Magee Rehabilitation Partners with Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for  Peer & Family Support Program

May 17, 2013

The Christopher&Dana Reeve Foundation today announced its Peer &  Family Support Program (PFSP) has partnered with Philadelphias Magee  Rehabilitation Hospital's Peer Mentor Program. By teaming with Magee, which has  been providing mentoring since 1995, both organizations have a common goal of  expanding mentoring across the country. The PFSP is a national peer-to-peer  mentoring program that utilizes the real life experiences of those who are  thriving while living with paralysis.

The mission of the Christopher & Dana Reeve  Foundation's PFSP is to provide critical emotional encouragement, as well as  local and national information and resources to people living with paralysis,  and their families and caregivers. Mentors empower people living with paralysis,  including our service men and women, their families and caregivers, to achieve a  healthy and full life. This program matches people seeking assistance with a  Reeve Foundation Certified Mentor who will be of similar age, gender, level of  injury, ethnicity and location when possible.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Magee to our  Peer & Family Support Program," said Steve Coleman, Vice President, Peer  & Family Support Program for the Reeve Foundation. "The partnership will  continue to expand the Reeve Foundation's efforts to reach the broader paralysis  community in need. Magee has been part of our NeuroRecovery Network since 2004  and now we are thrilled to have collaborated with them again for such a critical  program."

Magee's  Peer Mentor Program, founded in 1995, is designed to offer newly injured  patients and their families the opportunity to speak with a specially selected  and trained person who has faced life circumstances similar to their own--and  are living full lives. In addition to Magee's Spinal Cord Injury Peer and Family  Mentor groups, the Hospital also offers peer support for people with brain  injuries, strokes and amputations.

"The Peer Mentor Program at Magee is excited to begin  this new partnership with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation," said  Nancy Rosenberg, Psy.D., Director of Magee's Peer Mentor Program. "While our  program is thriving and has been offering support to patients and families for  many years, we believe this partnership only strengthens our mission."

The Reeve Foundation and  Magee are actively recruiting new clients: people living with paralysis, family  members and caregivers who are in need of guidance by a Certified Mentor. The  benefits of talking to a Certified Mentor include a clear understanding of the  realities of paralysis, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, confidence building  and motivation, understanding of the science and progress in research of  paralysis, how to avoid secondary conditions, and more.

To kick off the  partnership, Magee is hosting a discussion and reception with Reeve Foundation  ambassador Scott Chesney on May 20 at the main hospital from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m.  Chesney, an international speaker and life coach, has lived with paralysis for  24 years. All patients and their families are invited to attend this free  event.

For more  information, please visit ChristopherReeve.org/peer. For more information on  Magee's other peer mentor programs, as well as the Scott Chesney event, please  visit MageeRehab.org.