Deployment
Homefront Encouragement
Homefront Resources
Send us your stories!
TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Resources
American Veterans with Brain Injuries, Inc.
American Veterans with Brain Injuries (AVBI) was organized in 2004 as a grassroots effort whose mission is to offer support to the families of American Servicemembers and Veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. AVBI.org went live on the Internet in 2006 to provide a web based peer support network and information resource. In January 2009, in order to expand support services and programs specifically designed for these veterans and their family members, American Veterans with Brain Injuries, Inc. was incorporated as a Not for Profit organization.
Brain Injury Association of America
Founded in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the leading national organization serving and representing individuals, families and professionals who are touched by a life-altering, often devastating, traumatic brain injury (TBI). Together with its network of more than 40 chartered state affiliates, as well as hundreds of local chapters and support groups across the country, the BIAA provides information, education and support to assist the 3.17 million Americans currently living with traumatic brain injury and their families.
If you or someone you love has sustained a brain injury, please call the Brain Injury Association of America at 1-800-444-6443 for information and resources and/or visit, www.biausa.org.
Brain Injury Resource Foundation
The mission of the Brain Injury Resource Foundation is to provide education, advocacy and support for persons affected by brain injury.
Brainline
Preventing, treating and living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Advocacy, news and information for survivors, friends, families, caregivers and professionals.
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (Military Outreach Campaign)
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center (PRC), the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), and the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) have resources and expertise to enhance the care and recovery of active military and veterans with paralysis and/or traumatic brain injury.
The PRC Military Outreach Campaign assists all service members and veterans with mobility impairment from a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury. The PRC has two locations and an extensive website to help those living with paralysis make more informed decisions about their treatment.
Download a brochure about our Military Outreach Campaign.
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
The mission of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) is to serve active duty military, their beneficiaries, and veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) through state-of-the-art clinical care, innovative clinical research initiatives and educational programs. DVBIC fulfills this mission through ongoing collaboration with military, VA and civilian health partners, local communities, families and individuals with TBI.
In 2008, DVBIC's mission expanded to include Force Health Protection and Management. This encompasses the following Department of Defense (DoD) programs: TBI Surveillance, TBI Registry, Pre-deployment neurocognitive testing,
Family Caregiver Curriculum, 15 year longitudinal study of TBI, Independent study of automated neurocognitive tests
DVBIC has been named the Office of Responsibility or Executive Agency for these programs.
DVBIC's multi-center network design and collaborations with forward medical commands allows for clinical innovation along the entire continuum of care: from initial injury in the war zone through to medical evacuation, acute care, rehabilitation and ultimately a return to community, family, and work or continued duty when possible.
This website features a Family Caregiver Curriculum.
Operation Alpha (Livingstone, Alabama)
Operation ALPHA will be held August 5-8, 2010. Operation ALPHA is designed for servicemen and women who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Activities will include competitive sports, rock climbing, water skiing, kayaking, scuba diving, wakeboarding, mountain biking and cycling.
This camp is open to men and women who have served in the global war on terror and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Operation ALPHA will be held at the Lakeshore Foundation facility and at locations around the greater Birmingham community. There is no cost to military personnel with severe service-related injuries and one guest. The weekend includes all meals, lodging, air and ground transportation, and all sports and recreation activities.
Rehabilitation - Project Victory (TIRR Foundation)
TIRR Foundation and the TIRR Memorial Hermann have joined together to provide rehabilitative care for military service members injured in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The program, Project Victory, seeks to enable soldiers with a traumatic brain injury regain skills and functions that were lost through their injury.
Project Victory is looking to serve veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who are experiencing the following symptoms:
- Trouble with memory, attention or concentration
- Difficulty organizing tasks
- Blurred vision or eyes tire easily
- Easily angered or irritated
- Difficulty inhibiting behavior- impulsive
- More sensitive to sounds, lights or distractions
- Impaired decision-making or problem-solving
- Feeling tired all the time
- Headaches or ringing in the ears
- Slowed thinking, moving, speaking or reading
Project Victory works with military personnel and veterans of recent military service, who served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and who have screened positively for post concussive symptoms or been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury while in combat or stateside. Services within Project Victory are provided at no cost to the client and without regard to age, ethnicity or gender.
Real Warriors Campaign
The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative launched by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) to promote the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans and their families.
Ten in Ten Project
The 10 in 10 Project is launching with our initial mission to help every Soldier and Marine returning home from the war with a traumatic brain injury. With your donation and support the 10 in 10 Project will be able to give real help and real hope to our troops, and their families. Once the initial mission is fulfilled, the project will open the giving to the millions of civilian Americans living after brain injury who are unable to afford or access the necessary assistance.
Website includes Brain Injury Recovery Kit and Ticket of Hope fundraising program.
Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide (Online Book)
Nearly all of the survivors of a traumatic head injury and their families with whom I have worked have had one complaint: There is nothing written that explains head injury in clear, easy to understand language. Most say the available material is too medical or too difficult to read. The goal of this online book is to better prepare the head injured person and family for the long road ahead.
Traumatic Brain Injury
TraumaticBrainInjury is a project of TraumaticBrainInjury.com, LLC. Our mission is to be the leading internet resource for education, advocacy, research and suport for brain injury surviviors, their families, and medical and rehabilitation professionals.
Traumatic Brain Injury: The Journey Home
Welcome to The Journey Home - the CEMM Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) web site. This site provides an informative and sensitive exploration of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), including information for patients, family members, and caregivers. Topics include types and symptoms of brain injury, TBI treatment and recovery, and helpful insights about the potential long-term effects of brain injury. Animation is used to help patients clearly understand the brain, and the results of injuries to different parts of the brain. Survivors and their caregivers share courageous stories about their own experiences, providing down-to-earth facts along with inspiration and hope. Watch the Traumatic Brain Injury introduction video.
Waiting
Find out why We Are Here and Who We Are. We recommend visiting The Bridge From Despair for personal stories, advice, anecdotes and thoughts from survivors of brain injury and family members of survivors of brain injury.
We provide information About Brain Injury: Intracranial Pressure, Coma, The Rancho Los Amigos Scale, Neurosurgery, Brain Anatomy, Brain Functions and Pathology, and a complete Glossary of terms you may encounter.
The ICU Guide explains the function of the equipment in the Intensive Care Unit, the roles played by different members of the medical team, how to get information from doctors and other medical professionals, suggestions on locating other resources, and the role of family members of the patient.
Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2010
TBI Resources
What is TBI?
Used with Permission from the Facebook Group - Loved Ones of Combat Veterans (PTSD/TBI Support Group) link
What are TBI? Please see below for an abbreviated version of a very complicated, combat related issues with a few tips to help make things better for them and for you:
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
If the head is hit or violently shaken (such as from a blast or explosion), a “concussion” or “closed head injury” can result. A concussion in and of itself is seldom life threatening, so doctors often use the term “mild” when the person is only dazed or confused or loses consciousness for a short time. However, concussion can result in serious symptoms. People who survive multiple concussions may have more serious problems. People who have had a concussion may say that they are “fine” although their behavior or personality has changed. If you notice such changes in a family member or friend, suggest they seek medical care. Keep in mind that these are common experiences, but may occur more frequently with TBI. If in doubt, ask your doctor.
Symptoms:
• Difficulty organizing daily tasks.
• Blurred vision or eyes tire easily.
• Headaches or ringing in the ears.
• Feeling sad, anxious or listless.
• Easily irritated or angered.
• Feeling tired all the time.
• Feeling light-headed or dizzy.
• Trouble with memory, attention or concentration.
• More sensitive to sounds, lights or distractions.
• Impaired decision making or problem solving.
• Difficulty inhibiting behavior – impulsive.
• Slowed thinking, moving speaking or reading.
• Easily confused, feeling easily overwhelmed.
• Change in sexual interest or behavior.
Some symptoms may be present immediately; others may appear much later. People experience brain injuries differently. Speed of recovery varies. Most people with mild injuries recover fully, but it can take time. In general, recovery is slower in older persons. People with a previous brain injury may find that it takes longer to recover from their current injury. Some symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. Talk to your health care provider about any troubling symptoms or problems.
More helpful information found on the Facebook Group page includes:
• Things that can help
• Things that can hurt
• What can family and friends do to help their veteran?
• What can you do for yourself and your family?
____________________________________________________________________________
For powerful stories in video format, visit In Their Boots.
Organizations that support:
Deployment:
Encouragement:
Military Life:
Resources
