Accomplishments

October, 2009
New Director of Physical Therapy:
We are very pleased to announce that Maria Smith will be joining the staff as our new Director of Physical Therapy. Maria has 20 years experience as a PT. She is the former Director Rehab Services at JFK Medical Center and is currently Director of Therapy (PT, OT and ST) at The Kohler School. Maria has the talent and skill to make a significant contribution to our school.

Staff News:
Congratulations to Julie Haggerty on her promotion to the position of Clinical Coordinator for Physical Therapy. Julie’s extraordinary expertise as a physical therapist, combined with her commitment to our organization and the children we serve, make her most deserving of this promotion. Way to go Julie!!!

Kelly Bretz was promoted to Clinical Supervisor of our Communication Department. Kelly has been a member of our staff for 8 years, and has made numerous contributions to our organization. Most recently, she has led our Student Intern Task Force to new heights. Congratulations, Kelly!

January 22, 2009
Congratulations!! to Janel Weaver PT, DPT on completing her studies for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Des Moines University. Janel is a valued member of P.G. Chambers School. She graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2006 and has special interests in Orthopedics and Pediatrics. The transitional DPT program is for therapists who have previously graduated from a masters or bachelors degree program and are currently practicing. It spans 2 1/2 years of course work focusing on health promotion, research, evidence-based practice, and management skills.

Janel provides Physical therapy to students at PG Chambers school and at district schools with whom PG Chambers has contracts. Congratulations Janel!

May 15, 2008
Congratulations to Julie Haggerty on receiving P.G. Chambers School’s Senior Therapist Designation. Julie has been a member of our staff for the last 6 years and has extensive experience and numerous certifications in the field of physical therapy, including the Neurodevelopmental Technique certification. In 2006, Julie completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Simmons College, Boston. Julie has made many contributions to our organization and is involved in several special projects at P.G. Chambers School.

September 4, 2007
Lisa Grau, OTR/L will present two workshops, An Introduction to Visual Processing in the Young Child and Sensory Integration in the Classroom, at the New Jersey Division for Early Childhood Annual Fall Conference on Friday, October 26, 2007 at Kean University. Lisa has been on the staff of P.G. Chambers School for 5 years and earned a Senior Therapist Position in 2006.

July 26, 2007
Julie Haggerty, PT and Cathy Holden-Pope, PT have recently been appointed as Region 10 Chairpersons for the NDTA (Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association).  They will be the first contact point for therapists, educators, and families interested in more information about NDTA and Neuro-Developmental Treatment in the 13 states of New England and the Mid Atlantic.  Their goal is to increase awareness of this particular treatment approach and serve as a resource.  Cathy is also serving on the Education Committee for the NDTA, bringing some of Chambers School’s expertise on running successful continuing education courses to this national organization.   

Diane Barnes, PT and Julie Haggerty, PT are contributing to the NJ APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) Pediatric Special Interest Group task force for school-based physical therapy practice.  The task force goal is to ensure and promote high quality physical therapy service delivery within the educational environment.

January 9, 2007
Congratulations to Julie Haggerty, PT, DPT, PCS, Mary Carroll, PT, DPT and Cathy Holden-Pope, PT, DPT on completing their studies for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Simmons College, Boston, MA.  All three P.G. Chambers School physical therapists participated in the transitional DPT program (for therapists who have previously graduated and are currently practicing) that spanned 2 1/2 years of course work focusing on health promotion, research, evidence-based practice, and management skills.

August 14, 2006
We are pleased to announce that Linda Macario, PT has been promoted to Senior Therapist.  She has been a physical therapist with P.G. Chambers School since 1995, and is trained in Neurodevelpmental Treatment (NDT). Linda is the Clinical Coordinator of Clinical Education for the PT Student Program and is a Credentialed Clinical Instructor.  She is also the coordinator of the School's Pool Therapy Program. Linda is currently working on developing a comprehensive program to evaluate and treat children with Torticollis.

December 22 , 2005
We are proud to announce that Kelly Bretz, MS, CCC/SLP has been promoted to Senior Therapist. Kelly has worked at P.G. Chambers School for over 11 years as a speech pathologist, and has been an important contributor to all our programs. Congratulations, Kelly!

Lisa Grau, OTR/L has also earned the position of Senior Therapist. Lisa has worked for P.G. Chambers School for four years and became certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) in the last year. She is now the contact person for all Sensory Integration Programs at the School. Congratulations, Lisa!

We also congratulate Karen Kowalski, M.P.H., OTR/L on becoming Clinical Supervisor of Occupational Therapy in September 2005. Karen has been a member of the Occupational Therapy staff since 1998. She received her Masters in Public Health from UMDNJ in 2004. In addition to being an Occupational Therapist, Karen is an accomplished classical pianist. She enjoys combining these two specialties for children with special needs.

During the past few months, Arlene Sklow, MA, CCC/SLP and Coordinator of our Assistive Communication Technology Program (ACT) has presented a number of workshops and trainings on Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology. Arlene addressed the Morris County Speech and Hearing Association, the Sussex County Speech and Hearing Association, and staff at Early Childhood Learning Center. As our Assistive Communication and Technology Coordinator, Arlene conducts professional workshops and trainings and provides augmentative communication evaluations.

Congratulations to Nancy Altshuler, PT who has been promoted to Senior Therapist at P.G. Chambers School.  Nancy has been a member of our staff for 15 of her 17-year career. She is Neurodeveopmental Treatment (NDT) trained in both the treatment of children and infants with neurological disabilities.  Nancy has been the driving force behind many of the recreational/sports programs that are offered at the School including Aquatic Therapy, Special Olympics, Pre-school I Can Day, and the PGCS Ski Team.  She is currently our Continuing Education Conference Coordinator, responsible for organizing all our professional seminars, which attract hundreds of professionals and parents each year.

Congratulations are in order for Martha Truxel, PT who has recently been promoted to Senior Therapist at P.G. Chambers School. Martha has been an important member of our Physical Therapy Department for the past 15 years. She is trained in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) and is a credentialed Clinical Instructor for student physical therapists.  Martha also heads up our Mentoring Program for new therapists, and is also in charge of maintaining all our power mobility equipment, an important responsibility considering the number of students currently using or training to use power wheelchairs.