VAD Society's Podcast
VAD Society's Podcast
The Voice - Danni L with SCI Alberta
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Join VAD and SCI Alberta to learn about the new services that SCI Alberta offers.
You're listening to the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcast, where we share real conversations, resources, and stories that support a more inclusive and accessible community. I'm your host, Teresa Makarewich and today we're talking with Spinal Cord Injury Alberta. Joining me today is Danny from SCI Alberta to talk about their new mandate and services offered through their organization. Together we'll learn about what has changed and what new services are available from this great organization. Voice of Albertans with Disability gratefully acknowledges that what we call ALBERTA is the traditional and ancestral territories and gathering place for the diverse indigenous peoples whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to influence our vibrant communities. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to the many First Nations, Metis settlements, and the six regions of the Metis Nation of Alberta and Inuit, who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. Hi, hi. Thank you for joining us today, Danny, to talk about spinal cord injury. I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your work at SCI? For sure. So my name is Danny Lamb. I'm one of the client services coordinators with Spinal Cord Injury Alberta. I have been here since April 1st of 2025. So I'm a little over 14 months in. A lot of the work I've been doing over that last 14 months has been helping clients, you know, with goal setting, transitioning back into the community, especially from like a rehab setting and you know, empowering people to achieve that full community participation, navigate resources. Those are kind of some of the things we've been doing there. I really think that helps set the stage for this conversation. What inspired you to get involved in this area?
Speaker 1So I was raised by a single dad who was legally blind, and I myself am a type one diabetic. I have moved a lot, been through a different lot of different provinces, and we've had to access a variety of services. And that's, you know, I understand that's really complicated and it can be really confusing. So I think it's really important to have support in navigating those things. And it really inspired me to be able to help other people, especially using my own lived experience with that. My background as well as as a healthcare assistant, I've worked in long-term care and group homes. So I'm no stranger to the world of disability.
SpeakerNow that we know a bit about your background, let's talk about the bigger picture. For listeners who may be new to this, what does SCI do in Alberta?
Speaker 1So Spinal Cord Injury Alberta supports people with spinal cord injuries and other similar physical disabilities to achieve full community participation and reintegrate fully into the community. And more specifically, in our Edmonton zone, we are now supporting people who are 18 plus with any type of disability, which is really exciting. We're kind of expanding the services here through the Cross Disability Support Services Initiative. So basically, some of the parameters are just that they need to be 18 plus living with a disability and not funded through other government initiatives, such as, you know, PDD or ADII. And, you know, it's been exciting because we've really been able to expand our skill set as client services coordinators to support not just one group, but all.
SpeakerBuilding on that, can you tell us about your mission and values?
Speaker 1So our mission is to help people with spinal cord injury and other similar physical-related disabilities achieve full community participation and empower them essentially to be their best selves. And now that would also extend to everybody who we support. Really, at the end of the day, our mission is to ensure that people are empowered and adjusting and adapting to their community. Um, you know, our our slogan is adjust, adapt, thrive. And, you know, that's really what we aim to do.
SpeakerThat leads nicely into your services. How do I, as a client, get a hold of you and what kind of services do you offer?
Speaker 1Yeah, absolutely. So if you haven't heard of us before, connected with us before, the easiest way to find us would be to pop Spinal Cord Injury Alberta into Google or check out our social media. We can we're available, you know, on Instagram and Facebook as well. But through our website, our contact forms are going to be on there, as well as the phone number for whichever office you're looking to get a hold of, be that Calgary or Edmonton. And we also have an email. We are we accept self-referral. It doesn't have to come from another agency. You can refer yourself. In terms of services, we provide in Alberta as a whole. We are we have our peer support program for people with spinal cord injury. Um, and then we also provide navigation and resort support services for people with SDI in Calgary and the other zones of the province. And then it's specifically Edmonton, where we are supporting anybody 18 plus with a disability. Um we are looking at things such as goal setting, accessing um various supports and services. For example, some of the things that we can do is individualize navigation support, helping people identify those needs they may have. You know, sometimes people come in and they know that they need support, but maybe they're not sure what that prioritization is. So we can kind of help people with that prioritization and then from there accessing the right supports and resources for them. We can support people in their applications for government resources as well. We've helped people with that. So honestly, it's just goal setting, navigating, and figuring out the best course of action for the people who require our support.
SpeakerWhat are some common questions you feel from clients?
Speaker 1I think some of the most common questions as of late have been certainly around housing. We all know how hard to come by accessible housing and barrier-free housing has been. So our most common thing for sure is housing. And the next most common thing is employment. You know, people for some people, they they do want to get back to work or they want to volunteer and they're not sure how to navigate that. So that's been some of the things as well, especially um when you're talking with the spinal cord injury clients as well. They're really wanting to reintegrate to communities.
SpeakerFor someone who may feel unsure or hesitant, how can they feel confident asking for help?
Speaker 1Yeah, I think that's a really good one. Lately, I've heard a lot of people who don't feel confident in asking for help and they're kind of fearful in reaching out to us because they're worried that they're going to be judged, or they just feel that they're not deserving of help. And I I think confidence is knowing that you are worthy of help. And you know, we're here to support you. This is a non-judgmental space. We also have people with lived experience with spinal cord injury, as well as other invisible disabilities as well. So I think everybody here is really understanding.
SpeakerFlip side of that, what kind of barriers do you come people commonly face when trying to access services or support?
Speaker 1Transportation and accessibility has been one of them. Um, some people may not feel comfortable using public transit, aren't quite set up with that yet, or may not feel comfortable utilizing it. And then another barrier, I think, is just oneself.
SpeakerOkay. Can you share a real life example of how someone used your services to make a difference?
Speaker 1I think some of the most impactful ones that I've come across has been people who have accessed support from us and who have eventually gone on after they've grown in their own journeys, they've been able to go on themselves and also become a peer and an advocate for other people. I think when we support people well and give them the tools that they need to succeed, they're able to go on and spread that same positivity and advocacy. So it's really so important for us to be here to lift people up. Because at the end, that's that is really honing in on our mission statement as well. We're supporting them to achieve full community participation, and through that, they are participating in their communities, they're supporting others. I think that's so important.
SpeakerThat brings us to some solutions, and this is where organizations like VAD and SCI Alberta play an important role. How can your organization support someone through this process?
Speaker 1So we essentially can support, so I think through goal setting and navigation, we're so we would start doing intake with them and we would identify their needs and their goals. And from there we would develop that plan. I think the biggest thing for us is making sure that we're doing with and not for and empowering people. And from there, we would navigate the resources needed and connect them with the appropriate supports, be that mental health accessing funding sources, volunteer opportunities, and employment. And, you know, people may work with us for a short time, but they also could end up working with us for a long time. A lot of it is really individualized to what people need. And we're just here to kind of support along the way, really empower people through that.
SpeakerI really liked how you said uh with and not for when it comes to working with people. It's one of the most important things. Okay. I want to zoom out a little bit. What's one thing you wish more people understood about SCI Alberta?
Speaker 1I think just understanding the vast majority of services we have. Like you go onto our website, and I think, you know, there's a lot to read, and it can seem very surface level. And then when they actually reach out and connect with us, you find out the array of things and services available. Um, you know, peer support is so expensive. We're doing events, things like that. We've got barbecues. And then I also think one of the biggest things that I wish people understood as well as of April 1st in our Edmonton zone, you know, it's not just spinal cord injury, Alberta. We are, but we encompass more than just spinal cord injury. So we're really this like multifaceted organization with so much diversity and ability to support with so many things.
SpeakerPerfect. If someone is listening and needs support, how do they contact you?
Speaker 1Yeah, so reach out on our website, our number's there. So if anybody needed to contact us, our Edmonton Direct General Line number is 780-424-6312. And then for our Calgary office, it would be 403-228-3001.
SpeakerPerfect. As we come to an end of our conversation, what's one message you'd like listeners to take away from today?
Speaker 1You are important, you're valuable, and no matter the disability that you have or the things that you're struggling with, you are worthy of help and you should access help if you need it.
SpeakerThank you for your time and energy today, Danny. Your work and advocacy are incredibly valuable to the community. So thank you for turning into the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcasts. A big thank you to Danny from SCI Alberta for sharing your time, knowledge, and passion for full participation and inclusion. If today's conversation resonated with you or someone you support, we encourage you to reach out and learn more about the resources available through VAD. Be sure to subscribe, share this episode, and join us next time as we continue to highlight important conversations that matter to our community. VAD is guided by the principles of accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Learn about our services on our website at www.vadsociety.ca or call 780 488 9088 for more information. If you have a topic you would like to hear about in a podcast, please email myself at vad at vadsociety.ca with topic ideas, speaker suggestions, or your feedback. Signing off for the day together in support, inclusion, and community.