Higher Level

Occupational Therapy

about us

Higher Level Occupational Therapy Ltd. strives to provide client-centered, evidence-based occupational therapy services within our client’s community. Our licensed therapists are passionate about working with individuals and groups with functional impairments and helping them progress within their recovery to ultimately improve their participation and quality of life. The OT services we provide our clients are holistic in nature. We aim to address and improve the client’s physical, cognitive, psycho-social and spiritual functioning as well as the unique elements of the activities the client wishes to improve and the client’s environmental surroundings. The majority of our work takes place in the client’s community as we facilitate therapy in their homes, places of study and/or place of work.

Our Team

Jeffrey Moolasseril
MSC(OT)
Director &
Registered OT

Jeffrey currently serves as the Director of HLOT and has 11 years of clinical experience working as a registered Occupational Therapist. He is passionate about raising the profile of Occupational Therapy (OT) in Canada. He has provided OT services in both Alberta and Ontario in the public and private healthcare system.

His clinical interests are treatment of Depression, Anxiety, PTSD and TBI through community-based OT. Jeffrey aims to continue his advocacy for individuals experiencing disability. He also strives to raise awareness for Canadian Veterans and individuals who have sustained workplace injuries.

Shabina Ramji
MSC(OT)
Registered OT

Shabina advocates for holistic, recovery based, and trauma informed practice. Working across the continuum of care with individuals in the areas of both physical and mental health, she is continuously learning about the systemic barriers that are in place for individuals and the need for innovation within our current systems.

Shabina has 8 years of experience working as an occupational therapist. She has worked in inpatient mental health, acute care units including medicine and surgery, and was involved in implementing rehabilitation services within the emergency department. She has worked in a community mental health clinic for older adults, and a mental health outreach clinic working with individuals experiencing homelessness. Prior to pursuing occupational therapy, she worked as a registered nurse primarily in inpatient mental health.

Anusha Metapalli
MSC(OT)
Registered OT

Anusha has 8 years of clinical experience working as an Occupational Therapist and has worked in a variety of settings such as acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics, mental health facilities, pediatric clinics, and continuing care centers for older adults. She has experience working with a multitude of diagnoses and has a primary interest in those related to neuro-rehabilitation especially adults with stroke. She strongly believes Occupational Therapy perfectly harmonizes kindness, creativity, and science.

Anusha speaks all four South-Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada besides Hindi and English.

Vanessa Viernes
RN
Clinic Case Manager

Vanessa joined the HLOT team in 2019. She has 8 years of clinical experience working as a Registered Nurse (RN) in Alberta. Vanessa has a wealth of experience providing nursing care to adult clients diagnosed with a variety of neurological conditions, including Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke.

Vanessa speaks English, Tagalog and Ilocano and has worked as an RN in Baguio City, Philippines. She is passionate about working with geriatric populations.

Madison Ukass
MSC(OT)
Registered OT

Madison is an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist with experience in a variety of settings. Starting off her career in Acute Neuro (Stroke Rehab) she moved to working in Long Term Care with a variety of complex diagnoses.

From working with clients and their families experiencing dementia, to advocating and providing services for clients with various mental health conditions, Madison has a range of experiences over the past year of practice. Madison is passionate about aging in place and working with families to care for their loved ones and to reach their goals. Madison believes in a holistic approach to practice that fosters kindness, understanding, independence, and creativity.

Dianna Chan
Clinic Manager

Dianna is the Clinic Manager at HLOT. She holds two Bachelor’s Degrees from the University of Calgary where she majored in International Relations and Anthropology. She works closely with the HLOT Director, OT clinicians and clients. She provides support for client scheduling, addresses client questions, facilitates clinical research, and manages the HLOT website.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy aims to improve a client’s overall functioning, participation in activities and quality of life. An Occupational Therapist assesses the client and collaborates with them in order to establish functional goals and address the client’s occupational performance issues which impact their functioning and participation.

OTs have a variety of interventions to help the client progress with respect to their functional goals. OT intervention can target the client themselves (e.g. working on improving strength, energy conservation, cognitive skills, etc.), the client’s environment (e.g. ergonomics, improving accessibility and implementing adaptive equipment) and/or the activity being performed (e.g. task modification).

Our Mission, Vision & Values

MISSION : We aim to help our clients reach a higher level of function, participation and recovery.
VISION: To provide access to any individual and/or group seeking client-centered Occupational Therapy services.
Education

To educate our
community on
the benefits of Occupational Therapy.

Service

To consistently
provide high quality
Occupational Therapy
services.

Advocacy

To advocate for
individuals and/or
groups with
disabilities.

Community

To collaborate
with community
partners to pursue
positive societal
change.

Diversity

To improve diversity in the field of Occupational Therapy by providing equitable opportunities for BIPOC OTs.


Client Testimonials

Client satisfaction is our number one priority.

I’m extremely grateful for the services and support I received from Higher Level Occupational Therapy this past year. I was involved in a workplace accident and had chemical burns to my arms. After being hospitalized, I found it very challenging to return to work and use certain chemicals that are essential for my job as an Operations Manager. My therapist helped me get back to my work duties through Exposure Therapy. They listened to my needs and didn’t push me too quick. I appreciate their level of commitment as a therapist. I also appreciated the fact that there was consistent communication to my case manager on my progress. I highly recommend Higher Level Occupational Therapy!

- Derek C., Operations Manager from Airdrie, AB

I found the services and advice provided by my OT at Higher Level OT on dealing with life challenges very helpful. After several sessions, I started to find I could deal with issues in a more reasoned way without getting anxious. Overall, I would fully recommend their services.

- C.M (Former Client)

Higher Level OT is a fantastic service for feeling better about life, overall happiness, and gaining new skills for coping with stress of any sort. Jeff is a competent, trustworthy person who understands deeply the needs of people to get them back on their feet. Jeff has an ability to put people at ease and make them feel as though they are an important part of society. Even the small things in life that seem overwhelming at first - gets addressed and broken down into manageable steps so that success is always achievable. He is kind and professional with a willingness to go the extra mile to help anyone in need. Please do yourself a favour and contact Higher Level OT. You will be glad you did!

- M.W. (Former Veteran Client)

As a practicum student, I felt HLOT had a very positive learning environment where I was encouraged to ask questions and give my thoughts on the client sessions. The clinicians genuinely care for the welfare of their clients and ensure they are comfortable and respected, promoting the optimum atmosphere for rehabilitation. While working with the HLOT clinicians, clients expressed to me their deep gratitude for how their OTs had helped them along their journey. Jeff M. was a wonderful mentor, and HLOT is an amazing occupational Therapy team and it was my pleasure to work with them.

- C.P. (Former Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant Student)

Our OT Services

Click on the services below for more information

Exposure Therapy
Transition to Adulthood & Support with Launching
Life Coaching
Care Needs Assessment
In-Home Functional Assessment
Cognitive Assessment and Treatment
Psychosocial Assessment and Treatment
Ergonomic Assessments
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Assessment and Treatment
Medical Legal Reports
Workplace Wellness Education
Capacity Assessment

FAQ

Our office hours are Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM (MT) to 4:00 PM (MT). Our Occupational Therapists (OTs) try their best to accommodate client schedules when booking therapy sessions. Our OTs may be available to provide OT services during evenings and on weekends. We will make every effort to assign you with an OT that can accommodate your schedule.

If you have experienced an injury/illness and a subsequent change in functioning or quality of life, an Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment can help determine if OT intervention is recommended.

An OT assessment can also help determine if assistive devices, home modifications, and/or other therapies are recommended for you. We encourage you to discuss the potential of OT services with your current healthcare professionals, e.g. Psychologist, family physician, etc. 

An OT assessment is typically 1.5-3 hours depending on the complexity of the client’s occupational performance issues. Our OTs will provide you with an estimated timeframe for your assessment during the initial phone consultation which takes place prior to your OT assessment. OT treatment sessions are typically 45-75 minutes; however, we try to be as flexible as possible and can offer shorter or longer sessions depending on client preferences and needs. 

Most insurance plans cover OT services. With your consent, our administrative staff can connect with your insurance provider to help you determine your individual insurance coverage for OT services. 

Yes, we are able to directly bill most insurance providers and other organizations that provide coverage for OT services.

OT services are $150/hr. Clients are also billed for OT clinician travel time. Mileage is billed for clients who receive in-person OT services that are outside city limits. We will provide you with an estimate for assessment and treatment sessions prior to your participation in therapy. 

We primarily work with adults (ages 18+). In some circumstances, we are able to offer services for pediatric clients.

Our OT services are typically facilitated within our client’s home environment. We are also able to facilitate virtual OT services, which requires our client to have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer with a camera and high speed internet connection. We are also able to facilitate OT services within a clinic setting if this is the client’s preference. 

Your assigned OT will discuss the elements of your individualized OT assessment during your initial phone consultation. 

Yes, your family members and/or caregivers can attend and inform your assessment and/or intervention sessions, provided that you (the client) provided informed consent for them to do so. 

Our OT clinicians perform hand hygiene prior to and during facilitation of in-person OT services. We also don surgical masks and disposable gloves when appropriate. 

We currently facilitate OT services (both in-person and virtual) within Alberta, Canada. We also provide virtual OT services for clients living in Canadian territories. 

Our administrative staff will schedule you for your initial OT assessment. Prior to your assessment, your assigned OT clinician will call you to facilitate a phone consultation to learn more about you and your occupational performance issues to ensure a comprehensive, client-centered assessment. Our administrative assistant can be reached at admin@higherlevelot.com.

Get in Touch

Email

To make a referral or for any other inquiries, complete the form above or e-mail info@higherlevelot.com and we will respond as soon as possible.

Mailing Address

Please feel free to mail any corresponding medical/rehabilitation documentation to our mailing address:
#19, 234-5149 Country Hills Blvd. NW, Calgary AB T3A 5K8.

Phone

We can also be reached at
(403) 369-9894.