For most of his life, Tim Koontz has helped people. It’s just what he likes to do. This supportive and giving spirit helps him serve the students he works with as an occupational therapist.

Tim had a number of careers that all involve serving other people. He served the community at the U.S. Postal Service working in various positions in mail processing, finance and statistical programs.  As an ordained minister at Sancta Sophia Seminary in Tahlequah, OK, he pursued different styles of teaching meditation.  He’s also practiced serving others in the community as a certified massage therapist in Wichita.  Now, he works with the students at Heartspring and has been since 2006. He says his varied career background helps him because it broadens his perspective.

Tim thinks outside the box to help the students. One way he broadened Heartspring’s occupational therapy regimen is by helping to create fine motor kits. The box contains a wide variety of tools like stringing beads, pop-tubes, puzzles, lacing cards, Theraputty and other items to improve the students’ fine motor skills.  The kits help the students’ functional grasp and bilateral hand skills. He also contributed to Heartspring’s self -care goals program. He works with students on a variety of home self-care goals such as wash body, dry body, tooth brushing, meal pacing and others.  No matter what the therapy or treatment, he treats every student as an individual with individual needs so the student has his or her best chance to succeed.

Tim says he enjoys watching the students grow new skills and improve on the ones they already have. He appreciates the fact that Heartspring is one of the few facilities that offers an intense and comprehensive staff of professionals to help each and every student improve. 

In his free time, Tim enjoys going to car shows and working on his collectable cars. He also collects tropical fish.