Family & survivor LInks

Brain Injury 101 (video)
 

General Brain Injury Information  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/brain-injury/

Guardianship, Conservatorship and other Options in Oregon  booklet

State Prescription Drug Program      Oregon Center for Children and Youth With Special Needs     Centers for Independent Living   Delayed Justice Can Be Denied Justice   Brain Injury Recovery Kit   Exercise and Brain Health Guide For Families    Home Based Cognitive Simulation  Stroke  Resource Links      Survivor Website & Blogs

Oregon Free Prescription Drug Program - save up to 45% on all prescriptions

Oregon Center for Children and Youth with Special Needs (CYSHN)

General Eligibility

n       Children birth to 21 years of age
n       Families must live in Oregon or pay Oregon income tax
n       Requests can be submitted through a representative of one of the Oregon Center for CYSHN Programs (CDRC specialty clinics, CaCoon, Community Connections Network , FISHs and SOCS grants and Family Involvement Network), or directly to the Family Support Program by a health, education or agency advocate.

 Medical Eligibility

Medical eligibility for the Family Support Program includes children that have long-term developmental, physical or medical conditions.  All three of the following elements must exist for a child to be eligible for the Family Support Program.

 n       The special health need is complex enough to
            o        Restrict growth, development, or
            o        The ability to engage in usual activities, or
            o        Create a functional limitation
n       The condition requires specialty medical care or more medical services than a typically developing child of the same age,
n       The condition has lasted or is likely to persist at least 12 months to lifelong.

 Financial Eligibility

Raising a child with a special health need can cause financial hardship for families, regardless of their income.  Therefore, Oregon Center for CYSHN will not impose an income limit or conduct a formal financial screening process to determine eligibility.  Financial eligibility is based on the following:

n       Family financial need will be determined by the individual who is facilitating the request for FSP funds on behalf of the family.  A statement of financial need should be included on the request form. 
n       Due to limited funding, priority should be given to those families who have a true demonstrated need.
n       FSP dollars are the payment of last resort.
n       Annual cap of $750.00 per child, per year.

Centers for Independent Living

WHAT IS A CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING?

Centers for Independent Living are organizations run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. The mission of each CIL is to help people with disabilities to live as independently as possible in communities that understand and value their contributions. CILs provide four core services: 1) information & referral, 2) advocacy, 3) Independent Living skills development, and 4) peer counseling. Other services are provided by CILs based on individual needs of the community and their consumers.  CIL services move people away from dependence and toward independence.

For a list of services and CIL contacts:  CIL Services Available

DELAYED JUSTICE CAN BE DENIED JUSTICE

David Kracke, attorney, Nichols & Associates.

In the middle of a recovery from a brain injury one of the last things a patient or that patient’s family want to think about is following through with a legal action against any potentially responsible party.  As a result, many victims of traumatic brain injuries will delay beginning the legal process against the responsible party.  This can be a tragic mistake.

In Oregon, as in all states, there are certain time frames within which a legal action must be brought against a responsible third party.  Typically that time period is two years from the date that the injury occurred.  This general two year limitation for personal injury is subject to some exceptions; however, relying on the exceptions is very dangerous.  Sometimes, however, notice to the responsible party can be required within six months of the date of the injury.  This is true where the responsible party is a state or federal governmental body, including school districts, police agencies, public transporters (such as buses or trains) and others.  Where the party responsible for the injury is a governmental entity, such as where a city worker driving a dump truck runs a stop sign, injuring another pedestrian, there is what is known as a Tort Claims Notice that must be given to the governmental entity advising of a potential claim within six months.

As a result, if a legal action is contemplated, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible after the injury to determine what timelines control the case.  Some of the most difficult conversations I have had are those where I have informed the injured person that they have waited too long to contact me, and that they are barred by the statute of limitations from pursuing their claim.

Don’t let this happen to you and your loved ones.  At the very least, call an attorney as soon as possible after the injury to determine what timelines control the case.  You will be glad you did.

Please contact BIAOR for referrals to attorneys who know and understand TBI.  503-740-3155 or 800-544-5243, [email protected]

Nutrition and Brain Health

Nutrition

Nutrition for people for disabilities as it is a under estimated epidemic in our society. Here is a list of facts, tips and resources: https://www.dietspotlight.com/nutrition-resources-people-disabilities/  Submitted by Derrick Lopez for a class project

 FAMILY

Brain Injury Recovery Kit 

The Brain Injury Recovery Kit is a unique, patented system invented by Lisa Keller – a creative individual who sustained a brain injury – and her case manager, Sandra Knutson, CRC, CCM, CDMS, a professional specializing in the needs of individuals and their families after brain injury.

An extensive page to read and you can also purchase the Package from our online store.  BIAOR has a very small limited number of kits.

Brainline.org
The site was created by public television and radio station WETA, with funding from the government's Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Brainline offers such online tools as webcasting, videos, a Facebook page, font enlargement, a glossary that can pop up inside text and a one-click option that translates all text into Spanish.

CaringBridge™.  http://www.caringbridge.com

Some hospitals are now offering a service that provides personal web pages for families. One service is called CaringBridge™.  A designated family member is established as the gatekeeper for the site and given a password to create a web page using the hospital computers. Instructions are posted on the CaringBridge website and are easy to follow - even for people with little knowledge of computers. Once the web page is established, the family can place photos and updated information about the patient on the site. Instead of having to spend hours on the telephone to share information, the designated web page author can add information at his/her convenience. Family members and friends can access the information at any time -day or night - by going to the site. They can also sign a guest book or leave messages for the patient.  The CaringBridge web pages (and similar services) offer a way for patients and families to stay connected and informed - no matter what their location or time of the day. The service is sponsored by hospitals and provided to patients free of charge.  According to CaringBridge's website, more than 35,000 patient sites have been created since its inception in 1997. More than 210 million visits have been made to the site and up to 1,400 new sites are created each month.

Stroke

Mentoring Partnership Program:  Program Manual and Mentor Training Workbook

A growing body of literature validates the benefits of peer support for families facing medical crises; however, no such model for individuals with TBI or their families has previously been implemented. We at Mount Sinai have created a mentoring program for individuals with TBI and their families within New York State and provided assistance to the New Jersey Brain Injury Association as well as to other groups to develop similar programs. Many of these programs have been evaluated, showing the benefits to participants in mentoring.

In a Mentoring Partnership Program, individuals with TBI or family members who are veterans of the experience of TBI (i.e., mentors) are trained and then matched with individuals with TBI or their family members who are new to the challenges of TBI (i.e., partners), to provide information and counsel, largely by phone.

The first of these two publications introduces the concept, workings, development and evaluation of a mentoring partnership program. The Program Manual is based on the experience of creating such programs in New York and in New Jersey, and on the desire to provide resources that others need to create similar programs in their own region of the country. Its companion volume provides materials used by individuals being trained by a Mentoring Partnership Program to provide peer mentoring.

Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™, Third Edition

Checklist for Mentoring Programs

Elements of Effective Practice™ ToolKit

How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice^TM is a comprehensive toolkit, with tools, templates and advice for implementing and adhering to the second edition of the Elements — rigorous guidelines that, when followed, will help to ensure quality mentoring.

Whether you are new to mentoring or a seasoned veteran, this tool kit will save you time and effort because it contains materials and information you need to start or maintain a quality mentoring program. The tool kit is written to follow the format of the Elements, but it allows you to take portions of it in a different order, depending on whether you are starting or strengthening your mentoring program.

Download the full toolkit in English (PDF, 1MB) or Spanish (PDF, 3MB) or by section:

Downloadable Tools

The tool kit contains OVER 160 ready-to-use tools that you can download and adapt to your program's needs. While the tools will be helpful on their own, they are much more effective when combined with the information available in the toolkit. Please take a moment to download the toolkit.

Tools available

• Tools for Designing and Planning: English | Spanish
• Tools to Manage a Program for Success: English | Spanish
• Tools to to Structure Effective Program Operations: English | Spanish
• Tools to Establish Evaluation Criteria and Methods: English | Spanish

Resource Links

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
http://www.aap.org
The AAP is committed to the health and well-being of infants, adolescents, and young adults. The website offers news articles and tips on health for families.

Brain Injury Resource Center  www.headinjury.com/
Providing a wealth of information, creative solutions and leadership on issues related to brain injury since 1985

brainandspinalcord.org,
A resource for those looking for information about brain and spinal cord injuries and their effects.

Birth Injury Guide
http://www.birthinjuryguide.org/brain-damage/
Birth Injury Guide is a comprehensive informational website on all types of birth injuries providing helpful information and guidance to parents if their child was born with a birth injury.

Child Brain Injury Trust (UK)
http://www.cbituk.org/

Cerebral Palsy Group
Cerebral Palsy Group is an online resource for anyone who has been affected by cerebral palsy, birth injuries, or brain injuries. Our team was created so we can provide answers and all types of assistance needed to help improve the quality of life for loved ones and family members with cerebral palsy.  Providing FREE support and useful resources to individuals and families who have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and other disabilities - https://cerebralpalsygroup.com/cerebral-palsy/brain-injury/

Head Injuries and Children
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/head_injury.html
Provides information and links for parents and professionals relating to head injuries in children.

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc
The website of NCIPC contains a variety of injury prevention information.
Facts About TBI in PDF   Spanish fact sheet in PDF

Network of Care
http://oregon.networkofcare.org/
State-wide community-based, resources and tools for seniors and peope with disabilities; mental health; and children ages 0-5.

The Social Security and Disability Resource Center - www.SSDRC.com
This website provides a detailed overview of how the federal disability system works (social security disability and SSI) and also provides answers to many questions that applicants typically have, but often have trouble finding answers to. For the most part, the site is based on the author's personal experience as a former disability-medicaid caseworker, and also as a former disability examiner for the social security administration