TIRR Memorial Hermann
ACRM Cognitive
Rehabilitation Training Course
Register
Buy Now
Vocational Specialist
Shepherd Center
Riverdale, Georgia
In May 2011, at age 19, Zac Bradley had a tree fall on his car resulting in a c6/c7 spinal cord injury and a traumatic brain injury. After a month at Grady Hospital, Zac was transferred to the Shepherd Center. Zac’s inpatient rehabilitation experience was limited due to secondary complications that required intense medical attention – persistent pneumonia which required him to be on the ventilator for majority of the time he was in inpatient and a skin graft surgery to resolve a decubitus ulcer. Due to this, Zac left inpatient medically stable but still lacking significant strength to be independent with his care. For Zac, gaining independence was an afterthought and the only way he knew to regain control of his life was to go to school. After making returning to school his goal, Zac and his family began working with a transition case manager to make this a reality. The transition case manager assisted them to apply for the Community Care Service Program, to receive a caregiver, and the Brain and Spinal Trust Fund, to receive a grant to put towards a modified van. Due to those services being in place, Zac made a successful return to the community and started college the very next semester after discharge. Zac finished his degree at Clayton State University in Health & Fitness Management. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling. Zac began playing rugby for the Shepherd Center and has been on the team for the last 8 years. Zac was a former peer support staff member at the Shepherd Center. Zac went on to be ia disability advocate at the Georgia Advocacy Office. Zac has now returned back to the Shepherd Center as a Vocational Specialist working with veterans in the SHARE Military Initiative.
Friday, October 23, 2020
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM EST