Minds in Motion Volunteer opportunity to work with adults and children with brain injury

[Claudia Meyer]

• 
  Minds In Motion Initiative is a Non-Profit Organization in Salem. Our Mission is to partner with adults and children who have brain injuries and other brain differences to co-create pathways toward independence. Our Vision is people living the way they choose. We focus on five key initiatives – Therapeutic Services, Living Services, Agency, Access, Advocacy.  Our Therapeutic Services offers PT, OT, SLP, both in our clinic setting and in home/community. We have a small Transitional Living (Residential) program where we partner with adults to becoming more independent through autonomy support guided by their values and strengths, all with a Rehabilitative approach. The goal is to get to a spot where those individuals become more self-sufficient and eventually transition out of our program to the life they choose. Our Agency Initiative involves many things, some of which we have not had the chance to develop yet. This involves developing self-agency, self-sufficiency, finding purpose – what motivates people to get up in the morning. We’re planning to create a social enterprise, which would offer a non-competitive work environment using compensatory strategies, repetition, adaptive workspace, opportunities to gain job skills and volunteer. I run a brain injury support group that is part of that Agency Initiative. We meet weekly at a coffee shop here in Salem. We offer community groups such as Infant Tummy Time and Adaptive Art. We are hoping to develop more connections with and build community partners to provide the families we work with more options for sensory integration, play therapy, etc., in environments where their children are accepted for who they are and have the freedoms they may not otherwise have.  www.oregonminds.org
• Students will have opportunity to assist with kids and babies (interacting and playing) and help with setup/breakdown/toy cleaning throughout our community groups. This could grow into more opportunities as our organization grows.
• How to apply: We are a young organization, less than 2 years old, and learning as we go what best supports our mission and vision and those we serve and partner with. Learning and developing clear and efficient ways to send/receive information and communicate. Currently, the way to request information and to speak to our therapists about observation hours, is to go to our website, click on the Volunteer link, and select the “More Info” option. Fill that out and submit. One of us will reach out.

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The Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Clinic

527 SW Hall St. 

Portland State University

503-725-3070