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SAVE THE
DATE:
“Advocacy Day on the Hill”
The Brain Injury Association of Iowa’s “Advocacy Day on the Hill” will
be held February 12, 2008. Participants will meet in Des Moines at
the State Capitol in the West Wing off the 1st floor Rotunda. The day
will start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. Visit ourAdvocacy
and Legislation
web page for more information.
CLICK HERE to view our policy agenda
for this year’s legislative session and
CLICK HERE to download the event flyer
that you can post around your community to get the word out. Handouts
and support staff will be available throughout the day. Wear your
yellow BIA-IA t-shirt if you have one or one will be provided. More
info to come but RSVP now so we can plan for materials and shirts:
Please RSVP by CLICKING HERE!
The 2008 BIA-IA Legislative and Public Policy Agenda includes:
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$5.22 million for SFY 2009 to be directly allocated to the Iowa
Department of Public Health for its Brain Injury Services Program to
maintain essential services and supports to persons with brain
injury and their families, which include:
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Funding for 550 Medicaid HCBS Brain Injury Waiver slots;
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Neuro-Resource Facilitation to Iowans experiencing brain injury;
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Enhanced brain injury training to service providers statewide;
and,
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Services to 40 individuals on the Cost Share Program.
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$6.5 million for SFY 2010 to be directly allocated to the Iowa
Department of Public Health for its Brain Injury Services Program to
maintain essential services and account for increasing need.
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Funding for 688 Medicaid HCBS Brain Injury Waiver slots;
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Neuro-Resource Facilitation to Iowans experiencing brain injury;
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Enhanced brain injury training to service providers statewide;
and,
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Services to 50 individuals on the Cost Share Program.
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Fully funding all of Iowa’s Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver
Slots, specifically the BI Waiver.
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Continued support of the MH/MR/DD/BI redesign of county-based
services to include services to all Iowans with brain injury.
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Enhance Iowa’s passenger safety restraint law so all passengers
riding in motor vehicles are required to wear seatbelts.
PREVENTION:
Falls are currently the leading cause of brain injury in the state of
Iowa. Each year, one in three Americans 65 and older falls, sometimes
with serious medical consequences, including brain injury. One way to
perhaps prevent the falls is to combat the decline in one’s sense of
balance by taking steps to preserve or restore the important ability to
maintain equilibrium.
Click here to view a simple balance assessment and exercises
to improve it.
CLICK HERE to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fall
prevention web page
for additional resources.
BIA-IA WELCOMES
NEW STAFF and MOVES WATERLOO OFFICE:
Jacquelyn Preston joined the Brain Injury Association of Iowa as Neuro-Resource
Facilitator at the Kimball Ridge Office in Waterloo in October. Preston
has more than 15 years of education and health care experience. She has
a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Family
Services and Community Health and a master’s degree from UNI in Health
Education. She previously was an Education Facilitator with Covenant
Health System and spent the last three years teaching in the Medical
Assisting Program at Hamilton College.
In addition, the Waterloo office has moved from the basement of the
Kimball Ridge Center to the first floor of the building.
SUPPORT GROUPS
On a local level, members and visitors meet together monthly to share
experiences and information on an informal basis. Most groups function
as support-giving entities to individuals with brain injury and to their
families. We have support groups in the following communities Ankeny,
Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Waterloo, Davenport,
Council Bluffs, Glenwood and the Lakes area. We are working with folks
in Fort Dodge and Mason City on start-up and support.
Many of these area support groups have more than one support group; for
instance, one for survivors, one for families, and one for recreational
activities. Benefits of participating in a local support group meeting
include presentations by specialty speakers, referrals to local
resources, and emotional support from others in similar circumstances.
If you would like information on one of our support groups,
please send an e-mail to
info@biaia.org
or call 1-800-444-6443
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SAVE THE DATE:
BIA-IA's Best Practices in Brain Injury Service Delivery: XVI
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This year's 16th annual conference will be held in Des
Moines, Iowa at the Hotel Fort Des Moines on March 6th &
7th, 2008. Additionally, on March 5th we will have a
pre-conference training and activities focused on education
and the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Brain
Injury Waiver.
On-line Exhibitor Registration
Pay by Check
Pay by Credit Card
On-Line Individual Registration
Pay by Check
Pay by Credit Card
Some of the speakers at this year's conference will
include:
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Tim Feeney, Executive Director and President of School
and Community Support Services and Project Director of
the New York Neurobehavioral Resource Project, will
present on self-regulation in neuro-behavioral
management, with a specific focus for educators.
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Al Condelucci, CEO of United Cerebral Palsy of
Pittsburgh, will speak on the topics of Interdependence
and Social Capitol.
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Joseph Richert, from Michigan's Special Tree
Rehabilitation System, will present on post concussion
syndrome in student athletes, providing effective
supplemental educational supports and reviewing
necessary counseling and evaluation services.
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Michael Mason, former brain injury case manager and
current author from Oklahoma, will recount personal
insights of brain injury survivors he encountered while
writing his book, "Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury &
Its Aftermath."
We are very excited about this year's conference and hope
you will plan on joining us in March!
TRAINING:
The Brain Injury Association of Iowa can deliver a range of
training for your organization. Since July of 2007, the
association has provided 42 trainings to more than 1200
individuals. Training options available to your agency
include:
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NEW - Ambiguous Loss - the impact of event based disability
on the family
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Brain Injury Awareness
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Brain Injury Awareness and Funding
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Brain Injury and Positive Behavioral Change
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Understanding Brain Injury for Vocational Rehabilitation
Professionals
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What your community group should know about TBI
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Brain Injury 101
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Brain Injury for the Case Manager
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Returning to Work After Brain Injury
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When worlds collide – the Worlds of BI and MR/DD
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How Brain Injury Affects Families
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Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Educators
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Methamphetamine and Brain Injury
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And more!
If you are interested in training for your program, please
send an e-mail toinfo@biaia.org
or call 1-800-444-6443
With Your Help, BIA-IA Can Make a Difference!
Only a small number of individuals with brain injury presently
receive appropriate rehabilitation services. Your support is
vitally needed and is tax deductible. Click
here to visit our How You Can Help Us web page
or call us Toll Free at:
1-800-444-6443
Neuro-Resource Facilitation
Neuro-Resource Facilitation is a service provided to
individuals experiencing brain injury and their families.
This program offers individuals and families support in coping
with the issues of living with brain injury and transition
back to work and the community. Support is provided in a
variety of forms, including:
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Providing brain injury specific information and resources;
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Enhancing natural supports and providing linkage to
appropriate supports, services, and community resources;
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Providing training to service providers to increase Iowa’s
system capacity to provide appropriate services;
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Accessing, securing and maximizing funding, both private and
public.
One of the primary resources distributed by the Neuro-Resource
Facilitators is the Iowa Brain Injury Resource Network Tote
Bag and more than 850 have been distributed since July 2007.
The tote bag contains important brain injury information and
information on various services and supports for individuals
and families experiencing brain injury
(To view or download our Virtual Tote Bag: Choose either
Word
or
Html
format).
Another resource commonly distributed by our staff is a packet
called Concussion Information and Supports (To view the
Virtual Concussion Packet, choose eitherWord
or
Html
format).
To learn more about any of these supports or to find
out how you can participate, please
please send an e-mail to
info@biaia.org
or call 1-800-444-6443
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Note - Waypoint formatting cannot yet be optimized for all email
readers. However all errors, typos or faux pas are solely
attributable to Waypoint Editors:
Geoffrey M. Lauer
Executive Director
and
Thomas Brown
Neuro-Resource Facilitation and Training Coordinator
Brain Injury Association of Iowa
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