Erin Tucker lights up when she talks about her job as the Clinical Office Coordinator for Pediatric Therapy. But the path that led her there wasn’t always clear. 

“I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with my educational background,” explains Erin, who graduated from University of Lynchburg with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in special education. “It’s been really nice to know I am putting that degree to good use,” she says.  

Her degree, organizational skills and sunny personality combine to make Erin the perfect fit, as she helps families who are new to therapy services. A typical day as the Clinical Office Coordinator may involve checking insurance, gathering authorizations or paperwork, getting everything ready for therapists’ first visits, handling the Pediatric Therapy phone line and helping connect families with early intervention services. 

“I enjoy trying to go the extra step for them. I want them to have a really positive experience and feel important,” Erin says. “I let them know I’m here as their point of contact for any questions they have. If I don’t know the answer, I will find out!”  

With so many tasks to juggle, it’s important to have the right skills for this job. “You have to be organized, first and foremost. It’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of patients. We’re really lucky because we’re continuously growing. It’s a huge testament to us that our numbers are increasing even through COVID. Which has been incredible,” Erin says. 

But she’s not surprised at Pediatric Therapy’s record-breaking success. “I constantly hear, ‘This therapist changed my life! We don’t know where we’d be without them.’” Another parent recently told Erin that “this has been the smoothest, easiest process” working with her as well as SOAR365’s service coordinator and therapists. 

Erin agrees that our people make all the difference. “I love our team. Cara and SOAR365 excel at hiring people who are kind, warm, considerate and really dedicate their life to their job. Even with masks on, you can just tell everyone is smiling and so welcoming; it’s just a great environment to come into every day.”  

And by sitting in on therapist meetings and presentations, Erin gets to continue her education at SOAR36. “I’m learning a lot. It’s great, I love it!” 

When she’s not at SOAR365, Erin enjoys shopping and girls’ weekends with friends, visiting her family near Smith Mountain Lake, and enjoying the outdoors with her boyfriend and their dog.  

To learn more about Pediatric Therapy and our other programs for children and adults with disabilities, please visit soar365.org/find-support.

Donate today, and you can help a child with disabilities say their first word or take their first step: soar365.org/donate