MHC Occupational Therapists are all licensed to practice in Manitoba with the College of Occupational Therapists of Manitoba (COTM), members of the Manitoba Society of Occupational Therapists (MSOT), and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT).

 
Lorraine Mischuk
Owner

Lorraine began her career as an Occupational Therapist in the public sector in 1989. She gained extensive experience with upper extremity trauma injuries and cumulative trauma disorders, and was also involved in the research, development, and implementation of group education programs for clients with chronic back pain. Following this, Lorraine expanded her career to the private sector as corporate Occupational Therapist with the Canadian National Railway in its main shops. While at CN she was responsible for the development and implementation of occupational therapy services at an industrial site. The main areas of service included employee early intervention, prevention programs, and ergonomic assessments. Here she gained extensive experience with functional capacity evaluation, worksite assessments and the accommodation of injured workers at a large industrial site. Next, Lorraine worked at a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation clinic as part of a team that offered occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, medical consultation and chiropractic consultation. Here she gained extensive experience working with individuals who sustained complex multiple trauma injuries, affecting the individual physically, cognitively, and psychosocially. 

Since 1997 Lorraine has operated Maximize Human Capabilities (MHC) - Ergonomics and Occupational Therapy. She deals with clients following motor vehicle accidents, work injuries, and a variety of other illness or injuries. Commonly these clients have sustained complex multiple trauma injuries, affecting the individual both physically and cognitively. Lorraine regularly performs functional capacity evaluations, cognitive assessments, job demands analysis, worksite assessments, home assessments - personal care assessments, return to work programs, permanent impairment assessments, ergonomic assessments, and medical-legal consultation. Lorraine handles early intervention of work related injuries on site for several major employers and has developed and implemented many prevention programs. This includes heavy industry, manufacturing, forestry, education and computer-based companies.

Lorraine regularly attends industry training programs and seminars across North America ensuring she maintains the highest level of professional standards. She is a fully Certified Work Capacity Evaluation (C.W.C.E.) with the Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation System. This FCE protocol follows current best practice research built around evaluation tools which are widely accepted in the field, have been court tested, and have published peer reviewed reliability and validity studies.   Lorraine is also trained in the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) with the University Centre for Research on Pain and Disability, and provides community-based programming for individuals experiencing disability associated with pain, depression, cancer and other health conditions.   She has lectured at the University of Manitoba for the School of Medical Rehabilitation.

Lorraine is currently Co-Chair of the Manitoba Society of Occupational Therapists - Private Practice Group; and was formally the Chair of the Occupational Therapy Practice Committee, a national committee on private practice with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. Lorraine has a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Microbiology with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Manitoba and worked in medical research prior to becoming an occupational therapist. She is fluent in Ukrainian.

 
Debra Acton
Associate

Debra graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1981 with a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy. For close to 20 years she has worked in the area of vocational rehabilitation and has been with MHC since 1998. She brings with her many years of experience in community-based rehab work. Debra got her start working with children and adolescents at the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre. She worked for 17 years providing school-based services as an employee of the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and currently provides assessment, intervention and program consultation for students in the Sunrise School Division. Debra also has over 10 years of experience in complex rehabilitation case management. With her additional experience working in psychiatry she has honed her skills in working with individuals requiring interventions with a psychosocial component. Throughout her career, she has attended a variety of continuing education courses to further develop her professional skills related to rehabilitation services for workers.

As a sub-contractor, Debra brings to MHC solid experience in a variety of interventions including: home assessment - personal care assessments, permanent impairment assessments, provision of community or home-based work-hardening programs, preparing return to work plans, and ergonomic interventions. Job demands analysis is also performed.  Debra brings her strong experience working with individuals who experience disability associated with musculoskeletal, cognitive issues, and psychosocial issues.

Ana is a graduate of the Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil, in 1997, where she received her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. As a sub-contractor, she brings valuable knowledge and clinical experience related to mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation, having worked in this area since 1998. Continual professional development is very important for Ana. In 1999 she completed a Post Bachelor program in Occupational Therapy for Children from the Pontificate Catholic University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ana has considerable experience working with individuals who experience neurological and psychosocial difficulty in outpatient, inpatient, hospital and community-based settings. As well, she brings with her many years of experience in public health. Ana brings to MHC her valuable knowledge related to addictions, mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation, including recovery facilitation and harm reduction model.  She is familiar with prevention, planning, assessment and continuing care and has considerable experience working with clients in a crisis situation. 

Ana is committed to pursue further knowledge in the field of mental health and addictions, and possesses additional training in both areas from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and the Co-Occurring Disorders Initiative including the fundamentals of addictions, intervention strategies, family violence, understanding gambling problems, motivational interviewing, women and addictions, family and addictions, assessment and crisis management.  Ana is currently completing her master’s degree in rehabilitation sciences at the University of Manitoba. Her current research is focusing on the science of ergonomics in the workplace. In addition to her academic skills, Ana's research and professional focus are related to developing worksite assessments, job accommodation, the enhancement of the work environment and injury prevention. Ana is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese.

Mike Terpenning
Associate

Mike graduated in 1989 with a degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia. Since then he has worked in vocational rehabilitation providing coordination of return-to-work programs, injury prevention education, ergonomic assessments, job demands analysis, functional capacity evaluations to the public and private sector for workers ranging from clerical to heavy industrial. Mike worked in Manitoba for many years providing occupational therapy services at the Canadian National Railway – Prairie Division. As a result Mike has worked closely with health and safety officers in a collaborative relationship that benefitted both. He has a solid understanding of Labour Canada and Transport Canada rules and regulations. The role of a safety officer and how an occupational therapist can complement their service is well understood.

Mike’s background is diverse. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, he received a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from BCIT followed by a Trade Qualification in Heavy Duty Mechanics. Mike is very familiar with working in industry in adverse conditions with heavy physical demands. Relating to workers is a well-developed skill and is of great assistance in helping to implement work techniques and to make return to work after injury a success.

Currently Mike resides in British Columbia and travels to Manitoba for special projects and assessments with MHC. Mike’s role with MHC is to provide industry with services related to injury prevention and return to work; for example the development of pre-placement testing protocol, delivery of injury prevention education, ergonomic assessments, job demands analysis and functional capacity evaluation. Mike recently completed the Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation Certification Program and is currently working towards becoming a fully Certified Work Capacity Evaluator (C.W.C.E.). Mike has experience working with individuals who have sustained complex multiple trauma injuries that affect the individual physically, cognitively, and psychosocially.