Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM: After a traumatic SCI, social support is critically important. Trauma can leave lasting marks on a person's mind, heart and body that can result in an inability to trust easily. A CHW is a peer who has similar lived-experienced of spinal cord injury trauma and can offer emotional support in the form of empathy, empowerment, trust, and care. A community health worker also helps a person learn to direct their own care, adopt positive coping mechanisms and health-promoting behaviors, skills, and habits that will help them thrive. A CHW provides a warm introduction to the Oregon SCI community where new friendships support recreation, education, employment, stable housing, and peer connections. Additionally, as a liaison and link to the healthcare system and other community organizations CHWs can offer tangible aid to resources and services. Newly injured people who are supported by CHWs and the OSCI community are more likely to avoid serious secondary health conditions that can lead to rehospitalization. This level of personal advocacy accelerates their transition through the tumultuous first year toward being independent and developing a positive health trajectory that allows them to maintain a high quality of life.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: MEET-UPS - Many individuals with a new spinal cord injury don't know anyone else in a wheelchair which can be a scary and isolating reality. Our community meet-ups are not a formal support group, but people who attend feel supported. It's a safe space to meet other wheelchair users, swap stories, ask questions, and learn tips and tricks from others. The group meets in a casual, accessible public setting like a pizza parlor, brewpub, or restaurant. There is no agenda other than welcoming others and making new friends. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES - Summer is the season for the outdoors and camping, and yet people living with spinal cord injury are less likely to go camping and enjoy the great Oregon outdoors because of diverse environmental barriers. Specifically, the majority of Oregon's camping facilities and outdoor recreation programs are not designed to accommodate people with disabilities. Our adaptive camping program gets people with SCI and their families and friends into nature for a weekend of camping.

WHEELCHAIR MAINTENANCE WORKSHOPS: A flat tire, bad caster bearings, or broken brakes are not only a risk to to safety, these equipment failures can prevent people with SCIs from participating in the activities of your daily life, like going to the doctor and meeting with friends. OSCI helps our clients keep their chairs in tip-top maintenance. Together with our partners we provide a free wheelchair maintenance workshops. The goal of this program is to provide tools and equipment to support learning, entry-level maintenance, and repairs for anyone who wants to learn more about wheelchair maintenance or is experiencing an urgent need.