The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado is the ONLY statewide non-profit exclusively dedicated to brain injury. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with brain injuries and their families and support programs to prevent brain injuries.
NEWS
SAVE THE DATE!
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION now available at: www.rmhcare.org
Rocky Mountain Brain Injury Services in Colorado Springs will be hosting their annual conference on March 2nd, 2012 at the Julie Penrose Health Education and Research Center. The topic this year is "Brain Injury: Impact on Life and Family."
Keystone Symposia: Clinical and Molecular Biology of Acute and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathies. February 26th - March 2nd, Keystone Resort.
Acute traumatic brain injury and its long-term complications (known collectively as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE) are increasingly recognized as major public health issues, especially in the context of sports-related head injury and battlefield blast exposure.
Sessions of this multi-day conference will include the physics of head injury, the epidemiological and neuropsychiatric aspects of sports-related and blast-related syndromes, the overlap between CTE and major neurodegenerative diseases, the molecular biology of the brain and new experimental therapeutics research.
The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) is a proven leadership course that give participants the skills, abilities and confidence to be a community leader on behalf of children and families. As a result of FLTI, family leaders are now active in the local communities, contributing to the well-being of children in a myriad of ways, including: developing nutritional classes, starting a flag-football league, supporting Mom’s with post-partum depression, creating after-school programs, supporting teen parents, reforming HOA policies, etc… It is indeed a transformative experience!
FLTI is gearing up for the 2012 session, and this is a great time for you to consider referring someone for the class, or perhaps, take the class yourself!
This class is FREE to participants, as it is grounded in the belief that democracy should be accessible to all people!
UW Research Study: Life Improvement Following Traumatic Brain Injury (LIFT)
After a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), many people experience symptoms including low mood, poor energy, loss of interest in usual activities, and changes in appetite and sleep. The University of Washington (UW) is conducting a researach study using a particular approach to education and counseling, called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This type of counseling has been used to effectively treat these symptoms with people who have not had a brain injury.
UW is investigating whether these same strategies can also help people who have had a TBI. Researchers hope to find out if counseling can help people with a TBI get back to activities they enjoy, develop positive mental habits, and improve overall quality of life. Eligible participants will be enrolled in the study for 16 weeks, with a follow-up phone call 8 weeks later. For questions, or to be considered for this study, please contact Kenneth Marshall at (206) 543-4213 or 1-866-577-1925.
For more information visit the website.
Concussion Management: A Team Approach
Check out this new video describing Colorado's unique multi-disciplinary approach to concussion management for school-aged youth. Thanks to the Colorado TBI Trust Fund for funding this great video!
Functional Neurology Courses for Professionals
Are you a mental health practitioner, massage therapist or acupuncturist in Colorado? Check out this state-certified educational program about functional neurology and the impact it may have on your practice!
In January and February of 2012, a class is being offered by the Rocky Mountain MS Center designed to help family caregivers. This program will help you take care of yourself while caring for a relative or friend.
The class will be held on Tuesday evenings for 6 weeks and costs $25, which includes a Caregiver Helpbook and refreshments.
The goals of this class include learning how to:
Reduce stress
Effectively communicate with other family members, your doctors, or paid help
Take care of yourself
Reduce anger, guilt and depression
Relax
Make tough decisions
Set goals and problem-solve
For more information please call 303.433.6887. Registration is limited, so call today!
2011 Conference Presentation Materials Now Available
We are excited to announce that we have started to post presenter materials from the 29th Annual Conference! Check back frequently for more information and new materials!
Help Make Technology Easier to Use!
There has been impressive accessibility work to make computers, the web, cell phones and other tech tools usable by people with motor and sensory disabilities. Now it is time to address cognitive needs. The RERC-ACT of the University of Colorado School of Medicine aims to make everyday technology products more usable by people with cognitive impairment resulting from conditions such as brain injury as well as Alzheimer’s, attention disorder, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, learning disability, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Of course, many people will benefit from better design and more options for customization.
What can you do?
Take a survey to share your thoughts about the technologies that are most important for people with brain injury.
Join the RESNA Standards Committee on Cognitive Technologies. For more information, please contact Harmony Hilderbrand at Harmony@BeneficialDesigns.com.
Volunteer to test products at The University of Colorado School of Medicine Assistive Technology Product Testing Lab (601 East 18th Avenue, Suite 130). For more information, please call the Assistive Technology Partners at 303-315-1289.
Announcement - Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost
On October 7, 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Costs , a consensus report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for establishing the criteria and methods to define and update the essential health benefits package that will be included in most private health plans offered to individuals and small groups beginning in 2014 as required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Thanks again to Metier Law Firm for their continued support!
Tom Metier and Metier Law Firm, LLC donated all proceeds from the event to the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado for the benefit of adults and adolescences suffering from the devastating effects of a brain injury. This cause is dear to Tom Metier, who sees the devastating effects of brain injuries in his day to day practice. If you would like to get involved in this cause, contact personal injury attorney Tom Metier today at (866) 377-3800.
Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado Member Chad Zanca has released his new 2012 calendar and we are excited to share it with you! As Chad says on his site, " Colorado is a state unlike any other in the country. With rivers, mountains, plains, and desert, Colorado has it all. The alpenglow sunsets and the high altitude environment can lead to a wonderful vacation as well as a lifetime of explorations in the search of champagne powder. Our wonderful state is filled with interesting history, unique facts, and tons of outdoor activities. Learn a new fact everyday, and get to know our state!"
Brain injury survivors around the world are using a simple iPhone app called It's Done! to help them remember whether they completed everyday routine tasks. Like locking the door or taking daily medication or turning off the stove. The app even generates a text or email to notify their loved ones and caregivers whenever tasks are check-marked done.
It's Done! has been reviewed/praised by a number of state affiliates of the BIAA.
Seeking Participants for Traumatic Brain Injury Research Study
The Neurobehavioral Disorders Program at University of Colorado Denver is recruiting subjects for a research study evaluating the effectiveness of 4 treatments in individuals with memory and attention problems related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Study participants should be able to travel to the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO for 5 clinic visits over 7 weeks.
Participants are not eligible for financial compensation.
Please call Kim or Jody at (303) 724-4990 for more information.
National Brain Injury Study of Disability Disclosure in the Workplace
David Burnhill is a doctoral candidate at the University Of Maryland. For his graduate dissertation study he is focusing on disability disclosure in the workplace for BI survivors. He needs your help in filling out a brief survey that examines these issues so that we can begin understanding what survivors are faced with when returning to work!
Governor Hickenlooper signs the Jake Snakenberg Youth Sports Concussion Act. Photo by Kenny Hosack.
This hard-won piece of legislation will keep our youth athletes safe for the years to come. It requires that coaches get education on how to recognize a concussion, that a player is removed from play if a concussion is suspected and that the student athlete must be signed off by a medical professional before returning to play.
This was a proud day for those of us that have spent over a year meeting with stakeholders, creating a consensus and developing language so the bill works for the Colorado youth sports community.
In the Fall of 2004, Jake Snakenberg was a freshman football player at Grandview High School. He likely sustained a concussion in a game the week prior, however, he did not fully understand that he had experienced a concussion and he did not report his symptoms to anyone. One week later, Jake took a typical hit in a game, collapsed on the field and never regained consciousness. Jake passed away from "Second Impact Syndrome" on September 19, 2004.