SCI Educational Forums

Why Attend This Session?

Whether you are looking for clinical insights or peer-led wisdom, this session provides the vocabulary and the community to address topics that are often sidelined in traditional rehab settings.

A Note on Our Space: This is an inclusive environment where you can ask the “awkward” questions, share lived experiences, and focus on your sexual well-being as a vital component of your health journey.

Ask anonymous questions that will be addressed during the session. Click here!

Upcoming sessions in this series:

Register – May 14th – Preventative Care For Women
Register – August 13th – Mental and Psychosocial Help
Register – November 12th – Managing Daily Life

Sexual health is a fundamental part of your overall well-being and identity. Reconnecting with your body and understanding your desires is not just possible after a spinal cord injury—it is your right.

We are kicking off our Women’s Health After SCI series with a powerful and essential session. Join us and guest speaker Leanne Beers for a supportive, judgment-free conversation dedicated to sexual health, intimacy, and pleasure. This forum is designed to be a safe, welcoming space grounded in trauma-informed care and the celebration of body autonomy.

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What We’ll Explore:

• Sensation & Arousal: Understanding how SCI impacts the body’s physical responses and discovering new ways to experience pleasure and connection.
• Adaptive Strategies: Practical tools and techniques for navigating intimacy, from positioning to communication with partners.
• Reproductive Health: Navigating the specifics of reproductive care, fertility, and pelvic health through the lens of paralysis.
• Reconnecting with Self: Strategies for rebuilding body confidence and reclaiming your sexual identity.

Cesación del Tabaco

Foro educativo sobre el abandono del tabaco presentado por Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection (OSCI). En esta sesión, un trabajador sanitario comunitario de OSCI analiza los riesgos para la salud del tabaquismo, la importancia de evitar el consumo de tabaco y los beneficios de dejar de fumar, creando un espacio de apoyo para que los participantes aprendan y hagan preguntas sobre cómo mejorar su bienestar general.

Conducción Adaptativa

Aprenda sobre la conducción en silla de ruedas. Varios de nuestros promotores de salud comunitarios de OSCI compartieron sus experiencias conduciendo con diversos equipos adaptados.

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.