Peer Group 03 Nov 2016: Rachelle Martin

Rachelle is a trained physiotherapist who has completed her Master in Health Science, endorsed in rehabilitation, in 2014.  Rachelle has worked clinically in the area of acquired brain injury both in the acute rehabilitation and community settings – alongside some forays into cardiac rehabilitation and physiotherapy student clinical tutoring.  Her masters research study explored life goals and social identity in people with severe acquired brain injury using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

A focus on outcomes that are considered important by the users of rehabilitation services has continued to interest Rachelle. She has had involvement in research conducted by BAIL and the Laura Fergusson Trust studying the experiences of people who experience disability and who were supported within an Active Support model of care. Rachelle has also been involved with Dr. Debbie Snell in investigating the outcomes of people following mild traumatic brain injury so as to understand why some people recover more quickly and completely than others after concussion. Rachelle continues to be involved in a number of BAIL activities including developing an evaluation of the SIU Transitionz Programme, coordinating the BAIL postgraduate-student support group, and assisting Dr Jo Nunnerley with a number of knowledge translation projects.

She is currently involved in a PhD programme of study continuing to explore what health and wellbeing outcomes are important to people who access rehabilitation services. Specifically, her PhD is researching the outcomes that are important to riders within a therapeutic horse riding programme, along with how effectively New Zealand Riding for the Disabled (NZRDA) is achieving these outcomes.