Professor and Chair University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY, United States
Establishing a counseling and peer support program for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) is important after the rehabilitation process ends. This presentation outlines the steps to establish such a program, including resources provided to the participants. The measurement tools to assess the benefits of the program to the participants, will beincluded. Additionally, a description of some operational challenges to overcome when initiatting a similar program, will be provided. The social and mental health benifitsto participants will be outlined. A distinction between the individual versus group counseling sessions for the participants, will be clarified. Training resources for peer mentoring will be provided. Suggestions for funding similar programs will be offered.
Learning Objectives:
To define the background of counseling and peer support
To describe how a program of counseling and peer support was and can be established
To identify barriers and facilitators in implementation of a counseling and peer support program
To explain lessons learned on implementing a counseling and peer support program