New Logo!

The Alberta SCI Initiative now has its own distinctive logo.  The design reflects our consumer-centred, solutions-driven approach.  "Moving Forward Together" is the slogan chosen by initial partners who collaborated in preparing a proposal to the Government of Alberta for support in providing leadership and innovation in the area of spinal cord injury treatment and quality of life.  The colours coordinate with those of the Rick Hansen Foundation, Rick Hansen Institute, The Alberta Paraplegic Foundation and the Canadian Paraplegic Association (Alberta), reflecting our common purpose.  The image of a person in a wheelchair reflects our dedication to consumer driven results and a recognition of the unique needs of each individual affected by SCI.  The variation in text size gives an impression of forward movement, driven by the needs of people with SCI.  Our logo was created by a designer through designoutpost.com which provides quality design work at reasonable prices by designers from around the globe. 

Overview of the Alberta Proposal

The Government of Alberta was asked to, and later agreed to make a $12 million Alberta Contribution over five years - an investment in the wellbeing of persons living with SCI and to collaborative systemic improvement of SCI services and research in the province.

The Alberta Proposal had four components:

• Solutions That Work - to create and implement solutions that respond to the priority needs of people with SCI and related disasbilities in Alberta
• SCI Translational Research and Infrastructure - to leverage research excellence in Alberta by sharing resources and building national linkages to accelerate translation of new knowledge into best practices
• Community Engagement and Support - to build understanding of and investment in the needs of persons with SCI in Alberta and the Canadian commitment to full citizenship for persons with disabilities
• RHF Leadership - to apply RHF leadership, expertise and coordiation experience to Alberta Solutions and related processes.

The tables below provide elaboration and budget details for each of the four components.

Vision, Mission and Principles Guiding the Alberta SCI Initiative

The VISION guiding the Alberta SCI Initiative has four inter-related components:

• Each Albertan with Spinal Cord Injury will have access to and be able to participate in the development of, and have access to, innovative responses to priority unmet needs - solutions that will meet evolving, self-identified requirements to pursue the rights, obligations, and benefits of citizenship in their journey through life.
• All Albertans incurring a SCI will have access to timely, appropriate, best practice care and support service from moment of injury through the acute care, rehabilitation, community transition and full integration phases.
• Alberta organizations, agencies and institutions engaged along the SCI rehabilitation care and support continuum will adopt seamless and collaborative approaches that avoid duplication, optimize outcomes and benefits for individuals, and improve systemic efficiency.
• The Alberta SCI research community will be fully engaged in the Canada-wide translational research movement to inform evidence driven best practice at each point on the SCI service continuum.

Together, these vision statements describe what is required to help Albertans with SCI achieve an improved quality of life.  "Minimization of disability and maximization of quality of life for Canadians with spinal cord injury" is the vision statement of the national Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Network (SCISN).  Working with one another and with individuals with SCI, those involved in the Alberta SCI Initiative, the SCISN, and other provincial Solutions Networks, seek to find solutions to the everyday challenges that face Canadians with SCI.

In this visionary context, we support the MISSION of the SCI Solutions Network:

Our mission is to foster collaboration that creates and shares

innovative, customized solutions that accerlerate improvement

to the quality of life of people with Spinal Cord Injury.

To ensure respect for and adherence to the vision, the Alberta SCI Initiative has adopted the following operational principles and philosophy.  We will:

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  faciliate the discovery and application of innovative solutions that accelerate improvements to the quality of life of people with SCI;
  
  
  
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  foster a continued shift to a consumer-driven approach that customizes solutions for each individual living with SCI;
  
  
  
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  strive for seamless coordination of the many agency and disciplinary perspectives, services and interventions critical to achievement of positive health, social and economic outcomes;
  
  
  
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  promote and utilize research that infoms 'evidence driven' best practice at each point on the care, support and service continuum;
  
  
  
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  endeavour to direct 'solutions funding' so that it enhances capacity in Alberta rather than duplicating, replacing or competing with existing and established support programs or services;
  
  
  
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  assist in mobilizing community initiatives to take the right, collective steps to becoming more inclusive and supportive for individuals with SCI;
  
  
  
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  strive to understand the motivations and needs of those people we serve through engagement in the process.