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Brain Injury State Action Plan in Virginia 2009-2013

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 council 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. 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 and it was unanimously accepted by the members.  The Action Plan is posted on both the DRS and BIAV websites, and will also be available for review by consumers, family members, professionals, and other stakeholders

Background information on Virginia's 2005 State Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Action Plan, the Town Meeting process, and a Survey to Gather Data for the Brain Injury State Action Plan in Virginia 2007-2011 are available on the DRS Brain Injury Services Coordination website at http://www.vadrs.org/cbs/biscis.htm. The full Action Plan, the Executive Summary, and the Action Plan booklet are also available at this location.

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) 662-7165 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.