Therapist Feature: Brenda Barranco, Director of Management and Development, COTA
Our latest featured therapist at Tilton’s Therapy for Tots is Brenda Barranco, COTA, who also serves as the company’s Director of Management and Development.
Brenda spent her high school summers volunteering at the Veterans Hospital in Albuquerque, NM alongside her stepmom who worked as a physical therapist. The experience she gained through volunteering in a therapy setting resolved her desire to pursue a career as a therapist.
Born in Idaho, living in Washington state, spending the majority of her childhood in Nebraska, Brenda received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology at Wayne State College. She then moved on to receive an Associate of Science, Summa Cum Laude, in Occupational Therapy Assistant in Omaha, NE from Clarkson College in 1999. Her first job working in OT was in the school district in Minnesota. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2000, Brenda has worked with the owner of Tilton’s Therapy for Tots, Debbie Tilton, in different capacities over the years.
Many therapists work in a variety of settings and with many types of patients, and Brenda has experience in a number of different environments for OT. She has worked in hospital in-patient rehab settings, pediatric clinics, home-based therapy, and for school districts in two states. Of her current therapy environment, Brenda says:
“I love home based therapy, allowing you to work with kiddos in their natural environment, and also get to know the families on a personal level.”
The Director of Management and Development is responsible for processing new client referrals, obtaining current scripts for existing clients, developing and maintaining relationships with doctor’s offices or client families, as well as with caseworkers. The typical business management details like organizing employee information including licensure due dates are part of the role along with future business development and opportunity.
After working with direct patient care for 20 years, Brenda was ready for a change in her daily role in OT. An office setting provides a great atmosphere for a self proclaimed organizational nerd with a love for office supplies! The new opportunity allows her to continue working with therapists, families and applying her clinical knowledge to processes, while also working on and organizing special projects.
Brenda loves the Vegas winters here in Southern Nevada, which are very different than the blizzards and windshield ice scraping that goes on in other parts of the country. Vegas is a great place to live to have friends or family come to visit, and always provides plenty of things to do. She has met some of her lifelong friends in Las Vegas. Brenda also has two sons who keep her very busy! At least once a year, she’ll make sure she takes a trip to Disneyland and also loves watching sports in her free time. Brenda’s top teams are the Nebraska Huskers and the Vegas Golden Knights.
One of Brenda’s passions is actively standing up for people and being an advocate for doing what is right. She’d like to get more involved in school anti-bullying programs to encourage this kind of behavior in young people. She believes in and enjoys “doing small things to make a big difference in someone’s life.” Another passion for Brenda is (like so many of us), DOGS. Brenda is accurate when she says,
“they make the world a better place!”
Have a question for Brenda or want to get in contact to learn more? Visit our therapist directory to reach out directly or to contact the Tilton’s Therapy for Tots team. Find more therapist features in our parent resources section to read about some of the other awesome therapists at TT4T.
