Recruiting Couples dealing with TBI and relationships factsheet

The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSTKC) is recruiting consumers for usability testing of a factsheet on TBI and relationships. We need consumers who meet the criteria below:

·         Participants should be individuals who have had a traumatic brain injury in the past five years or whose partners have had a traumatic brain injury in the past five years.

·         Participants must be 18 years of age or older.

·         Participants should be individuals who were in a monogamous relationship with the same significant other prior to, during, and after their injury or their partner’s injury.

·         Participants should represent a mix of genders and education levels.

If you know any consumers who meet these criteria or would like more information, please contact us at msktc@air.org.

Thank you!

Consumer Information on Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: Four Part Series

An evidence-based consumer factsheet titled Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: Four Part Series is available on the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center website at Understanding TBI.  The factsheet covers what happens to the brain during early stages of recovery, the impact on individuals’ functioning, the recovery process, and the impact on family that can accompany TBI.  It was developed by Thomas Novack, PhD and Tamara Bushnik, PhD in collaboration with the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center.  It has been reviewed by individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury and endorsed by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System directors.

TBI Model Systems Study Published in the New England Journal of Medicine

A NIDRR-funded TBI Model Systems Collaboratives grant study was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The placebo-controlled trial was led by Drs. Joseph Giacino and John Whyte of JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute and Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, respectively. Study findings show that daily doses of a Parkinson's drug significantly improved function in patients thought to be beyond the reach of treatment.  If the study can be replicated, promise exists for a standard treatment to help injuries that are generally unpredictable. 

Articles celebrating the results of today’s release can be found in the New York Times and Washington Post.

The 36th annual Williamsburg Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference will be held May 3-4, 2012

The 36^th annual Williamsburg Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference, the world’s oldest and longest running conference focusing on rehabilitation from traumatic brain injury (TBI), will convene on May 3-4, 2012. Pre-conference workshops will be held on May 2. This conference will appeal to professionals, who will have the opportunity to learn about new strategies and best practices in TBI rehabilitation.

The conference will be presented by Brain Injury Services of Northern Virginia and the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Please visit the conference homepage or contact Lisa Garver (703-451-8881x224 or lgarver@braininjurysvcs.org) for additional information.

To learn more about the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System of Virginia Commonwealth University, please click here.

To learn more about the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, please visit our homepage.

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics will host the State of the Science Conference on April 23, 2012

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC) will host the State of the Science Conference on April 23, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (One Bethesda Metro Center, 7400 Wisconsin Avenue) in Bethesda, MD. This conference will appeal to all disability researchers, disability program staff, policy leaders, and community advocates. Conference participants will learn more about both the current state of disability statistics and the future advancement of the field.

The keynote address will be given by Dr. Charles Lakin, Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Please see the conference website and brochure for additional information.

For additional questions, please email disability.statistics@unh.edu or call 1-866-538-9521, extension 711.

The Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research will host a webcast discussing recent disability statistics on Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Community of Practice on Employment Research of the Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research (KTER Center) will host a webcast titled What Counts? Latest Disability Statistics from Federal Surveys and Resources from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (EST) on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. This webcast will appeal to all researchers, particularly those interested in employment-related disability research.

The 90-minute webcast will be hosted by Dr. Andrew Houtenville, Research Director of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Houtenville will discuss the November 2011 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium published by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics.

Click here for registration and here to test your computer prior to the webcast.

If you cannot attend this webcast, please visit this page for the post-webcast archive.

White House Hosts Monthly Call to Discuss Disability Issues

Each month, members of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Office of Public Engagement who work on disability issues host a public, live-captioned conference call to keep citizens better informed of important disability issues and to connect them to the leaders who work on disability policies in the federal government.

Following is information for the January call:

Date of Call:  Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Start Time: 2:00 p.m. EST (dial in 5 minutes early). This call will probably last 1.5 hours.

Dial in: (800) 762-4758

Code: “White House Disability Call”        

Note: This call is off the record and not for press purposes.

Email disability@who.eop.gov with your name, organization, city and state to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list.

Click here to learn more about the White House monthly disability calls.

Visit www.Disability.gov for information on federal disability programs and services.