HeadNorth Grants
» The Response One Application Program™
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur suddenly and without warning. In the blink of an eye, the world is turned upside down as victims of SCI and their families scramble for information and guidance on how to deal with this life-changing event. The HeadNorth Foundation created the Response One Application ProgramTM to assist victims and families during this critical time by providing funds for immediate transportation and lodging needs, as well as resources and information about the challenges that lie ahead. Response ONE also provides in-hospital counseling by individuals who have first-hand knowledge of SCI.
Purpose: To support the immediate physical and psychological transitional needs of the individual and family following the spinal cord injury. This includes, but is not limited to, assistance with food, lodging, transportation and access to essential resources.
Grant: Up to $1,000
Timing: Within 30 days of injury
Eligibility: U.S. citizen or legal resident of greater San Diego County
» The Response Two Application Program™
Once the critical needs related to spinal cord injury have been met, the rehabilitation process begins. The Response Two Application ProgramTM was created to provide survivors of SCI the necessary equipment and services needed to gain greater mobility and return to an active and productive lifestyle. Many SCI survivors want to return to work and participate in the same leisure-time activities they once enjoyed. The Response Two Application Program supports these goals by providing financial assistance to purchase assistive devices and equipment designed to increase mobility and enhance quality of life. HeadNorth also has created a registry of resources, from athletic trainers to manage care specialists, to make it easy for individuals to locate the help they need.
Purpose: To provide financial assistance for the purchase of necessary equipment, home modifications and services, and to provide resources that will support the immediate and long-term physical and psychological needs of the survivors of spinal cord injury.
Grant: Up to $10,000
Eligibility: Legal resident of greater San Diego County
» Mentoring
Response ONE Mentor Program
A key component to the Response One Application Program™ is the in-patient mentoring program which focuses on providing critical information to the family / friends and invaluable peer to peer counseling to the SCI survivor.
In addition to the love and support of family and friends, the inclusion of a mentor to assist all those affected by a SCI, has shown to be a crucial part of the recovery process followed by the transitions involving rehabilitation and reintegration back into an active lifestyle.
The Response ONE Mentoring program addresses the various reactions to a SCI including the practical concerns, financial, housing, work etc., the emotional responses of depression, shock and fear and the numerous changes that occur with personal identity.
HeadNorth’s mentors are trained to provide informational, emotional and appraisal support to address the numerous needs of both the individual and family. Studies suggest that one of the most important components of the mentoring relationship, empathic acceptance, is best attained with an individual who has experienced a similar situation. All HeadNorth mentors have prior personal knowledge of SCI and have experience in identifying and applying personal coping styles.
The areas that a mentor will focus on are:
Practical
- Increase knowledge of resources
- Increase time management
- Realistic future outlook
Emotional
- Decrease fear of unknown
- Increase hope
- Reduce stress
Identity
- Increase motivation to work
- New self-identity
- Inspire appreciation for life
Studies have shown that a SCI-specific emotional, informational, and appraisal support from mentors, appears to create a sense of believable hope for the future. (Hernandez, 2005)
The HeadNorth Foundation wants to provide mentor support during the most critical transitions that occur from the hospital, to home, to the community.
Please contact us for more information.
Hernandez, B. (2005). A voice in the chorus: Perspectives of young men of color on their disabilities, identities, and peer-mentors. Disability & Society, 20, 117-133.
» Research
HeadNorth Foundation Presents $50,000 Check to UCSD’s Center for Neural Repair
On July 19th 2007, the HeadNorth Foundation presented a check for $50,000 to the Center for Neural Repair’s Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program, part of the School of Medicine of UCSD.
The donation is helping to fund research into spinal cord regeneration. Led by Dr. Mark Tuszynski, the Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program conducts pre-clinical research that aims to develop practical therapies that could lead to clinical trials for spinal cord injury.
"It is important to us to support research programs especially those like the one at UCSD who collaborate with other labs to maximize scientific outcomes" said Randal Schober, executive director of the HeadNorth Foundation. "We hope that through research we will one day be able to find a cure for paralysis."
"There has been a significant advance in the body of scientific knowledge related to spinal cord injury over the last 15 years," said Tuszynski. "We aim to focus research on the most practical and productive approaches to spinal cord regeneration, pursuing both rigorous standards of scientific research and practical models for translation of potential therapies to humans."
Photo Caption (left to right): Dr. Mark Tuszynski of the Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program receives a check for $50,000 from Eric Northbrook, founder of HeadNorth Foundation.