(402) 480-3152

Our Team

Meet the Communication Works Team!

Communication Works offers speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy services. Our clinicians pride themselves on providing multi-disciplinary, family-centered, evidence-based assessment and therapy for children and adults.

Many clinicians have specialized training and experience in various areas of practice, making Communication Works a distinctively unique clinic in Lincoln and the surrounding area.

Owner

Toni B. Morehouse, MA, L-CCC-SLP, BCS-CL

Toni is a licensed, ASHA certified speech-language pathologist and Board-Certified Specialist in Child Language and Language Disorders. Her areas of expertise include childhood apraxia of speech and other speech sound disorders, developmental language disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. She has presented at local, state, and national levels on these, and other topics.

Toni has served as treasurer and president of the Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association; member of the Council of State Association Presidents; secretary of the Nebraska Board of Examiners in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology; president of the Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Endowment Fund; Inaugural Cadre Advisor for the Specialty Board on Child Language; and secretary for the Executive Committee of the Nebraska State Stroke Association.

Prior to joining the faculty in the Communication Disorders Division at UNL in 1987 Toni practiced as a speech-language pathologist in Iowa, Wyoming, and western Nebraska. Toni and her business partner, Carol Bowen, opened Communication Works in June 2014 to continue their professional careers with a slightly different emphasis. It has been a wonderful venture!

When she’s not managing her business, Toni loves spending time with her sons and their families, which include five granddaughters, one grandson, and a recently added grandson-in-law. Toni also enjoys reading, gardening, playing bridge with friends, and entertaining.

Providers

Chelsea Joekel, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Chelsea is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who has experience in the school-based setting with elementary and middle school students. She believes that collaboration with parents and other professionals who may serve a client’s needs is the key to success.

Chelsea is passionate about serving children who are deaf or hard of hearing and has received additional training from the Central Institute for the Deaf with the SPICE Auditory Learning Curriculum. Her other specialty areas include working with children with language delays, speech sound disorders, multiple impairments, and those on the autism spectrum.

Chelsea and her husband, Benjamin, enjoy raising their son Henry and daughter Halle. As a family they spend time at the library, being outdoors, and cheering on the Huskers. Chelsea serves the local community as a member of the Junior League of Lincoln and through the Diocese of Lincoln.

Paige Leising, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Paige is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and an IOAM-certified orofacial myologist who enjoys interacting with people of all ages. Paige has experience working in school-based settings as well as in a rehabilitation facility providing therapy for adults with aphasia and traumatic brain injuries.

Paige has specialized training in orofacial myology with a focus on orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), including “tongue thrust.” She works with dentists and orthodontists to provide best practice services for children and adults who have improper swallowing habits that can affect dentition. Her other areas of clinical expertise include articulation, language disorders, and social communication. Paige has a passion for providing guidance and encouragement to people with communication disorders and dedicates herself to helping others communicate more effectively.

Paige loves spending time with her husband Scott and their two daughters, Emma and Hayden. They like to cook, travel, and play outdoors.

Tara Luetkenhaus, PT, DPT

Tara received her clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2008. She has over 14 years of experience providing physical therapy treatment to children of all ages. Tara has worked primarily in the outpatient setting but has also provided home health care to medically fragile individuals and she will be providing PRN services for our clinic.

Tara has a passion for assisting children develop age-appropriate gross motor skills and retraining motor skills following neurological injuries. She has specific training in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) which is a hands-on, client-centered therapeutic approach utilized to improve gross motor function and motor control in individuals with neuromuscular dysfunctions.

Children learn and grow through self-exploration. Tara is dedicated to facilitating movement and teaching parents to assist with movement development in their children to maximize function and their ability to play and interact with others. Tara also has extensive experience with equipment prescription to assist with independent mobility in her clients.

Tara and her husband have two boys that keep them busy outside of work. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and being outdoors.

Kylie Lureen, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Kylie is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. Her areas of interest include stuttering, expressive and receptive language, phonological process disorders, early literacy skills, and accent modification. Kylie’s passion for collaborating with families helps her clients reach their full potential through improved communication.

Kylie facilitates unique and effective social groups for adolescent students. These neurodiversity-affirming group sessions focus on initiation and maintenance of friendships, perspective-taking, problem-solving, social media usage, and much more.

When she’s not working, Kylie enjoys spending time with her husband Mark and their three sons. They love traveling, cheering on the Huskers, spending time with family and friends, and soaking up the outdoors.

Kirsten Mahrt, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Kirsten is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with specialized training in orofacial myology. She has experience working in early intervention and in a school-based setting with preschool through secondary students focusing on language, social, and speech sound (articulation) disorders.

At Communication Works, Kirsten enjoys working with individuals who present with a variety of speech and language disorders. Her specialization in orofacial myology has made her passionate about helping preschool and school-aged clients with speech sound disorders.

Kirsten and her husband, Josh, enjoy exploring local places. Her hobbies include decorating, reading, and gardening.

Celeste May, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Celeste is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with specialized
training in orofacial myology. Celeste chose to pursue the area of orofacial
myofunctional disorders (OMDs) based on her personal experience with family
members with tethered oral tissues (tongue-ties), tongue thrust swallowing patterns,
and articulation errors (another preferred area of clinical expertise).
Celeste has previous experience working in school-based settings and enjoys working
with clients of all ages. Celeste strives to provide top care rooted in evidence-based
practices and she values collaboration with families and other healthcare providers to
aid clients in achieving their communication goals.  

Celeste enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children. They can be
found attending sporting events, enjoying the outdoors, or playing games.

Sydney Meister, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Sydney is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who also practices in an elementary school setting. She is passionate about helping school-age children build their communication skills in a variety of areas, focusing on language, social, and speech sound (articulation) disorders.

Sydney has experience working with children with autism, including those who utilize augmentative and alternative modes of communication (AAC). Sydney is looking forward to receiving additional, specialized training in these areas to better serve children with communication needs.

When she’s not working, Sydney enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and volunteering. She loves playing tennis, reading, and enjoying the outdoors at her family’s lake house.

Pinky Mohapatra, MS, OTR/L

Pinky has been a Pediatric Occupational Therapist for several decades, starting her career in 1996 at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, NE, where, among her many achievements, she helped start the pediatric therapy program. She is certified in Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT) and has an Advanced Baby NDT Certification. Pinky has been fortunate to have received direct hands-on training from national and international experts like Bonnie Hanshu, the Wilbargers, and Lois Bly, among others. She has also had extensive training in therapeutic interventions for children with sensory processing disorders.

Pinky’s special interests lie in implementing multi-modal sensory based intervention approaches in her treatment, with emphasis on children with sensory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, ADD/H, self-regulation issues and sensory defensiveness, using a holistic approach to bring about the best outcomes. Her other major area of expertise is using NDT techniques to work on neuromotor disorders like cerebral palsy in infants and toddlers to minimize developmental delays and optimize gross motor, fine motor, play and self-care skills.

Working with children is not just a job for Pinky. She brings a passion and commitment to her work and strongly believes in completing the continuum of care by actively involving parents and families in the treatment plan and spending time collaborating, designing, and training them in appropriate home programs to ensure that children reach their highest potential.

Pinky is an adjunct lecturer of pediatric occupational therapy in the OTA program at Union College in Lincoln, NE.

In her spare time, Pinky likes to spend time with her family, watching movies, playing board games, and traveling. She also tries her hand at various paper crafts and scrapbooking.

Michelle Smith, MA, L-CCC-SLP

Michelle is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with nineteen years of experience working with children and adults. She has worked in a variety of settings, but most recently she served children Birth-to-5 in their homes and daycares and preschools at ESU7.

Michelle is passionate about helping children and their families communicate effectively and feels strongly that families must be part of any successful intervention program.

Her special interests include literacy, autism spectrum disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, and augmentative and alternative communication modes (AAC). She has specialized training in the Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading, which, combined with her knowledge of speech and language, helps her provide effective, evidence-based reading therapy for all children.

Michelle and her husband Dan have two adult children, Alea and Evan, who are each married and busy in their own careers. She views this as her greatest accomplishment! Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, baking, bicycling on the Lincoln trails, and traveling.

Kristine Stout, MS, OTR/L

Kristine is a licensed, NBCOT-certified occupational therapist who has ten years of early intervention and school-based experience as well as five years of inpatient adult rehabilitation.

Currently, as a pediatric occupational therapist, Kristine focuses on using play-based and child-led therapy to develop skills required to be successful and confident in everyday activities using a child’s motor and play skills, executive functioning, and sensory processing (interpreting incoming sensations and responding to them.)

Kristine specializes in Handwriting Without Tears, sensory integration, visual-motor integration, reflex integration, cognitive skills required for daily activities, play-based therapy, and trauma-informed therapy to encourage children to reach out of their comfort zone in a safe and fun way, building resilience and self-confidence while reaching their goals.

Kristine supports strong collaborations between family and practitioner, knowing the biggest successes are made together.

Kristine enjoys spending free time with her husband Jacob and their two daughters. They love games, playing music together, traveling, crafting, cooking, and playing with their dogs.

Aliza Stremlau, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Aliza is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who enjoys helping clients of all ages achieve their communication potential. Aliza has years of experience working as a school-based speech-language pathologist with preschool through middle school-aged students. She also has experience working in a rehabilitation center treating patients with a wide-range of communication needs.

Aliza’s areas of expertise and passion include school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders, speech sound disorders, AAC needs, as well as dyslexia and other language-based literacy disorders. Aliza has specialized training in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which, combined with her knowledge of speech and language, allows her to provide children with dyslexia a program of instruction not found elsewhere. Aliza believes that including her clients’ families in the therapeutic process is crucial to maximizing outcomes.

Aliza and her husband Nick have two sons, Harrison and Parker, and a daughter Sylvie. As a family, they enjoy participating in and watching sporting events, traveling, and playing outdoors.

Jennifer Trausch, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Jennifer is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist. She has over ten years of experience in both medical and educational settings. Collaborating with families and service teams is a highlight for Jennifer and her work with clients.

Her work with acute rehabilitation for children and adults with brain injury sparked a career passion for working closely with families to create accessible means of communication. Jennifer used that experience when she transitioned to the school setting. She served on a regional school support team focused on assisting schools with concussion and brain injury supports and protocols.

Jennifer enjoys the challenge of implementing evidence-based practices and meeting the unique needs of each client. To remain trained in current medical practices, Jennifer also works in the hospital setting with critical care patients and those with unique swallowing and communication needs. Jennifer has a passion for working with young children and adults who benefit from augmentative and alternative modes of communication (AAC).

When she is not working, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and their two sons. As a family, they enjoy the outdoors, cooking together, and watching sporting events.

Maggie Wieting, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Maggie is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with years of experience working with children and adults. She has worked in a variety of settings including public schools, private practice, skilled nursing facilities, and a residential facility. She has a passion for helping clients maximize their functional communication skills and is a strong advocate for use of research-based practices while also thinking outside the box.

Maggie’s special interests include language-based literacy, social language, and evaluation. Maggie has training through the Institute for Multi-sensory Education (IMSE), which uses the proven, research-based, Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading based on the whole child, not just literacy itself. Combined with her knowledge of language-based literacy, Maggie provides highly effective reading therapy for clients of all ages.

Maggie’s expertise in traumatic brain injury led her to serve on a regional school support team focused on assisting schools with concussion and brain injury supports and protocols. Maggie also spent a year working in a coaching role where she supported teachers and administrators in understanding the importance of language development related to student behavior. Maggie believes that a team approach, including families and other professionals, is vital for helping clients meet and exceed their goals.

Maggie, her husband Nate, and their two sons love all things outdoors, time with friends and family, traveling, and volunteering.

Lindsey Wilson, MS, L-CCC-SLP

Lindsey is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with experience in a school-based setting working with preschool through secondary students. Lindsey also worked at a center in Minneapolis for children with autism.

Lindsey has a passion for working with toddlers and preschool children. Her special interests include expressive and receptive language, autism, phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, and other speech sound disorders. As Lindsey was choosing her career, she had a strong role model in her mother, who is also a speech-language pathologist.

In her free time, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her husband Nick and their children Landon and Eliana. They enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors and playing games together.

Raychal Zupan, MS, OTR/L

Raychal is a licensed, NBCOT-certified occupational therapist with over 11 years of experience in outpatient pediatrics, pediatric home health care, school based occupational therapy, inpatient rehabilitation, and acute rehabilitation.

As an occupational therapist, Raychal utilizes a client-centered, play based, and neurodivergent affirming approach to therapy. Raychal focuses on a child’s strengths and interests while building their functional skills in the areas of fine motor coordination, motor planning, executive functioning, self-regulation, visual motor and perceptual integration, and sensory processing to increase their function and independence in everyday activities.

Raychal specializes in Handwriting Without Tears, Therapeutic Listening, Trust Based Relational Intervention (trauma informed therapy), Autism, ADHD, Developmental Disorders, Dyspraxia, Kinesiotaping, Plagiocephaly/Torticollis, Prematurity, Reflex Integration, Sensory Processing, and Visual and Perceptual Integration. Raychal values strong collaboration between families, caregivers, multidisciplinary teams, and schools to help children gain confidence in their skills and reach their fullest potential.

Raychal and her husband Alex have two children who keep them busy with their extracurricular activities. As a family they enjoy traveling, spending time with family in Minnesota and Wisconsin, being outdoors, reading, playing board games, and watching sporting events.

Admins

Carol A. Bowen, MA, L-CCC-SLP

Carol is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who was also a co-owner of Communication Works. Opening the clinic with Toni Morehouse, her business partner and friend since graduate school was an amazing adventure. Even though she retired from Communication Works ownership in 2022, Carol decided to stay on and help in the office so she could still interact with the clinicians, meet amazing families, and watch the progress of children who come in for services.

Carol’s career as a public school speech-language pathologist began in the educational service unit in Hastings, continued with Omaha Public Schools, and ended after thirty years with Lincoln Public Schools. Her expertise was in the area of early childhood special education with extensive experience as a speech-language pathologist in preschool classrooms and homebased settings. When her children were young Carol left the public schools and co-owned a private preschool in Lincoln for five years.

Professionally, Carol is a member of the Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a past member of LIBA, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Women in Sales and Business, and the Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council.

Carol and her husband, Steve, have two children who helped jump-start clinic operations. James provided IT services and Kelly was (and still is) the website and graphic designer. Carol loves spending time with her children and their families which include five adorable grandchildren and one dachshund. Carol is an avid sports fan, especially when it comes to the Huskers, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the College World Series.

Jennifer Elitzin, BA

Jennifer holds a BA in Secondary Education. She has taught language arts and social studies to hundreds of middle schoolers in both Cupertino, California and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Over the last decade, Jennifer has worked as a stay-at-home-mom, wearing many hats, and using her teaching skills to best serve her own children, along with volunteering in many local ministries. Currently, Jennifer heads the kindergarten-3rd grade group in an after-school program that serves refugees from the Middle East.

Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, traveling, and binging Netflix. Jennifer looks forward to serving many families in her role as administrative assistant at Communication Works.

D’Anna Gustafson

D’Anna has experience working in the nonprofit, education, and office settings. Having a keen attention to detail, she finds fulfilment in using her organizational skills to help offices run smoothly. One of her greatest passions is coming alongside people and encouraging them in their journeys. She enjoys meeting kids and families and making them feel welcome through positive and authentic interactions.

In addition to working at Communication Works, D’Anna runs her own business where she creates and sells art that inspires growth and healing. Through her work, she advocates for mental health and well-being and encourages others to seek help, hope, and healing.

D’Anna enjoys grounding activities like yoga, puzzles, and snuggling with her dog, Journey. She and her husband, Erik, are both native to Lincoln, and together they like to spend intentional time with people. Some of their favorite hobbies include spending time in nature, playing board games, and competing in volleyball and pickleball.

Lisa Gustafson, BS

Lisa Gustafson has a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and a rich work history in customer service. A good portion of Lisa’s work life was spent at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the IT department, specifically in telecommunications. Lisa also worked in the hospitality industry, with a memorable experience working for two seasons at a lodge in the wilderness of Denali National Park in Alaska.

Lisa used her educational degree and her passion for art to become a teaching artisan, sharing the artistic techniques, skills, and fundamentals that she has spent a lifetime acquiring. Creating brings Lisa so much joy she endeavors to teach and encourage others to find their creative selves in the hope they will have the same option for joy.

Lisa loves spending time with her two adult children (Erik and his wife D’Anna; Chloe and her fiancé Derek) as well as friends she considers chosen family. Lisa’s favorite pastimes are traveling, cooking, dinner parties, creating, and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Lisa’s friendliness, kindness, genuine concern for and willingness to serve others make her a perfect fit for the administrative desk at Communication Works!

Billing and Insurance

Heidi Horning, C.H.R.S, CMB

Heidi Horning brings over 13 years of expertise in Healthcare Revenue cycle management to the Communication Works team. She graduated from the U.S. Career Institute as a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist in 2009. She founded Valley Medical Billing Services (VMBS) the same year. In 2018 Heidi became a Certified Healthcare Reimbursement Specialist (CHRS.)

Heidi keeps current on the ever-changing world of medical billing to ensure the latest regulations are implemented. Her diligence and attention to detail make her a cut above the rest. Heidi prides herself on hiring the right people to work at VMBS, and she provides hands-on management and so each client’s success is unsurpassed.

Heidi and her husband, Nitish, enjoy cooking all kinds of food but Indian cuisine is their favorite. They also love traveling around the world learning new cultures.

Dominique Weber, CPB, CMRS

Dominique Weber is a professional billing specialist at Valley Medical Billing Services (VMBS), and part of the Communication Works billing and insurance team.

Dominique graduated from West Virginia Bridge with a degree in Medical Office Administration & Information Technologies in 2012. She received her Certified Professional Billing (CBP) certificate through the American Academy of Professional Coders in 2019 and in November 2021 Dominique became a Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS) through the American Billing Association. Dominique joined Valley Medical Billing Services (VMBS) in 2020.

Dominique’s impeccable work ethic and customer service skills help her provide excellent overall experiences for Communication Works clients. She has proven herself to be an excellent addition to the VMBS and Communication Works teams.

Dominique enjoys spending time with her husband and three boys, traveling and being with family and friends.