82 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com HEALTHL INKS IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THESE UPSTATE AREA NONPROFITS COMMUNITY-CENTERED CARE By Catherine Kauffmann Every day looks a little different at Thrive Upstate, particularly when it comes to the organization’s head and spinal cord injury services. From visits to community gardens to partnerships with local food banks, the participants and staff at Thrive Upstate are fully immersed in the community in and around Greenville. As director of HASCI Services, Kay Brooks is responsible for the program’s overarching vision as well as its day-to-day intricacies and activities. Her mission is simple: to help individuals with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and similar disabilities rebuild their lives with respect and dignity. “If it were me who had a brain injury,” Brooks often finds herself pondering, “how would I spend my day? What would I need? What would be important?” These questions are at the heart of Brooks’ programming, which she and her staff facilitate with hands-on zeal, working directly with individuals to help them navigate the realities of living with a brain or spinal cord injury. The program’s opportunities for community engagement are as unique as they are enriching. Recently, the program paid a visit to the Upcountry History Museum’s exhibit on Andy Warhol’s “Endangered Species” series, providing participants with an opportunity to relate to art as well as practice important skills such as being safe in an unfamiliar environment. These opportunities for community engagement are central to Thrive Upstate’s HASCI program, which focuses on increasing individuals’ capacity for independent living, community participation and employment. “The individuals we serve at Thrive Upstate have lifelong injuries,” Brooks explained. “We try to encourage people to not give up, to leave no stone unturned.” Director of the HASCI program since 1998, she has learned to see the profound value and impact of small, gradual change when it comes to the people she serves. The importance of this persistence rings especially true for a woman Brooks identified as Liz, who had difficulty regulating her emotions after suffering from two strokes as a child. With the support of Thrive Upstate’s Career Preparation staff and a Thrive Upstate job coach, Liz was able to practice navigating life skills such as professionalism and managing emotions.
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