Specialized Online Training and Mentoring Program for Neonatal Therapists

Jenene Craig, PhD, MBA, OTR/L, CNT

Ignite Co-Leader, Instructor, Mentor

Jenene is the Program Director for the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Development PhD and MA programs in the School of Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. She has enjoyed a distinguished 40+ year career in leadership, management, clinical experience, and non-profit higher education.

Dr. Craig brings a unique context as a seasoned certified neonatal occupational therapist. Her professional work includes decades of emphasis in Trauma-Informed Care, infant and early childhood mental health, diversity and social justice, and parent-infant attachment. Dr. Craig’s focus is to translate interprofessional advances in the understanding of early life adversity, epigenetics and parental mental health into actionable improvements in the care of critically ill infants and families. Dr. Craig’s passion for infant mental health and the life-span impact from infancy through adulthood is revealed in her active professional organization work. Dr. Craig currently serves in leadership with the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT), previous Board of Directors for the National Perinatal Association (NPA), and was the inaugural Co-Chair of the Neonatal Therapy Certification Board (NTCB). Dr. Craig’s work revolves around her own personal journey in neonatal trauma, her work as an OT, and her first passion as mother of six.

Jennie Jacob, MSPT, CNT, NTMTC, CNBE-H

Ignite Instructor, Mentor

Jennie graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy in 2000. She entered the workforce in early intervention and has worked in all areas of pediatrics across her career including home health, outpatient, and inpatient areas. She began her NICU specialization in 2007 and continues to work in the NICU and follow-up clinic at Banner University Medical Center-Tucson. Additionally, Jennie was on the inaugural board for the Neonatal Therapist National Certification progress and has been clinical faculty for ArizonaLEND since 2015. She is active professionally within NANT as both the PT

Clinical Advisor and an Ignite Mentor and Instructor specializing in neuromotor topics. Jennie is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, is also certified in Neonatal Touch and Massage and Babywearing Education, and enjoys lecturing on a variety of neonatal topics. Jennie still finds passion in her daily work and continuously looks forward to learning and expanding her knowledge base.

Christy Gliniak, PhD, OTR/L, CNT, CPXP

Ignite Instructor, Mentor

Christy is a neonatal occupational therapist from the Pacific Northwest who is deeply committed to advancing trauma-informed, neuroprotective, developmental care practices in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She works at Fielding Graduate University as an Associate Professor in the Infant and Early Childhood Development Program and a visiting researcher at Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, UMC Utrecht, in the Netherlands. Christy is the Communications Manager and Conference Co-chair for the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) and is PRN at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in their level III NICU. Christy is a Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT), a Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP), and a Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist (NTMTC). She is a National Perinatal Association Board Member and a new Executive Council Healthcare Partner for the Family Centered Care Task Force. Currently, Christy’s research and advocacy efforts target neonatal sleep initiatives and infant mental health interventions for underserved and vulnerable infant-parent dyads. Christy has a strong desire to elevate culturally responsive therapeutic interventions for Indigenous communities, families experiencing homelessness, and newborns and parents affected by substance use disorder. Dr. Gliniak uses her research, innovation, and advocacy efforts to elevate the human experience in neonatal healthcare and to optimize long-term developmental outcomes for medically fragile infants and their families. Christy is a clinical consultant, international speaker, military spouse, and mother of two.

Anjanette Lee, MS, CCC-SLP, CNT, NTMTC

Ignite Instructor, Mentor

Anjanette received her undergraduate degree from Baylor University and her graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Texas at Dallas, Callier Center for Communication Disorders. She has been practicing in the NICU for over 25 years, receiving NIDCAP certification in 1999 and then helping her NICU’s quality improvement team incorporate family centered and neuroprotective care practices as standards of care. Anjanette is certified in Neonatal Touch & Massage and in 2017 became one of the first Certified Neonatal Therapists in the nation. Anjanette provides mentorship for other Neonatal Therapists and NICU staff both within the Memorial Hermann System and across the nation. She has co-authored chapters in Kenner & McGrath’s 1st edition of Developmental Care of Newborns & Infants, and also in Case-Smith and O’Brien’s 7th edition of Occupational Therapy for Children. Anjanette serves as co-leader of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists Professional Collaborative, serves on the NANT national conference planning committee and is an educator for both the NANT Ignite program and Educational Resources Inc.