Rehabilitation & Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement & Reintegration (RECOVER)

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The mission of the Rehabilitation & Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement & Reintegration (RECOVER) is to maximize Veteran participation in important lifelong roles and activities through development, evaluation, and clinical translation of practical rehabilitation interventions and technologies. Since barriers to participation may change as Veterans with disabilities age or experience other life events, RECOVER aims to identify and help Veterans adapt to these changes. RECOVER’s work focuses on the needs of Veterans with amputations and Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCID), with cross-cutting emphases on (1) pain, discomfort, and secondary complications, and (2) aging with a disability. RECOVER will have three primary research areas in this first cycle: (R1) Expanding understanding of participation barriers and facilitators – RECOVER will conduct prospective research with Veterans to improve understanding of factors that can prevent or promote meaningful and satisfying participation in life roles and activities. The barriers and facilitators identified in this research area will provide targets for future rehabilitation interventions and devices aimed at improving participation. (R2) Improving participation through management of pain, discomfort, and secondary complications – Pain and discomfort can prevent or dissuade Veterans from meaningful and satisfying participation. Secondary complications of disabilities can also limit mobility and activities, degrading the ability to participate and reducing satisfaction with participation. RECOVER will develop and test interventions and products to manage pain and discomfort and reduce the severity of secondary complications to improve participation. (R3) Maintaining participation of Veterans as they age and promoting Aging-in- Place – Aging brings new challenges to Veterans with disabilities including reduction in functional balance and mobility. These issues may limit Veterans’ ability to participate in meaningful roles and activities with their families and friends. RECOVER will develop and test interventions and products aimed at maintaining balance and mobility of older Veterans, including systems for caregiver support of Veterans in their homes and communities. RECOVER’s Engagement Core will establish a Veterans Engagement Panel (VEP) in this first cycle to promote collaborative partnership among Veterans and researchers and ensure research is informed by patient experience. Engagement facilitation will be used to support two-way learning and address barriers to meaningful Veteran engagement. RECOVER’s Repository will provide a method for efficient recruitment of Veterans into research projects. RECOVER’s Advisory Board will also be established to oversee RECOVER’s work and provide guidance toward meeting center metrics. RECOVER will establish a formal program to increase the capacity of rehabilitation research and development by training the next generation of VA investigators. RECOVER’s training committee will establish methods for continuous improvement of mentors and mentees, working to improve training relationships. Center funding will be used to support postdoctoral fellows and assist them toward mentored investigators and independent investigators. Locally initiated project funding will be available for RECOVER investigators and trainees to help move mission-relevant projects efficiently through initial preparation and pilot testing stages of the translational pathway. These center projects will help to reduce risk and leverage funding for larger scale clinical trials and technology transfer projects. RECOVER will establish a Data & Statistics Core and a Measurement & Methods Core to provide infrastructure for all investigators and trainees. RECOVER will also leverage local resources for research and training at the University of Minnesota and will maintain strong collaborations with other VA medical centers, universities, and industry partners. RECOVER will be an integral team within Minneapolis VA’s Rehabilitation & Extended Care Integrated Care Community ensuring that research and development aligns with local VA, VISN, and national VA clinical priorities.