Training Seminars

The goal of this seminar is to introduce the group, and to begin developing trust, respect and teamwork within the group.

Objectives

1. Getting to know each other.
2. Getting to know the Shake It Up program.
3. Understanding what each participant wants from the program.

Activities

• Introductions, welcome, key activities and people of the day.
• Goals of Shake it Up

Activity One: Pairs Interview

• Get into pairs.
• Find out where your partner is from, and how they got to Shake It Up.
• Find three unique things you have in common.
• Come back to the group and introduce your partner to the group.

Activity Two: Personality Game

• Everyone gets a name of a person, character or thing taped to their back.
• Do not look at the name on your own back.
• Ask yes or no questions about who you are of each of the other participants.
• You must introduce yourself to the person you are asking about who you are.
• They must introduce back before they answer any questions.
• You must ask everyone in the group at least one question.
• Once everyone has asked everyone else at least one question, come back together and venture a guess to the group about who/what you are.

Activity Three: Traffic Jam

• Divide group into two groups.
• Groups line up facing each other.
• Each person is on a square, space, rug section, whatever.
• One space between the groups.
• Groups must move to the other side of the line, ie, backs to each other.
• You cannot pass more than one person.
• You cannot pass anyone on your team.
• You cannot share a space.
• You cannot move backward.

Activity Four: Full Value Contract/Expectations

• Two groups of seven, each group designates a spokesperson.
• The group decides what it wants from participating in Shake It Up.
• Spokesperson tells the groups and group leaders write it down on posterboard that will be at every session.
• Everyone signs this Full Value Contract.

Staffing: Project Directors and everyone involved.

Self Advocacy Workshop

The goal of this workshop is to increase participants' self efficacy and enhance their ability to identify barriers they experience in their lives and set goals to overcome these barriers.

Objectives:

1. Increase problem-solving ability
2. Improve negotiation skills
3. Understand the principles of assertiveness
4. Learn strategies to identify and overcome barriers

I. Problem solving through self advocacy

Scenario 1: Broken Wheelchair

Actors:

Person with broken Wheelchair
Caseworker 1
Caseworker 2
Wheelchair Vendor

Your wheelchair is broken. You need to call your social security caseworker to get authorization for the repair. You have trouble reaching him or her. When you finally talk to him or her, the person is resistant to giving this authorization. Next you need to call the wheelchair vendor and get them to make the repair as quickly as possible. They are in no hurry, and you need to convince them to hurry up and complete the repairs quickly.

Scenario 2: Getting on RIDE/Accessing Public transportation

Actors:

Person who needs a ride
Doctor’s Office Receptionist
Accessible transportation program Receptionist

You want to get around using the RIDE program. You need to sign up for RIDE, make sure the paperwork is completed and signed by your doctor and sent to the RIDE program. Once you have been registered at RIDE you must schedule a RIDE for yourself. They claim that where you want to go is not on the bus route, even though you know that it is.

Scenario 3: Getting a Van

Actors:

Person wanting to drive
Voc. Rehab. Counselor 1
Voc Rehab Counselor 2

You want to get funding for driving lessons and van adaptations. The people at Voc. Rehab. are not very helpful. First you need to find out who is the correct person to contact. When you reach them, you need to convince them that you have a right to funding for driving lessons and van adaptations.

Scenario 4: Medicaid Error

Actors:

Person on Medicaid
Doctor’s office Receptionist
Medicaid Worker 1
Medicaid Worker 2

You go to your doctor’s office for a check-up and the receptionist tells you that your Medicaid card is invalid. You argue with them, but they insist that you need to correct the problem before you can see your doctor. You need to call Medicaid, find the correct person to contact. When you reach them, you need to convince them to fix the problem quickly.

Scenario 5: Getting Housing Vouchers

Actors:

Person seeking housing
PARI caseworker
Housing Authority 1
Housing Authority 2

You are ready to move out on your own and are looking for accessible subsidized housing. You need to find out where housing is available so you call your PARI caseworker who gives you a list of numbers to try. The first place you call says the list is full and won’t take your name, you need to convince them to take your name. The second place says it has housing available, but it turns out the housing is not accessible. You need to convince them that you need accessible housing and get them to give you priority on the waiting list.

II. PCA/caregiver negotiation skills training scenarios

Scenario 1:

You have a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) who normally works for you in the afternoon and early evening. You have some friends who you would like to invite over for dinner on one night and you ask the PCA if he/she would mind cooking dinner for you and your guests. Two days before this event is to take place, the PCA comes in and tells you that his/her brother from Texas who they haven’t seen many years is flying in to Boston the same night as the dinner and they would like to go to the airport to meet him. This could potentially ruin your plans. How would you handle this situation?

Scenario 2:

You are visiting your parents for a few days and sleeping in your old room. You don’t have your PCA with you, but Mom said that would be OK, she can help you with your sleep prep routine for the time you are staying there. Some of your friends heard you were in town and call you up and ask you to go out for the evening. Your mom overhears this and says she can only help you get to bed if you stay home and go to bed at 9:00. You really want to go out with your friends, but also need some help getting into bed. How will you solve this problem?

III. Healthy boundaries

Physical boundaries

1. What do you do when a PCA insists on using a transfer technique that you don’t like?
2. What do you do when someone starts pushing your wheelchair without permission?
3. What do you do when someone pats you on the head or tries to touch you in other ways without your permission?

Emotional boundaries

1. What do you do when someone refuses to talk to you directly? (example: You are in a restaurant and the waiter asks your friend, “what does she want to eat?”)
2. What do you do when a child is staring at you?
3. What do you do when the child asks you a question and the child’s parent says “hush” to the child and starts to take the child away?
4. What do you do when your parent/spouse/friend is overprotective and tries to prevent you from doing something you want to do?

The goal of this workshop is to learn strategies that improve communication with health care professionals.

Objectives

1. Learn assertiveness training techniques to advocate for proper medical care and equipment
2. Practice self advocacy techniques and share experiences and lessons learned

This is a continuation of self advocacy skills training that focuses specifically on interactions with medical and rehabilitation professionals. Begin by using applicable the scenarios from the earlier session as a basis for discussion. Participants are encouraged to provide examples from their own life experiences. Then the group is called upon to problem-solve and role-play possible responses to each example.

Useful links

Craig Hospital
General Health and Wellness links
Able Data
Information on Multiple Sclerosis
Spinal Chord Injury (SCI) Information

The goal of this seminar is to introduce participants to adaptive equipment (e.g., wheelchairs, bathroom equipment, hand controls and related adaptive driving equipment, reachers, buttoners, rocker knives, grip equipment, dicem, backpacks, luggage carriers, etc.) that will improve their independence. Participants will also have a comprehensive overview of wheelchair maintenance.

Objectives

• Learn what wheelchairs are available, learn which chair best suits their needs and how to set up and maintain their own chair (size, camber, squeeze, etc.)
• Assess what kind of adaptive household devices are available to them and which best fits their needs.
• Identify available public and private transportation options and learn what driving equipment is available, including key resources/vendors.

Activities

1. Stations (hands-on)
   1. Van station
   2. Wheelchair station
   3. Other equipment station
2. Relay Race/Obstacle Course with simple adaptive equipment
3. Group Discussion: What are your ADL tricks?

Staffing

Equipment specialist(s) from local Independent Living Center, local durable medical equipment vendor, local adaptive driving company.

Resources

Handouts with higher-end equipment websites.

Useful links

• Able Data
• Abledata's listing of Recreation equipment
• Challenged Athletes Foundation, funding for Sports and Recreation Equipment
• Rehab Institute of Chicago

This seminar will provide lecture and discussion on the physiological, psychological and emotional aspects of sexuality and disability.

Objectives

1. Identify personal needs and available resources to address these needs.
2. Discuss the importance of communication.
3. Learn about relevant technologies and medications.
4. Identify and avoid health and safety risks.

Activities

Informal presentations based on personal experiences are a good way to break the ice. Often people will then ask questions or tell their own stories. This session must be tailored to each group individually. Some groups might feel comfortable with discussions of techniques, tools, and medication. Others might be more comfortable with more general discussions of interpersonal relationships. It is helpful to have an experienced facilitator with a background in group therapy to assist with this discussion, but it is especially important that facilitators include people with disabilities who can serve as positive peer role models.

Links

Mobile Women, a comprehensive website for women with disabilities that contains information about reproductive health and pregnancy, parenting, health & wellness, sexuality and relationships

Health professionals and peer mentors will present strategies for medication management and educate about substance interactions.

Session objectives

1. Practice medication management strategies.
2. Learn how different medications commonly prescribed for spinal chord injuries interact with each other.
3. Identify interactions with other commonly used medications, licit and illicit substances (e.g. herbal remedies, alcohol, and marijuana).
4. Identify potential hazards of mixing prescriptions, over-the-counter-medications and substances acquired from a variety of sources.
5. Learning the importance of communicating with pharmacists and health practitioners to avoid dangerous medication & substance interactions.

Activities

Begin with a lecture on medication and substance use interaction. Leave plenty of opportunity for people to ask questions during the lecture, after the lecture and the presenter should give contact information and remain after the close of the session to allow individuals to contact them privately.

Staff

Presenter should have knowledge of medications used by people with disabilities as well as specialization on substance use. We used a neuropsychologist Frank Sparadeo who prepared the following presentation (reproduced here with his permission).

Powerpoint presentation

Download (PDF)Dr. Frank Sparadeo's Substance Abuse Prevention and Disability slideshow (560KB).

References

Block, P & Rimmer JH (2000). Shake It Up for Alcohol and Substance Use Reduction: Health Promotion and Capacity Building for Persons with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries. National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research CFDA Program 84.133, Award No: H133G010094

Block, P., Bock, B., Becker, B., & Everhart, S. (2001). Alcohol and substance use by adolescents and young adults with recent spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Disability Studies Quarterly. 21(2).

Education on proper hydration and nutrition and the prevention of pressure sores.

Objectives

1. Identify protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins and minerals and their significance to body function, especially as they relate to neuromuscular disability.
2. Track and monitor their eating habits, identify potential hazards of poor nutrition, and acquire strategies to maintain healthful eating habits.
3. Understand and be able to identify the Food Guide Pyramid and the USDA Guidelines.
4. Properly monitor skin, especially vulnerable areas for irritation and possible pressure sores and where to seek proper diagnosis treatment.
5. Apply strategies such as shifting weight, body alignment, and assistive devices to prevent the development of pressure sores.

Activities

1. Interactive group discussion using an informational hand-out.
2. Sharing of eating & skincare habits and stories.
3. Food tracking for a week and return to discuss at next seminar.
4. Discussion of pressure sore prevention through monitoring and use of assistive devices and body movement and alignment.
5. Question & answer forum.

Staffing

Nutritionist and/or Health Educator who specializes in nutrition and neuromuscular disability.

Nutrition resources

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Skincare resources

Pressure sores

The basics of the urinary system and bowel functioning and the importance of healthy bladder and bowel care and management.

Objectives

1. Understand the major functions of the bowel and urinary systems, especially as they relate to neuromuscular disability.
2. Articulate what bowel and bladder management programs mean to them.
3. Identify potential causes of Urinary Tract Infections, and learn strategies that will help to maintain a healthy bladder and urinary system.
4. Learn to track and monitor their fluid intake.
5. Identify factors that can affect the success their bowel and bladder programs, and learn strategies that will help to maintain and manage successful programs.

Activities

1. Interactive group discussion using "Bowel & Bladder Care and Management" hand-outs.
2. Sharing of bowel & bladder management programs.
3. Review of tracking water and fluid intake, and then participants will be asked to track their fluid intake for a week and return for review.
4. Question & answer forum.

Staff

Urologist, nurse and/or health educators who specialize in neuromuscular disability and the urinary system and bowel program management.

Resources

Bladder Care and Management
Spinal Cord Injury Bowel Management