THE POISE PROJECT: alexander technique for the 21st century

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THE POISE PROJECT

2018 TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES

WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2018 - Our third year of activity!

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January 2018

  • Awarded $10,000 Parkinson's Foundation DC Moving Day® Community Grant

    • Expansion of care partner course to Greater DC metro area

    • 3 more AT teachers are trained in the protocols

    • Delivered support group presentations and public workshops in DC metro area

    • Course is delivered at 2 sites in DC area in Fall 2018

    • IRB approved research project with Dr. Rajal Cohen through the University of Idaho

      • Data collected pre- and post-course, at 6 months and at 12 months

  • Awarded $2000 Research Grant from AmSAT Research Committee

    • Supports data collection and management for care partner study

February 2018

  • Launching of the International AT for Parkinson's Awareness Year.
    London UK

    • A project initiated by Daniel Shepherd, a trainee in Anthony Kingsley's training program in London. A year long project, from February 2018-January 2019, to mark F.M. Alexander's 150th birthday on January 20, 2019.

    • Led new team training of 23 AT teachers and trainees and training program directors in The Poise Project strategic model

    • Delivered to AT teachers and trainees an educational basic training in Parkinson's disease and in care partner challenges with video and PowerPoint presentations from our Medical Consultant, UCSF movement disorder specialist, Dr. Maya Katz.

    • Basic training in best practices for adapting AT for Parkinson's.

    • Included a two-hour public workshop with members of the local Parkinson's communities, where teachers observed group teaching methods, and then worked individually with PWP and care partners

    • A full-day “ACTIVE LEARNING” public symposium introducing AT for Parkinson's and the role of the AT specialist for the local Parkinson's community, including PWP, care partners, allied health professionals, researchers, foundation representatives, and community leaders. The model for this symposium is now a template being repeated for community-based ‘bottom up’ promotion of AT to the public.

  • The Poise Project AT for Parkinson's Team Building & Training Days:
    Dublin, Ireland.

    • Led new team training of 6 AT teachers and trainees in The Poise Project strategic model

    • Delivered educational training in Parkinson's disease and in care partner challenges with video and PowerPoint presentations from our Medical Consultant, UCSF movement disorder specialist, Dr. Maya Katz

    • Some initial basic training in best practices for adapting AT for Parkinson's

    • Included a two-hour public workshop with members of the local Parkinson's communities, where teachers observed group teaching methods, and then worked individually with PWP and care partners


April 2018

  • The Poise Project AT for Parkinson's Team Building & Training Days:
    Los Angeles & San Diego CA

    • Led new team training of 33 AT teachers and trainees in The Poise Project strategic model

    • Delivered educational training in Parkinson's disease and in care partner challenges with video and PowerPoint presentations from our Medical Consultant, UCSF movement disorder specialist, Dr. Maya Katz

    • Some initial basic training in best practices for adapting AT for Parkinson's

    • Included a two-hour public workshop with members of the local Parkinson's communities, where teachers observed group teaching methods, and then worked individually with PWP and care partners

April-June 2018 

  • Parkinson's Foundation Moving Day® events
    Ventura County, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, & San Jose CA, Washington DC, & Baltimore MD,

    • The Poise Project teacher teams informed the local Parkinson's communities about AT at Moving Day® events around the country

    • Table with handout materials and Alexander mini-lesson "Poise Tune Ups"

    • "Poise Tune Up Station" along the walk course with "I got a tune up with Alexander technique" stickers

    • Took photos for The Poise Project Tip Card "Takeaways" project



May 2018

  • Introduction to Alexander technique (AT) in Patient Care
    Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Charlotte NC

    • Newly designed Continuing Ed (CE) half-day course for Medical and Allied Health Professionals

June 2018 

  • 2nd Pan American Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Congress
    Miami, Florida

    • 4 member AT teacher team

    • Exhibit table on the convention floor

    • Made valuable contacts with neurologists and research scientists in South America, Central America and North America, as well as in the Caribbean

July 2018

  • Awarded $20,000 Parkinson's Foundation NC Triangle Moving Day® Community Grant

    • Monika Gross & Monica Norcia design protocols for an 8-week course for PWP and their care partners: "Poised for Parkinson's"

    • 6 AT teachers are trained in the protocols in January 2019 (see 2019 Timeline)

    • 4 total courses are delivered at 3 sites in North Carolina between January-May 2019 (see 2019 Timeline)

    • IRB approved research project with Dr. Rajal Cohen through the University of Idaho including data collected pre- and post-course, at 3 months, and at 6 months, and with a small control group

  • American Society for the Alexander Technique Annual Meeting
    Chicago IL

    • Led 2 workshops on The Poise Project's strategic model

    • Distributed The Poise Project updates and professional outreach flyer


August 2018

  • 11th International Alexander Technique Congress
    Chicago IL

    • Dr. Rajal Cohen, our Scientific Consultant, delivers the Science Plenary lecture

    • Workshop led by Dr. Rajal Cohen, Dr. Anikó Ball, and Monika Gross: "AT Research 101: You can be a researcher!"

    • Organized a panel about AT in Education with Catherine Fleming, Monika Gross, Alice Olsher, & Wolfgang Weiser, moderated by Robert Britton

    • Organized a panel about The Poise Project with Monika Gross, Dr. Rajal Cohen, Dr. Anikó Ball, Dr. Stephanie Young,& Belinda Mello, moderated by Rosa Luisa Rossi

September 2018

  • Parkinson Association of the Carolinas Annual Symposium,
    Charlotte, NC

    • Table with handout materials and Poise mini-lesson "tune ups"

  • The Poise Project AT for Parkinson's Team Building & Training Days
    Washington DC

    • Led new team training of 9 AT teachers and trainees in The Poise Project strategic model

    • Delivered educational training in Parkinson's disease and in care partner challenges with video and PowerPoint presentations from our Medical Consultant, UCSF movement disorder specialist, Dr. Maya Katz

    • Some initial basic training in best practices for adapting AT for Parkinson's

    • Included a two-hour public workshop with members of the local Parkinson's communities, where teachers observed group teaching methods, and then worked individually with PWP and care partners

  • 5th Annual Integrative Healthcare Summit
    Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Charlotte NC

    • Delivered presentation to allied health professionals, "Caring for Care Partners: The Alexander Technique Approach"

October 2018 

  • The Poise Project AT for Parkinson's Team Building & Training Days
    Boston MA & Chicago IL

    • Led new team training of 17 AT teachers and trainees in The Poise Project strategic model

    • Delivered educational training in Parkinson's disease and in care partner challenges with video and PowerPoint presentations from our Medical Consultant, UCSF movement disorder specialist, Dr. Maya Katz

    • Some initial basic training in best practices for adapting AT for Parkinson's

  • 95th American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine conference
    Dallas TX

    • 8 member Poise Project Team of AT teachers and researchers

    • Exhibit booth on the convention floor

    • Presented 2 research posters: "AT and neck pain pilot study, and our care partner course pilot study

    • Made valuable contacts with national and international rehabilitation medicine medical and allied health professionals, research scientists, and health service providers

    • Delivered a half-day introductory course, "How Alexander Technique Can Complement Rehabilitation Research and Practice"

    • Delivered symposium about the care partner course, "Community-based Group Alexander Technique Programming to Promote Long-term Health, Independence, and Agency"

  • American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine networking groups

    • Invited to participate on symposium panel with Neurodegenerative Diseases Networking Group on caregiving interventions for the ACRM Annual Conference in Chicago in November 2019

    • Ongoing representation and participation in many ACRM networking & taskforce groups

      • Complementary and Integrative Rehabilitation Medicine

      • Neurodegenerative Diseases

      • Athlete Development & Sports Rehabilitation

      • Stroke

      • Military-Veterans Affairs



October & November 2018

  • Parkinson's Foundation Moving Day® events
    Boston MA, Chicago IL & Raleigh NC Triangle

    • The Poise Project teacher teams informed the local Parkinson's communities about AT at Moving Day® events around the country

    • Table with handout materials and Alexander mini-lesson "Poise Tune Ups"

    • "Poise Tune Up Station" along the walk course with "I got a tune up with Alexander technique" stickers

    • Took photos for The Poise Project Tip Card "Takeaways" project

·    

December 2018

  • The Role of Nonpharmacological Approaches to Pain Management Conference

    National Academies of Science, Washington DC

    • Executive Director, Monika Gross participated in 2-day conference

      • Made valuable contacts with government representatives, medical and allied health professionals, research scientists, insurance industry professionals, and health service providers

      • Promoted awareness of AT as an intervention strategy in pain management

      • Learned more about the potential for bringing AT into the mainstream of patient care

      • Learned more about the current national focus on opioid addiction

        ·       Video clip of the above discussion at the conference: https://vimeo.com/308895781