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Brain Injury Services Coordination

March 2012 is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Governor McDonnell proclaims March 2012 as Brain Injury Awareness Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Click here to read the full text of the proclamation.

Free TBI Caregiver Forum in Richmond on April 21, 2012!

DRS’ Federal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Grant is sponsoring its 2nd Annual Caregiver Forum at the Hilton Garden Inn at Innsbrook in Richmond entitled, “We Walk Together,” on Saturday, April 21, 2012. This is a FREE event, with lunch provided. In addition, lodging and mileage reimbursement are available upon request for those with demonstrated financial need. Please share this information with family members, caregivers, and survivors of traumatic brain injury. Separate activities for survivors are available upon request. Last year’s Caregiver Forum was a huge success, so please join us for an enjoyable and informative day! Space is limited --contact Kristie Chamberlain, Program Specialist, via e-mail at Kristie.Chamberlain@drs.virginia.gov or call at 800/552-5019 to register or for more information. Registration Form

2011 State Agency Brain Injury Report Out Day

On July 22, 2011, the second biennial "Brain Injury Report Out Day" was held at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen hosted by the Department of Rehabilitative Services and the Virginia Brain Injury Council. Read more, download presentations, and view photos on the Event Page.

Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit

The Brain Injury Services Coordination (BISC) Unit, located within DRS' Community Based Services Division in the Richmond Central Office, serves as a point of contact for internal and external customers seeking general or agency-specific information about brain injury resources.  BISC manages over $6 million in programs, contracts, and federal grants involving brain injury services throughout the Commonwealth. As part of its oversight responsibility of nine state-funded Brain Injury Services (BIS) Programs, DRS prepares an annual report on number of people served by each program; types of services provided; and success in attracting nonstate resources. DRS also maintains the BIS Programs SCORECARD which reports quarterly data on how the state-funded programs are helping consumers achieve their personal goals, as well as the number and nature of community awareness and education events conducted by each program. BISC Unit also manages the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Trust Fund, the Brain Injury Discretionary Services (BIDS) Fund, and provides staffing for the Virginia Brain Injury Council (VBIC). DRS was awarded a three-year (2006-09) federal TBI Act systems change grant, "Strengthening Our Statewide Infrastructure for Brain Injury Services (SOS:BIS)." Federal grant activities are carried out through a contract with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, which is managed by the Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit.

The BISC Unit works closely with other CBS Division programs, particularly the Community Rehabilitation Case Management Services Program, to provide comprehensive services and to resolve customer concerns regarding agency services for persons with brain injury. The BISC Unit and the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) Brain Injury Services Department provide support, guidance, and technical assistance to DRS field staff and agency administration regarding the rehabilitation of persons with acquired brain injury. Sponsorship funding through BISCU is available each year for a limited number of DRS and WWRC staff to receive specialized training in brain injury through workshops, courses, and conferences.

The Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit works collaboratively with DRS’ Vocational Rehabilitation Program when serving consumers who have a vocational goal.  You can download a DRS Vocational Rehabilitation Services flyer. BISC Unit partners with consumers, advocacy groups, state agencies, and other community entities to improve services and resources for Virginians with brain injury.

Newly Posted! Brain Injury State Action Plan in Virginia 2009-2013

A final draft of Virginia’s State Action Plan for 2009-2013 was presented to the Virginia Brain Injury Council at its April 23, 2010 meeting. Council members voted unanimously to accept the final draft of the full Action Plan document. Copies are posted on both the DRS and BIAV websites, and the Action Plan will also be disseminated among consumers, family members, professionals, and other stakeholders.

The Virginia Brain Injury Council (VBIC) serves as the advisory body to a federal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act grant awarded to the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), the lead agency in Virginia for the coordination of brain injury services. A 1998-2000 federal TBI Act "Planning Grant" required DRS to develop an "action plan" to guide the statewide development of brain injury services. DRS, in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health Systems, developed the 2000-2005 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Action Plan. DRS received additional funding through a TBI Act "Implementation Grant" and in Spring 2005 formed a Steering Committee to oversee the process of updating Virginia's 2005 Action Plan, one of the goals of the Federal TBI grant. Representatives from the Virginia Brain Injury Council (VBIC), the Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV), the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Trust Fund Advisory Board, and the Virginia Alliance of Brain Injury Service Providers (VABISP) developed a work plan to carry out this important activity. The Virginia Brain Injury Council endorsed the Steering Committee's work plan.

During 2005, DRS hosted several Brain Injury Town Meetings across the state and invited survivors, family members, professionals, and other stakeholders to participate. The Town Meeting process allowed facilitators to receive feedback on the development of "core" or foundational brain injury services; to identify and prioritize local service needs; and to share information on developing and enhancing services within the local community. (See link to 2005 Town Meetings below for more information on Virginia’s three “core” services: Case Management; Clubhouse/Day Programs; and Regional Resource Coordination.) DRS partnered with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) http://www.biav.net and with the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rehabilitation Research & Training Center to conduct the Town Meetings and prepare a report of its findings. The Steering Committee reviewed the findings in 2006 and revised the work plan, which was again endorsed by the Virginia Brain Injury Council.

In 2007, DRS invited Susan Vaughn, Director of Public Policy for the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA), to provide an overview of other states' advisory councils and statewide actions plans at the January 2007 meeting of the Virginia Brain Injury Council. DRS also hired Ann Deaton, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist, to research, develop, and prepare a written draft of Virginia's Brain Injury State Action Plan for 2007-2011. Dr. Deaton developed and distributed a survey to solicit input from stakeholders; she also conducted numerous in-depth telephone interviews. Based on Dr. Deaton’s draft document, in 2009 DRS and BIAV developed a State Action Plan Executive Summary, as well as a consumer-friendly State Action Plan Booklet with background information and an overview of the Plan’s three target areas.

The full Virginia Brain Injury Action Plan 2009-2013, the Executive Summary of the Action Plan, and the Action Plan Booklet are available below. Background information on Virginia's 2005 and 2007 State Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Action Plans are also available, including the 2005 Town Meetings: Final Report and a Survey to Gather Data for the Brain Injury State Action Plan in Virginia 2007-2011.

For additional information regarding the Virginia Brain Injury Council or Virginia’s State Action Plan 2009-2013, please e-mail Patti.Goodall@drs.virignia.gov or call (804) 662-7615 or (800) 552-5019.  You may also contact the Brain Injury Association of Virginia at (804) 355-5748 or visit their website at http://www.biav.net.

Virginia Neurobehavioral Paper Published 2010

The Virginia Brain Injury Council's position paper, Neurobehavioral Treatment for Virginians with Brain injury, was written by an Ad Hoc Neurobehavioral Committee in response to the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Service's challenge to "…develop a ‘white paper’ on neurobehavioral treatment options in Virginia as a basis for discussion/action between the commissioners of Department of Rehabilitative Services and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.” (Virginia Brain Injury Council Minutes, 7/30/04)." The paper development was finished May 1, 2009 and published May 4, 2010.

The members of the Ad Hoc Neurobehavioral Committee were brain injury experts from around the State.  Their names and affiliations are listed at the end of the document.

This effort is the result of a systematic, data-driven process that:

 Please note that this position paper was developed and authored in May of 2009 before the official name change went into effect for the “Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services,” now called the “Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services” and published May 2010. Therefore, there are references to both official agency names based on when the timing of the referenced action occurred.

This paper does not necessarily represent views or opinions of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. It was written by the Ad Hoc Neurobehavioral Committee to serve as a strategic plan to Virginians in need.  For additional information regarding the Virginia Brain Injury Council or please e-mail Patti.Goodall@drs.virginia.gov or call (804) 662-7615 or (800) 552-5019.

Neurobehavioral Treatment for Virginians with Brain Injury (Word)

Vocational Rehabilitation Program Services

WWRC Brain Injury Services Program

Administered by DRS

Community Support Services

DRS recognizes that deficits in non-vocational life areas may adversely affect the ability of individuals to gain and/or maintain employment. Community Support Services (CSS) involve intensive one-to-one education and training to assist someone to live and participate as independently as possible in home, work, and community settings of choice.  Services may include education, life skills training, assessment and instruction related to the use of assistive technology, as well as the development and implementation of strategies and techniques to help a person to function successfully in community settings.  Areas targeted for Community Support Services may include household and financial management, personal care/hygiene, coping and social skills, using transportation, and other similar skills and tasks.  When working with a person with a brain injury, Community Support Services typically focus on the development and implementation of compensatory strategies versus the retraining of cognitive skills.

The Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit encourages organizations and individuals to apply for vendorship approval to provide Community Support Services to DRS customers served by the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, as well as those served by programs within the Community Based Services Division.  Although Community Support Services may be paid for by a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor in certain situations, services are often provided to individuals with brain injury through the Brain Injury Direct Services (BIDS) Fund managed by the Brain Injury Services Coordination Unit. CSS vendorship information and application materials are available in the DRS Forms Cabinet under "Brain Injury Services Forms."  For more information, contact Patti Goodall at Patti.Goodall@drs.virginia.gov or 800-552-5019 (voice) or 800-464-9950 (TTY).

Statistical Information

Virginia Department of Health
Center for Injury & Violence Prevention
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/datacivp.asp.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Virginia 1999-2003
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/TBIreport.pdf (PDF File).

Traumatic Brain Injury National Database Center
http://www.tbindc.org/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Traumatic Brain Injury: http://www.cdc.gov/node.do?id=0900f3ec8000dbdc&aspectId=A0400020

For additional information on brain injury:

Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)
http://www.biausa.org

Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV)
http://www.biav.net

National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury
http://www.neuro.pmr.vcu.edu/

Virginia Commonwealth University Traumatic Brain Injury Model System
http://www.tbi.pmr.vcu.edu/

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This File Was Last Modified: Tuesday March 06 2012