WWP and ACA Train Military Amputee Peer Visitors
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Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) have expanded the Military Amputee Peer Visitor Program at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) with “Train the Trainer” sessions followed by an Amputee Peer Visitor training seminar in San Antonio.
The “train the trainers” sessions for seven members of Wounded Warrior Project from throughout the United States were held late last year.
Pat Isenberg, chief operating officer of the ACA, and master trainer for the Amputee Peer Visitor program, led the training sessions.
ACA pioneered the concept, training and certification of amputee peer visitors.
The military amputee peer visitor protocol initially was developed by ACA at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and later was expanded to provide support for armed services members with traumatic brain injury and burns. ACA has certified 127 military peer visitors.
Overall, ACA’s National Peer Network includes 900 civilian and military certified peer visitors and 255 registered support groups.
“We realize that often the most positive influence on the initial recovery of a seriously injured service member is the friendship and understanding of a fellow wounded warrior,” Jim Mayer, director of peer mentoring and training for Wounded Warrior Project, said in a news release.
“Last year Wounded Warrior Project and the Amputee Coalition of America began adapting the Amputee Coalition’s peer visitor training to incorporate a much needed mentoring component for injured warriors to encompass all injuries, including post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Isenberg said.
Wounded Warrior Project used ACA’s curricula in August to train the first 25 Wounded Warrior Project peer mentors.
Disability Rights Legal Center Honors Ossur
The Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC), which for four decades has advocated for the civil rights of people with disabilities, has recognized Ossur with the Charles D. Siegal President’s Award.
Tim McCarthy, vice president of prosthetics for Ossur Americas, accepted the award before 500 local and national leaders in the legal, entertainment and other industries at the DRLC’s Annual Gala in downtown Los Angeles. McCarthy and his team are credited with leading an entire industry into the Bionic age of prosthetics with Ossur’s successful market entry via three groundbreaking product launches: the Rheo Knee, the Power Knee and the Proprio Foot.
There to present the award was April Holmes, the fastest female amputee in the world.
Holmes owns the world records (women’s T44 classification) in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m dashes and came home from the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with the gold medal in the 100m race. She is also a member of Team Ossur.
“The Siegal Award recognizes the extraordinary contributions that Ossur and its inventors have made to the world community,” Paula Pearlman, Esq and DRLC executive director, said in a news release.
