When you or someone you love has sustained a life-altering injury such as a spinal cord injury, it is important to establish contact with other people who are experiencing the same problems as you are in addition to the appropriate rehabilitation. The following arespinal cord injury support groups
that meet on regular basis to help their members cope with their injuries and to make new friends. Some groups are specifically for spinal cord injury patients, while other groups are for the families and caregivers of spinal cord injury patients. Many groups invite both SCI patients and their families and caregivers to the same meetings.
Daytona Beach
Halifax Neuroscience SCI Support Group
Like many support groups for SCI, this one is associated with a hospital and rehab center. The group meets at 4 pm on the third Friday of the month at the 201 building at Halifax Medical Center; meetings are held on the fourth floor.
For more information please contact Tom Bird at 386-795-1061 or tbirdmhs@aol.com
Monthly meeting place:
Halifax Medical Center
201 N. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Delray Beach
Pinecrest SCI Education Group
This group focuses on offering SCI education to patients and their families, along with emotional support and a chance to bond with others experiencing similar difficulties. The group regularly hosts SCI experts to speak on various topics of concern. Group meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Pinecrest Rehab Center.
Contacts:
Mary Kaye or Kristin Polyak at 561-495-0400
mary.kaye@tenethealth.com
kristen.polyak@tenethealth.com
Monthly meeting place:
Pinecrest Rehab Center
5360 Linton Blvd.
Delray Beach 33484
Fort Myers
Southwest Florida SCI Group
This group meets at the Center for Independent Living of Southwest Florida. For more information on the group’s focus, meetings, and so on, contact Gene Bruist at 239-277-1447 orgbruist@cilfl.org
Meeting place:
Center for Independent Living of Southwest Florida
2830 Winkler Ave., Unit 201
Fort Myers, FL 33916
Hollywood, Florida
Spinal Cord Connections Support Group
This group meets at Memorial Hospital on the third Wednesday of each month, in the auditorium, from 5pm to 6pm. For more information contact Lori Gonzalez at 954-518-5507, ex 2181 orlogonzalez@mhs.net
Monthly meeting place:
Memorial Regional Hospital South
3600 Washington Street
Hollywood, FL 33021
Jacksonville
Brooks Rehab SCI Support Group
This group meets at the Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information call Tracy Clemans at 904-858-7238 or tracy.clemans@brookshealth.org
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital
3599 University Boulevard South
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Shands Jacksonville Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Support Group
This group welcomes patients with either a brain injury or a spinal cord injury or both. The group meets at the Shands Jacksonville Medical Center at the 1st floor Blue Room in Tower II from 12 noon to 1 pm each second Wednesday of the month. For more information please contact Khalisha Mitchell or Myria Mitchell at 904-244-4427 or khalisha.mitchell@jax.ufl.edu ormyriad.mitchell@jax.ufl.edu
Monthly meeting place:
Shands Jacksonville
655 West Eighth Street
Jacksonville, FL 32209
Tower II, 1st floor Blue Room
Largo, Florida
Spinal Cord Injury Outreach Network (SCION)
Meetings of SCION are held in the early evening every third Thursday of the each month at HealthSouth Rehab of Largo. Social gatherings, sports activities, and recreational outings are routinely held by SCION.
Website: http://www.sciongroup.org/
Contacts:
Geoff Diaz at 813-404-9175 or geoffreydiaz@gmail.com
Lee Hardin at 727-787-8243 or leehardin@verizon.net
To be notified by e-mail of upcoming events send your request to rac@custom-mobility.com
Monthly meeting place:
HealthSouth Rehab of Largo
901 N. Clearwater Largo Rd.
Largo, FL 33770
Melbourne
SCI Support Group at Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital
This support group meets at HealthSouth’s Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital. Contact Dorn Williamson at 407-984-4600 for more information
HealthSouth Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital
101 East Florida Avenue
Melbourne, FL 32901
Miami
Jackson Memorial SCI Family Education and Support Group (English and Spanish)
This group has two sections: one for English speakers and one for those more comfortable speaking Spanish. Both groups meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month at noon. Meetings are at the Lois Pope Life Center.
For English contact:
Mario Olavarria at 305-585-1252 or molavarria@um-jmh.org
Español:
Michele Quiroga 305-585-5960
Monthly meeting place:
Lois Pope Life Center, The Miami Project
1094 NW 14th Terrace
Miami, FL 33136
Orlando
Greater Orlando Spinal Cord Injury Network
The Network is a non-profit group for anyone with an SCI who lives in the Orlando area. The meetings are held at various locations throughout the community. The Greater Orlando Spinal Cord Injury Network works to help people with SCI find employment and enjoy adaptive sports, and social functions. The Network also aims to educate both SCI patients and the community at large about SCI through a variety of guest speakers. This group is also involved in SCI prevention. It is based at the UCF School of Social Work.
2009 GOSCIN schedule of events.
Contact:
Robin Kohn at 407-823-2967 or rkohn@mail.ucf.edu
Greater Orlando Spinal Cord Network
UCF School of Social Work
P.O. Box 163358
Orlando, FL 32816
Orlando Lucerne SCI Support Group
This group meets twice a month on alternating Thursdays from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Contact:
Cindy Hennig at 321-841-4173 or cindy.hennig@orhs.org
Monthly meeting place:
Orlando Regional Lucerne Hospital
818 S. Main Lane
Orlando, FL 32801
Florida Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine
For information on the SCI support group at this rehab center call Robin Kohn at 407-895-7991 or Carl Miller at 407-623-1070
Florida Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine
5165 Adanson Street
Orlando, FL 32804
Pensacola
West Florida SCI Support Group
This group meets at the West Florida Rehab Institute the second Tuesday of every month.
Contact:
Joann Massey at 850-494-6178 or joannmassey@hcahealthcare.com
Monthly meeting place:
West Florida Rehab Institute
8383 N. Davis Highway
Pensacola, FL 32514
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota SCI Group
This group meets on the third Thursday of every month in HealthSouth Rehab’s dining room at 6 pm. The group is composed of both recent SCI patients and people who have been living with an SCI for many years, as well as caregivers and family members of SCI patients. Anyone is welcome to attend the regular meetings as a visitor or to become a member. The group’s propose is to provide fellowship, support, and education about SCIs, as well as to encourage people with SCI to get involved in adaptive sports and other activities.
Website: http://www.scisupportgroup.webs.com/
Contacts:
Debbie Balle at 941-809-0783
Lynda Williams at 941-921-8680
To be placed on the group’s mailing list contact Debbie at debra.balle@helathsouth.com
Monthly meeting place:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota
6400 Edgelake Drive
Sarasota, FL 34240
Spring Hill
Spring Hill SCI Support Group
This SCI group meets on the second Thursday of each month from 5 pm to 7 pm, at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center of Spring Hill.
Contact:
Dee Hardee at 352-592-7237 or delores.hardee@healthsouth.com
Monthly meeting place:
HealthSouth of Spring Hill
12440 Cortez Blvd.
Spring Hill, FL 34613
St. Petersburg, Florida
Bayfront SCI Support Group
This group meets at the Bayfront Medical Center at 6:30 pm, on the first Wednesday of each month.
Call 727-893-7691 for more information.
Monthly meeting place:
Bayfront Medical Center
702 Sixth Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Sunrise, Florida
The Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida
This non-profit group provides support and activities for people with spinal cord injuries. Here people with spinal cord injury can learn about their condition from others with the same problem and can experience emotional support and fellowship. Currently the group’s monthly meetings are held at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center in Sunrise. The group hopes to build its own facility in Broward County which will include a gymnasium and offer various wheelchair sport activities for people with spinal cord injuries. The planned facility will include a special center for children with spinal cord injuries and their families. Currently the group meets the first Tuesday of the month at 4 pm.
Website: http://www.sflscisg.org/
Monthly meeting place:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center (in the cafeteria)
4399 Nob Hill Road
Sunrise, FL 33351
Contacts:
Call Sue Krinsky or Alex Lutin at 954-746-1341
Vice Secretary Ronald Walling: rw12729@hotmail.com
Vice President Alejandro Lutin: contact.SCISG@gmail.com or alejandro_lutin@hotmail.com
Webmaster: info@eyezeeu.com
Tallahassee
North Florida SCI Association
This group meets in cafeteria at the Healthsouth Rehabilitation Center of Tallahassee on the second Monday of each month. The meeting is from 6:00 to 7:30 and includes free refreshments.
Contact:
Elizabeth Barranco at 850-656-4868 or elizabeth.barranco@healthsouth.com
Monthly meeting place:
Healthsouth Rehab of Tallahassee
1675 Riggins Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Tampa
Tampa Bay Area Support Group/NSCIA
This group meets at the Tampa General Rehab Center on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 pm.
For information call 813-844-7700 or imhere4u@ix.netcom.com
Monthly meeting place:
Tampa General Rehab Center
6 Tampa General Circle
Tampa, FL 33606