SCI Educational Forums
Empowerment Through Education
Past Forums
Work Incentives
This educational forum supports the SCI community by providing key information about work incentives. Whether you’re newly injured or supporting someone, the video offers practical tools and insights for accessing job opportunities and benefits.
Participants asked questions, shared experiences, and gained insights in a supportive, inclusive setting. Whether managing challenges or supporting others, OSCI provides critical tools for the SCI journey. If you missed the event, watch the recording to access valuable resources.
Counseling & Mental Health Resources
Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection and Brightways Counseling recently hosted a forum on Counseling and Mental Health Resources. Led by OSCI health workers and experts, the event shared vital mental health strategies and counseling options for the SCI community.
Participants asked questions, shared experiences, and gained insights in a supportive setting. Whether managing challenges or supporting others, the forum provided essential tools for confident mental health navigation. If you missed it, watch the recording to access valuable resources.
Temperature Regulation After Spinal Cord Injury
This Educational Forum on temperature regulation after spinal cord injury offers key strategies to stay cool and safe, empowering the SCI community to enjoy the Pacific Northwest. If you missed it, watch the recording for valuable insights.
Temperature dysregulation often affects those with higher-level SCI, causing risks like hypothermia or hyperthermia. This happens because thoracic neurons that regulate temperature get disrupted after injury. To learn more, watch the recording!
Vocational Rehab
In this session, we explored available vocational rehab facilities in Oregon and how they support those returning to work after spinal cord injury. Additionally, our guest Teddy Walston, southern Oregon branch manager for ODHS vocational rehabilitation, shared valuable insights.
Work Incentives
During this Educational Forum we discussed the details of working after having a disability including SSI, SSDI, and OHP Benefits. Our guest speaker, Leslie Keller, shared her perspective as a Work Incentives Coordinator. Check it out!
Maintaining Gut Health
Learn more about maintaining your gut health. For those of us in a wheelchair it’s so important to think about how we keep our gut health in proper balance. OSCI Community Health Workers will discuss probiotics and other important ways to promote good gut health. Check it out!
Adaptive Driving
Learn about driving as a wheelchair user. Several of our OSCI community health workers discussed their experiences driving with a variety of adaptive equipment.
Adaptive Hunting & Fishing
Learn more about how to enjoy outdoor recreation as a wheelchair user and how to access resources available through Oregon State Parks and other partners. SCI community members who regularly hunt and fish also discuss their set-ups and gear.
Emergency Preparedness
Learn about how a wheelchair user can to be ready for a disaster, the importance of having a plan, building a “Go” bag, and understanding how to handle the unexpected.
Accessible Public Transportation – Portland Metro
Learn how to navigate public transportation as a wheelchair user in the Portland Metro area. In this session, community members share experiences with TriMet buses, Max line, C-Tran, and more. Additionally, discover more about Accessibility on TriMet.
Tobacco Use & Paralysis
This forum on tobacco cessation discusses the hidden effects smoking tobacco after a spinal cord injury. Guest speaker Robert Berry has over 11 years of experience in wound care.
More resouces about tobacco cessation and disability are available from SmokeFree Oregon.
Adaptive Athletes
Our Educational Forum on Adaptive Athletes and their sports is a great opportunity to learn about available accessible sports programs throughout Oregon and the broader Pacific Northwest. Options for every comfort level, from leisure to extreme sports.
We appreciate our friends at the Oregon Community Health Workers Association (ORCHWA) for their partnership.
Are you an invidual with a spinal cord injury who is interested in becoming a Community Health Worker? Let us know!
What are OSCI Community Health Workers?
Our Community Health Worker program consists of trusted community members who deeply understand the SCI community’s needs. They act as liaisons to healthcare and social services, improving access and cultural competence. Moreover, they boost health knowledge and self-sufficiency through outreach, education, counseling, support, and advocacy.
This Educational Forum features a conversation between OSCI Community Health Workers and the community. During the session, those affected by spinal cord injuries asked questions and learned how to connect with the program.
Adaptive Camping & CampAbility 2022
Interested in camping but unsure where to start? Then, hear from community members who share their experiences, tips, and advice for overcoming barriers.
CampAbility is our adaptive camping program, showing that outdoor enthusiasm thrives in the spinal cord injury community. Additionally, partners like Adventures Without Limits, REI, and David’s Chair make events unforgettable. So, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media for accessible camping updates.
Equipment Grants
There are several grant opportunities for the SCI community in Oregon and SW Washington. In this session, we spoke with the Kelly Brush Foundation and High Fives Foundation, and heard from grant recipients. To learn more, visit our Grants & Loan Programs page.
Bowel Program
OSCI Community Health Workers discuss bowel function after spinal cord injury and why a bowel program matters. Though often difficult to talk about, it’s key to long-term health. So, tune in to hear personal insights from those who truly understand the SCI journey.
Bladder Management
The bladder just doesn’t work the same after a spinal cord injury. How do you manage? Our special guest speaker is Dr. Todd Linsenmeyer. An expert in the overlap between urology, rehabilitation, and spinal cord injury, Dr. Linsenmeyer is nationally recognized for his distinguished accomplishments.
Pain Management After SCI
An overview of types of pain experienced after a spinal cord injury including a presentation by board-certified pain specialist, Dr. Daniel Kim, MD.
COVID CURE-IOUS
COVID CURE-IOUS? is an informational session about the COVID Vaccine with special guest Jessica Guernsey the Multnomah County Public Health Director. Panelists include OSCI Community Health Workers: Casey Moore, Francisco Elias, and Waddah Sofan.
during COVID-19
This educational forum covers how to clean, disinfect, and maintain manual and power wheelchairs at home. Designed for wheelchair users, families, and healthcare professionals, it features speakers from Permobil and the Oregon Office on Disability and Health at OHSU, and is hosted by OSCI.
