Stroke Camp Northwest is a joint program of Portland State University and Pacific University that provides supported communication strategies for persons living with aphasia and their loved ones along with outdoor recreational opportunities aplenty. Since it began in 1998, Stroke Camp Northwest has helped hundreds of stroke survivors learn new ways to connect with one another and their families while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors on Oregon's Mt. Hood.
Each year in late August, 40 stroke survivors with aphasia (a condition that results in speech and comprehension challenges) and their families spend one weekend hiking, fishing, crafting and more all the while enjoying the support of licensed speech, occupational and physical therapists as well as trained volunteers to better express themselves. For some stroke survivors with aphasia and their families, Stroke Camp Northwest is a place to reacquaint themselves with activities they enjoyed before their stroke, or to find ways to adapt activities so they can enjoy them again. Loved ones are encouraged to attend and are welcome to join professional counselors in discussing support techniques for their family members and themselves.
Of the 40 or so families who visit Stroke Camp Northwest each year, about half drive up for the day while the rest spend the weekend in our cozy rooms, rustic cabins, or in their RVs at our ADA-accessible site on Mt. Hood. Our camp is designed to serve families from the Pacific Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and northern California, but we often have one or two families each year come from far away (even as far as Florida and New York). Our campers are of different ages and backgrounds and come with family members, friends, and other caregivers. Many come because they have experienced a stroke recently and are looking for support -- and, many are returning campers who come to share their own perspectives and experiences with those new to camp.
Those who attend the full weekend of camp pay a nominal fee that includes all expenses for two night’s lodging, meals and activities. Day trip attendees pay a reduced fee that includes meals and activities for the day. Scholarships are available to those who request such assistance.
To receive your own application and information packet, please write us at info@strokecampnorthwest.org or call us at (503) 725-2360.
Inquiries of all kinds should be sent to info@strokecampnorthwest.org or
Stroke Camp Northwest, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland,
OR 97207. You can also reach us at (503) 725-2360.
We are pleased to offer Stroke
Camp Northwest’s Resource Guide for stroke survivors and their families.
The guide provides information on support groups, legal aid, counseling,
respite care, travel, and much more. You can download your own copy of the
guide by clicking here or you can
e-mail us at info@strokecampnorthwest.org or
call us at (503) 725-2360 to request a hard copy today.
Katie Farrell, PT, DSc, GCS
Associate Professor
School of Physical Therapy
Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon)
Katie Farrell is a physical therapist and an Associate Professor in
the School of Physical Therapy at Pacific University. She received her BS
degree in physical therapy from Quinnipiac University, her MS degree in neuroscience
physical therapy from the University of Pittsburgh, and her DSc degree in
geriatrics from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She is a
Board Certified Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy. As a clinician
her areas of interest are in rehabilitation for people with central nervous
system dysfunction and for older adults at risk for frailty and falling.
Her areas of research interest include measuring and improving balance and
decreasing risk for falling in older adults with dementia. She has enthusiastically
been a part of Stroke Camp Northwest since 2007.
Lynn
E. Fox, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences
Portland State University (Portland, Oregon)
Dr. Lynn Fox is a founding member of the Stroke Camp Northwest leadership
team. She has been a team member since she began teaching at Portland
State University in 1998. Lynn worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist and
Clinical
Training Coordinator at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center
for 12 years before joining the PSU faculty. She ran an innovative recreation-focused
outpatient group therapy program for veterans and their families who
were
living with aphasia, and she initiated interdisciplinary programs in
the medical center for individuals with progressive neurologic diseases and
brain
injuries. Lynn enjoys working with students to conduct research investigating
Stroke Camp outcomes. She loves the outdoors, and sincerely believes
that stroke survivors and their caregivers should have a chance to enjoy
the fresh
scent of pine needles and the sound of a rushing mountain stream – at
least once each year!
Susan Ginley, M.A., CCC-SLP
Clinical Instructor
Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences
Portland State University (Portland, Oregon)
Susan is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a clinical instructor at
Portland State University and has been involved with Stroke Camp Northwest
since 2002. Susan graduated from the University of Oregon and spent
the next 16 years working as a clinician in a hospital in Portland,
Oregon. Her area
of expertise is acquired neurogenic communication issues such as aphasia.
Her work as a medical speech therapist gave her experience in working
with stroke survivors with aphasia but not in such a unique setting
such as Stroke
Camp. Susan believes it is important to focus on people’s abilities
instead of their disabilities. At camp, Susan works closely with her colleagues
to make camp a great experience for everyone who attends: stroke survivors,
families and students. Susan also works with families living with aphasia
in community-based self-help support groups. When not at camp or teaching
at PSU, Susan loves to travel – or at least dream about traveling.
She’s hoping to re-learn French and travel to France in the future.
Susan Poulsen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Communication
Portland State University (Portland, Oregon)
Dr. Susan Poulsen's areas of interest include cultural communication
studies; intra-, inter-, and cross-cultural research utilizing qualitative
approaches, particularly the ethnography of communication. Her interests
are in the speech cognate area configurations such as culture/communication/cognition,
time/space and place and metaphor analysis. At Portland State University,
Susan teaches courses in Urban Communication, Intercultural Communication,
Interpersonal Communication, Communication Consultation, Qualitative
Methods and Data Analysis, and Metaphor and Narrative Analysis. She
also holds a
courtesy appointment in the Department of Urban Studies and has links
with the Institute for Metropolitan Studies and Applied Linguistics.
Desirae Robbins, M.S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Instructor
Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences
Portland State University (Portland, Oregon)
Desirae Robbins is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works at
the PSU Speech and Hearing Clinic as a clinical
supervisor and a part of Stroke Camp Northwest since 2009. Her clinical
interests and areas of expertise include developing functional
communication outcomes for people living with chronic aphasia, involving
families and caregivers in treatment sessions, and facilitating group
treatment. In her spare time Desirae enjoys gardening, urban chicken
keeping and traveling.
Sandra Rogers, Ph.D., OTR/L
Associate Professor
School of Occupational Therapy
Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon)
Sandra teaches neuroscience, pediatrics and research in the entry level
Occupational Therapy program at Pacific University since 2003. Sandra
received her BS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ('84) a M.S. in
Therapeutic
Science ('91) and a Ph.D in Kinesiology ('97) from University of Wisconsin-Madison,
where she taught in the OT curriculum while pursuing her degrees. She
has 15 years of teaching experience, clinical experience in adult and pediatric
neurorehabilitation. Her research interests are in the connection of
mind
to body and how occupational therapy interventions influence physiological
functioning. Other than Stroke Camp Northwest, Sandra supervises at-risk
and homeless youth projects and consults with a non-profit organization,
Fuling Kids International to provide services to children with special
needs at a social welfare institute in Fuling, China.
Beth Kei Ruml, RN, LCSW
Patient Advocate
Cancer Support Services
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland, OR)
Beth has been involved with Stroke Camp Northwest since 2007. She was
invited to join the staff to facilitate one of the support groups for
stroke survivors’ loved ones. Beth appreciates the opportunity to give back
to the stroke survivor community because her father experienced a major stroke
in 1996. Beth helped with his care whenever she could. While aphasic, she
knew that he understood the "quality" of her presence whenever
they were together. Professionally, Beth works for Cancer Support Services
at Providence St Vincent's. She is a counselor and advocate for the
Breast Center and works with women with breast and gynecological cancers.
She helps
support patients and families through cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Beth also has 12 years of experience in Hospice Care, with both Providence
and
Odyssey Hospices. Her personal interests include dogs, camping, walking,
and reading
BJ
Scott, PsyD
Assistant Professor
School of Professional Psychology
Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon)
BJ Scott is a rehabilitation psychologist and neuropsychologist and an Assistant
Professor in the School of Professional Psychology at Pacific University. She
received her BA degree in Psychology at Western Washington University, and
her MS and PsyD degrees in Clinical Psychology at Pacific University. She completed
internship training at the Missouri Health Sciences Psychology Consortium and
a residency fellowship at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. As a clinician, her
interests include rehabilitation therapy with those experiencing cognitive
or physical disability, chronic illness, neurological disorders, and recovery
from brain injury including stroke. Special interests include working with
families and helping survivors explore issues of identity, connection to others,
and community integration. Research interests include neuropsychology and investigating
the efficacy of survivor and caregiver interventions. Personal interests include
exploring nature, walking, reading, and playing jazz piano. She is an enthusiastic
newcomer to Stroke Camp Northwest this year.