Context Among African-American youth, homicide is the leading cause of death.

1. Bridging Resources through Peer Mentor Support: Successful community reintegration following injury Kristin Balfanz-Vertiz, Kimberly Taylor and Patrick GarciaExtended Services, Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, Chicago, Illinois • Context • Among African-American youth, homicide is the leading cause of death. • Among Hispanic youth, homicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 24. • Schwab: Inner-city rehabilitation hospital • Increasing rates of gun violence: In 2002, there were 35 violent and 56 non-violent crimes per square mile in surrounding neighborhood. • Intersection of disability, socioeconomic status, and race / ethnicity • Low rates of pre-injury employment • Insufficient schooling • Minimal financial resources • Extended Services: A department within the hospital designed to meet the needs of its outpatients. Runs 7 programs, including Bridging Resources. • People with newly-acquired spinal cord injuries • Face extreme physical and psychological challenges • Must re-negotiate prior social roles within families, workplaces, educational settings, social networks and communities at large. • Psychological, social and environmental factors are more predictive of quality of life than biomedical variables. • Goals • Maximize the independence of individuals with a disability • Empower them to improve their self-efficacy and community competence • Provide the assistance necessary for these individuals to attain their personal goals and optimal well-being • Advantages of Peer Approach • Peers offer a unique perspective to hospital staff and researchers. • Participants can identify with peers as they have similar experiences. • Project also offers peer-mentors opportunities for their own personal growth. • Implementation • Peer Mentor Coordinator: Also a mentor, bilingual (Spanish / English); quadriplegic; male • Two additional mentors: one female, one male; both are paraplegic; both are parents • Mentors attend a 10-session training • Schwab staff make referrals to the program; outside referrals are also accepted • Coordinator and mentor introduce program to inpatients • Mentors have weekly contact with each mentee. • Each mentor has approximately 5 mentees and works about 10 hours per week. • Mentors attend weekly group supervision meetings led by coordinator. • How did the program begin? • Planning began in 2000 • Collaboration with University of Illinois at Chicago • Participatory Action Framework: Involve people with spinal cord injuries in all levels of program development and research • Program began in 2001 • Originally only open to males with violently-acquired injuries • 2003: Offered to all people with spinal cord injuries • Actions taken by mentors • Checking-in or following-up on goals / issues previously discussed • Providing emotional support • Giving information and/or connecting to community resources • Developing a strategic plan for goal attainment • Doing an activity together so that mentee can do it independently in the future Conclusions As part of Schwab’s peer mentoring program, the mentors are viewed within the hospital as a distinctive part of the rehabilitation team. The peer mentor provides support and feedback along with the mentee’s physician, nurse, and case manager. Due to our location and our patient population, Schwab goes beyond physical rehabilitation and provides holistic rehabilitation services that help empower our patients to work, live, and play just like people without disabilities. • Who are the mentees? • The “typical” mentee: • Male • 20-25 years old • Was injured two years ago • Has a violently-acquired injury • Highest level of education = “some high school” • Was unemployed at the time of his injury • Evaluation • Peer mentors complete weekly contact sheets to document what they did with mentee and what issues were discussed. • Peer mentors document mentee goals-in-progress and goals accomplished. • Coordinator completes monthly report regarding referrals and new enrollees. • Evaluator conducts qualitative interviews regularly with mentors and hospital staff. • Evaluator conducts yearly focus groups with mentees. Literature cited American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers. (2005). Standards of care for spinal cord injury psychosocial rehabilitation. www.aascipsw.org Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). National vital statistics reports. www.cdc.gov/nchs Groce, N. (1998). Firearm violence, disability rights and rehabilitation. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 9(2): 93-110. Rintala, D.H et al. (1994). Subjective stress in male veterans with spinal cord injury. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 42(3): 291-304. Staas, W.E. et al. (1998). Rehabilitation of the spinal cord injured patient. In Rehabilitation Medicine: Principles and Practice, ed. J.A. DeLisa and B.M. Gans. 905-28. Philadelphia: Lippencott-Raven. US Dept. of Health & Human Services. (2001). Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General. www.surgeongeneral.gov • What is Bridging Resources? • A one-to-one peer mentoring program for people with newly-acquired spinal cord injuries. • Mentors: • Also have spinal cord injuries • Are themselves making gains in education, employment, and independent living • Fit the profile of a person with an “urban disability” • Mentors & mentees together set individualized goals • Impact on Mentees “Do you think anything has changed about your life since you started with this program?” “Yes, it’s improved. [I’m] more mature, more focused on positive things. Better hope. Better self-esteem. [I] think about life more.” Issues most often addressed by mentors & mentees · Medical or Rehabilitation concerns · Recreation · Education · Housing · Transportation · Medical supplies · Depression Acknowledgments We would like to thank Arlena Sims and Saalim Williams for their hard work and dedication as peer mentors. We would also like to thank everyone at the University of Illinois at Chicago who helped us to establish this program. Funding for this project was provided by Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information Please contact Kimberly Taylor at taykim@sinai.org.