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The Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab will enroll 300 participants in MENTOR (Mindfulness, Exercise & Nutrition to Optimize Resilience), an 8-week virtual program that focuses on physical and psychological health for individuals with mobility limitations.
MENTOR is a program of the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD). MENTOR is customized to each participant’s individual goals and needs Participants receive free exercise equipment to use and keep, and have access to a health coach, fitness instructor, dietician and mindfulness coach.
To date, more than 1,000 people have completed the MENTOR program since it was launched in 2012.
Participants of the MENTOR program have shared that they experienced notable enhancements in their physical and mental well-being after completing the program, including better knowledge about nutrition, improved sleep, increased self-care, and a heightened sense of contributing to society. Many became more physically active and spent more time in nature.
“We are glad to partner with NCHPAD to enroll people into this valuable national program,” says Alex Wong, PhD, OT, assistant director of the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the MENTOR enrollment project lead. “The more people we connect with the MENTOR program, the more data we will get on its efficacy which will help NCHPAD learn how to make it even better.”
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has a long history of working with NCHPAD to enroll participants into MENTOR. “In 1998, when we wrote the first NCHPAD grant, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, which was then called the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, was our inaugural partner,” said Jim Rimmer, PhD, Director, NCHPAD. “We’re so glad to reestablish this partnership with the best rehabilitation center in the U.S. with a dedicated staff focused on improving the health and well-being of their patients.”
To qualify for MENTOR, participants must have a mobility limitation, be 18 years old or older, live in the United States and have access to a computer, smartphone or tablet with internet access. Potential participants will complete a quick initial screening to see if they qualify. Participants who qualify will enroll in MENTOR and receive customized equipment for the exercise portion of the program.
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The Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab focuses on improving rehabilitation outcomes for people with physical disabilities. Research conducted by CROR is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, the National Institutes of Health, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the Department of Defense and other sources.