Miriam joined the Ballmer Institute in September 2022 as the Clinical Partnership Liaison and transitioned to the role of an Assistant Clinical Professor in March 2023. Miriam holds a doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California and has been working as an occupational therapist since 2010. She completed her residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities as a LEND Fellow, specializing in Early Childhood Mental Health. Miriam has worked locally and internationally, including Ghana and Ecuador, as a Clinical Fieldwork Educator and Clinical Supervisor, respectively. Most recently, she was employed by Legacy Health Pediatric Development & Rehabilitation. There, she oversaw and planned students’ clinical rotations, provided clinical supervision, and mentored new clinicians. Miriam participated in several interdisciplinary clinics and worked collaboratively with a variety of community service providers, including community mental health agencies to provide family-centered, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive care to families. She supported infants, young children and adolescents with extreme picky eating, neurodevelopmental disorders, neonatal abstinence syndrome, sensory processing disorder, traumatic brain injury, high emotional dysregulation and chronic pain. In addition to her familiarity with the healthcare system, Miriam has supported K-12 students at various school districts in Southern California and Oregon, including families’ transition into early intervention and early childhood programs. She is deeply passionate about increasing access to high-quality care and improving healthy literacy in youth and families. She remains excited to serve families, deepen relationships within her Portland community, and train the first generation of Child Behavioral Health Specialists in her new role. 

Outside of work, Miriam enjoys cooking, dancing, traveling, hammock siestas, and music. She is a mom to a toddler with the best facial expressions and iconic eyebrows. There is no shortage of opportunities for Miriam to lean into her skills as a pediatric occupational therapist with her little one in tow.