New clinical directors join LifeLab Kids to spearhead expansion of innovative therapy programs
Ferndale,
Mich.---April 27, 2023---Ferndale-based nonprofit center LifeLab Kids, which offers therapy,
recreation, skill development, and creative outlets for individuals with
disabilities from 18 months to young adult, is pleased to welcome Christine T.
Morelli MA, MEd, BCBA, LBA, as Clinical Director of Applied Behavioral Analysis
(ABA) and Rubina Sama as Clinical Director of Occupational Therapy (OT). In
these newly created roles, which reflect an expansion of LifeLab Kids’
multi-disciplinary approach, Sama and Morelli will oversee their respective
teams at both the Ferndale and Clinton Township locations and play pivotal
roles in implementing LifeLab Kids’ emerging pre-vocational program for
job-readiness.
Christine
Morelli brings a wealth of clinical and leadership experience to LifeLab Kids,
having provided quality behavioral services to individuals on the autism
spectrum based on current practices in Applied Behavior Analysis. As new
Clinical Director of ABA, Morelli will manage and collaborate with LifeLab Kids
therapists and caregivers to ensure that the delivery of the organization’s
unique service offerings and programs meet each child’s development needs with
quality care. She most recently worked as a regional director at Gateway
Pediatric Therapy, and also served in assistant clinical director and supervising
BCBA roles there.
In
2018, Morelli received a Master of Education from Arizona State University,
Tempe, Arizona, with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction in Applied
Behavior Analysis. She also holds a
Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Oakland University in Rochester,
Michigan, and completed her undergraduate degree at Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Social
Work. Morelli is a Board Certified
Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst.
Rubina
Sama has held a variety of occupational therapist roles at pediatric centers
and hospitals throughout Southeast Michigan and Ontario and most recently
worked as Lead OT at Oxford Recovery Center in Troy. As LifeLab Kids’ new Clinical
Director of OT, Sama will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the
organization’s specialized therapy services that address the physical and
mental well-being of youth with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, autism, developmental
delays, Down syndrome, feeding challenges, mood disorders and other learning
disabilities, in addition to addressing further clinic needs.
Sama
earned both her Master of Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Health Science from
Wayne State University, Detroit, and also completed a Bachelor of Arts, General
Honors in Psychology, at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario. She holds
certifications from the National Board for Certification in Occupational
Therapy (NBCOT) and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT), is
licensed by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO), and is a
certified provider of Learning Without Tears® educational solutions,
the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol, and Kay Toomey SOS Approach to Feeding. Sama is
a former president of the Pi Theta Epsilon honor society for occupational
therapists.
“LifeLab
Kids’ unique service offerings and programs are growing rapidly and there was a
need to bring our collaborative clinical efforts to the next level,” LifeLab
Kids CEO and Founder Jai Reddy said. “We are fortunate to have such dedicated
and qualified professionals as Christine Morelli and Rubina Sama join us in our
mission.”
About
LifeLab Kids
Founded
in Ferndale, Michigan in 2019, with a second location in Clinton Township,
LifeLab Kids is an immersive therapeutic, recreation, and learning center that
provides unique, comprehensive and individualized programming to help
differently-abled youth and their families be healthy and active – and to
belong. Empowering these individuals to
see past their limitations and lead full lives, the 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization
brings a multidisciplinary team together under one roof to collectively work with
students to discover their strengths and engage in their passions. Learn more
at www.lifelabkids.org.
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