Lead Peer Health Coach Trainer
University of Toronto
Sarah Everhart Skeels has used 35 years of experience of living with and managing a spinal cord injury to help
inform and direct research on several interdisciplinary research teams focused on promoting health and
wellness for people living with SCI.
As a Co-I, Sarah is in the data analysis phase of a project aimed to expand on previous research (“My Care My
Call”) called “An online self-management program for spinal cord injury: SCI&U”. Sarah consulted with
designing the protocol, process, and procedures of the study in addition to acting as the Peer Health Coach
Trainer, in which she developed the training, training materials and training process for certifying six Peer Health
Coaches living with SCI to support and coach peers living with SCI to improve self-management skills related to
their SCI. Coaching occurred through a virtual platform that included secure videoconferencing for coaching calls.
Sarah is currently conducting qualitative analysis of individual interviews with program participants and focus
groups with Peer Health Coaches. Additionally, she was a Co-I in another project, Testing the Effectiveness of a
Peer Health Coaching Tool to Increase Exercise Among Adolescents with Disabilities, in which she also served
as “Lead Trainer”, utilizing the role to train young adults with neurological diagnoses to be Mentors and Coaches
to support adolescents living with Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy to increase their daily Physical Activity levels.
She is currently leading the qualitative data analysis to better understand the context of these experiences. Sarah
is now a Co-I on a new project that will expand on her team’s work with SCI&U called SCI&U Peer Health
Coaching Program for individuals newly discharged from inpatient rehabilitation (Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. PI:
Jaglal S. Co-Investigators: Allin S, Guilcher S, McBride C, Mortenson W, Munce S, Pernigotti D, Everhart-Skeels S. Craig H. Neilsen
Foundation. (Proposal ID 977608). Apr 2023-Mar 2026.).
Sarah was a Co-I on several technology development projects including an RCT of a multi-modality
intervention for persons with SCI (FIT-SCI trial), a project to develop and pilot test a physical activity social
support app for persons with SCI (SCI-Lynx study). Sarah was also the project coordinator for a Tufts
University, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Psychosocial Research Grants: Developing Baxter on Wheels: A
Robotics System to Promote Independence in Food Preparation for Individuals with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Sarah informed and directed research on a number of interdisciplinary research teams focused on promoting
health and wellness at the New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center (NERSCIC), Health and Disability
Research Institute (HDRI), Boston University: a) National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Grant #H133N110019, #H133N120002, and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and
Rehabilitation Research Administration for Community Living Grant #90SI5013 b) Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Psychosocial Research Grants: Spinal Cord Injury Virtual Coach to Promote Self-Care in Pressure Ulcer
Prevention (2015-2017). She also consulted with NERSCIC and the HDRI on the National Institute of
Disability and Rehabilitation Research grant (# H-25959) Improving the Lives of People with Spinal Cord Injury
through Innovative Science and Technology: “Development of a Functional Assessment Tool for Patients with
Spinal Cord Injury” (2008 – 2010).
Sarah has served as an article reviewer for 2 SCI focused journals: Spinal Cord and Spinal Cord Series and
Cases (2017 – present), has been a member of the Community Advisory Board at Spaulding New England
Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center (SNERSCIC) (2017-2024), as well as serving as a member of the Primary
Care for Women with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Advisory Council at SNERSCIC.
An experienced peer mentor, Sarah co-founded the Rhode Island Spinal Cord Injury Support Group in 1997 to
bring the power of peer mentoring to a community where none had previously existed. Since 1998, Sarah spends
winter weekends volunteering as an adaptive ski instructor with New England Disabled Sports, teaching adults,
adolescents, and children with disabilities the joy and freedom of Snowsports.
Ms. Everhart Skeels is locally and nationally involved with developing programming focused on adaptive sports.
She is a Member of the Board of Directors, New England Disabled Sports (Secretary, 2002-2014; Vice President
2015-present); Chairperson, US Sailing Committee for Sailors with Disabilities (appointed Nov, 2012); and was
Member of U.S. Sailing Team Sperry (2009- 2016), representing the United States in national and international
Paralympic sailing competitions.
Sarah holds lecturing positions at Brown and Tufts Universities, where she teaches courses in Disability
Studies, Community-Based programming, Interactive Reasoning and Health Promotion and Disability.
Ms. Everhart Skeels is experienced in post-acute rehabilitation for those living with SCI, having developed, and
directed second-stage rehabilitation programs for adults and adolescents with neurological impairments, and
summer sports camps for children with physical disabilities. Key aspects of this programming consistently
incorporated peer mentoring.
Sarah’s role as US Lead Peer Health Coach Trainer in her current research projects provides a platform for
future involvement in researching the powerful impact of peer health coaching on promoting positive health
behavior change.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
