RRTC and DRRP In-service

RRTC & DRRP In-service at the Disability Resource Center (ILC)

On February 6, 2012, our consumer advocate, Richard Aust, from MUSC conducted an in-service meeting for the RRTC & DRRP at the Disability Resource Center (DRC ILC) in North Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Aust met with all DRC staff to discuss the ongoing SCI research activities of the RRTC & DRRP. DRC staff were every receptive to getting involved to disseminate RRTC & DRRP study results as they become available. Given that 19 % of the SCI surveillance participants reported receiving no in-patient or out-patient rehabilitation services, DRC executive director, Gwen Gillenwater, expressed that she would be interested in coordinating secondary conditions trainings for SCI consumers in the Tri-county area (Charleston, Dorchester, Berkley) in the areas of preventing skin sores, UTI and other trainings as recommended by Shepherd Center staff. Note that Shepherd Center is currently conducting in-service trainings to rehabilitation staff through South Carolina in order to reinforce the most effective practices to reduce secondary conditions after SCI.

In addition, DRC staff are very involved in working with the Latino population in Charleston, Berkley and Dorchester counties. Liuana Zanouski, DRC Latino Outreach Coordinator, agreed to meet with our staff member, Josh Acuna, to establish a working relationship in order to disseminate SCI underserved population study results. DRC staff, Rachel McCammon, expressed that she worked with an American Indian outreach organization, the Grandmothers’ Council, in Pennsylvania. She agreed to forward Mr. Aust contact information for future dissemination of DRRP study results.

Mr. Aust discussed the need of DRC to update their website to create a research link under their education track. Ms. Gillenwater agreed to create the research link to provide research information on a variety of disability topics. Nathan Todd, DRC Program Coordinator, is in the process of redesigning the DRC website and confirmed that he will create a research link.