Changing the Healthcare System

We want every survivor, their families, and supporters to enter a system of care in which emotional health gets the attention it needs.  Not just for people diagnosed with depression or anxiety — we need a whole-person approach to recovery for all.  Systems change is hard. It will take years, if not decades. All of our work — raising awareness and creating resources — is building toward that goal.

Integrating our message into healthcare provider curriculum: If every speech, physical and occupational therapist understood and believed in whole-person care, and had the tools and time to deliver it, the system would be different.  So too with nurses, doctors, counselors, and social workers and other professionals.  Curriculum requirements in all these disciplines are rigorous. Courses are already full with critical material.  So we are partnering with faculty on innovative ways to engage students in the mission of Stroke Onward. Initiatives to date include reading and discussing Identity Theft, presentations by and discussions with Stroke Onward founders and staff, and working with student clinicians as part of the development and pilot of our book discussion guides.

“We learned a lot about the fact that many stroke survivors have trouble receiving the emotional support they need. This is particularly crucial for individuals with Aphasia, who may have trouble communicating with a psychotherapist. This experience better informed me of how important it is for us to be present and understanding of our clients -- there is a chance that we are the best person to advocate for them in many instances.”
- Speech Language Pathology Student Clinician

Collaborating with practitioners: Stroke Onward is learning from and creating new tools by collaborating with practitioners and academics actively engaged in the daily work of stroke recovery.  We welcome opportunities to help drive innovation and learning around issues of rebuilding identity and emotional healing in the process of recovery.

Poster co-presented at Aphasia Access 2021 Leadership Summit with Boston University and Cal State East Bay faculty. (click to enlarge)
Poster co-presented at Aphasia Access 2021 Leadership Summit with Boston University and Cal State East Bay faculty. (click to enlarge)
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Click to read: Using bibliotherapy to rebuild identity for people with aphasia: A book club experience by Elizabeth Hoover, Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, Debra Meyerson
Click to read:There's More to Stroke Recovery than Urgent Care and Rehab by Debra Meyerson
Click to read:There's More to Stroke Recovery than Urgent Care and Rehab by Debra Meyerson

To learn more or discuss a project with us, please contact us at programs@strokeonward.org.