Have any of you set up or been involved in a Self Help Group

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I am interested in setting up a Self Help Group in my community for people who have been involved in motor car accidents and I was wondering if any of you had advice, information or had done it yourself that you could share with me.

Obviously you dont have to have set up the same kind of self help group the same principles will apply to any kind I would have thought.

All advice gratefully recieved:wink2:

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Hmm - I have been members of several self-help groups. I guess the first thing would be to decide on goals:

1. Is this a traumatic brain injury support?

2. For people that have other injuries - is the goal stress reduction?

3. Stories of rehab?

4. How to prevent the accident in the first place? MADD and SADD come to mind.

5. If legal action is contemplated - how is that proceeding?

6. Deaths of MVA victims and how their families cope?

Once you decide on a focus for your group, then contact case managers, social workers, chaplains at the local hospitals to see if there is a group in existence and if not, see what advice they could offer?

Good luck.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Hmm - I have been members of several self-help groups. I guess the first thing would be to decide on goals:

1. Is this a traumatic brain injury support?

2. For people that have other injuries - is the goal stress reduction?

3. Stories of rehab?

4. How to prevent the accident in the first place? MADD and SADD come to mind.

5. If legal action is contemplated - how is that proceeding?

6. Deaths of MVA victims and how their families cope?

Once you decide on a focus for your group, then contact case managers, social workers, chaplains at the local hospitals to see if there is a group in existence and if not, see what advice they could offer?

Good luck.

The focus of the group would be to help support people who look ok after their accident. You know that many people who have never had a car accident look at victims say come on get over your self or count yourself lucky to be alive, but I believe many people have difficulty driving or being driven in traffic or even coming to terms with being in one in the first place.

What about the poor people who caused the accident and feel they cannot turn to anyone for help because they have to live with guilt. I was a victim of a car accident but I have yet to access medicinal help, psychology help and even contemplating hypnotherapy-it was easy for me to hide behind my injuries.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Oh yes and I feel it is important that the group be localised because then they dont need to drive. I am seeing a psychologist next week 28 miles away-why am I seeing him because I am morbidly fearful of driving on interstates lol. Where I live anything we want to access is down an interstate which ahs 40 accidents a day, you cannot get anywhere unless you drive down it. We are this community who has no access to the nearest other town unless we leave via the I-17. I live in Stepford

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I am so sorry for your trauma!

If trauma is the focus of your support group, then I would still contact the chaplains at the nearby hospitals and see what they could offer.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I am so sorry for your trauma!

If trauma is the focus of your support group, then I would still contact the chaplains at the nearby hospitals and see what they could offer.

Thanks :wink2:

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