Inside this issue…

September 2012 Volume 5

Walk for Brain Injury– 2 2nd Annual Golf - 8

BIAA Update - 19 Bike Rodeo - 20

Helmet Replacement & Education Partnership - 10

LIFE AFTER BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION

Continued on page 2

As a 24-year old, John Kerchner, was enjoying a wonder-

ful life as a husband to Olivia, and father to their two

young sons, ages 2 and 2 months. John was also on

active duty for the United States Marine Corps and had

re-enlisted for another four years with hopes of making

the USMC his career. The young family man had his en-

tire future to look forward to when his life changed in an

instant on December 19, 1999. John had been on a mo-

torcycle ride in Idlewild, California, when he was involved

in a very serious accident with an automobile. John was

airlifted to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs where he was stabilized, but suffered a

closed traumatic brain injury with massive sheering through-

out his entire brain and major damage to his brainstem and

cerebellum. John was on life support for two weeks and in a

coma for three months. In addition to his TBI, John had other

serious injuries with his face shattered, a broken nose, his

orbital sockets were fractured and a broken jaw. John was

hospitalized for a total of six months and then discharged and

sent home without any further ongoing rehabilitation.

Olivia was just 23 at the time John was sent home, leaving

her to care for John and her two young sons, and no clue what it meant to care for John

having suffered the TBI

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For almost six years, Olivia cared for John and her two children at home since the insurance

company denied John the opportunity to be admitted to a specialized brain injury rehabilita-

tion facility. John had verbal outbursts and physical aggressions towards his family on a

daily basis. Olivia could not take John to a store much less a restaurant without his

outbursts and aggressions coming out. Throughout that six-year period, Olivia continued her

efforts to work with the Veterans Administration so that John may one day have the

opportunity to get the help he needed and deserved.

Without any luck, John suffered another injury in

November of 2004 from a fall at his home. John once

again hit his head and was unconscious. John was

then admitted to the local hospital where he stayed for

about a month, but was then faced with being

discharged because he was not a sick patient. He

needed rehabilitation. John was then transferred to the

West Los Angeles VA hospital where he resided for

about two weeks. In the meantime, Olivia had been

working with her local congressman to get approval for

John to be admitted to a brain injury rehabilitation facility in the city where she resided. By

the end of December of 2005, John was finally

approved for a 30-day trial basis to receive aggressive

and specialized treatment at the rehabilitation facility.

After seven years, and Olivia’s constant attention and

work to keep John in the facility where he has shown

great improvement, John continues to receive the level

of care and treatment he went so long without and that

he needed and deserved so desperately.

Today, John is a much different man than he was when

he first came home from the hospital following the

accident. John’s anger and outbursts have substantial-

ly decreased and he is very happy that he can now

enjoy spending time with Olivia and their sons, as well

as other family members and friends. Although it took

six years and another injury for John to receive the

appropriate level of care and specialized rehabilitation, John now has a much greater quality

of life and opportunity to be present in the lives of his cherished family.

Life After Brain Injury Rehabilitation—continued

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REGISTER NOW

BIACAL has worked with conference founders, Mr. Randall Scarlett of Scarlett Law Group, and Dr. Claude Munday, to produce this conference. The legacy of this meeting has been to assemble the finest medical and legal practitioners from around the US and this year continues that tradition. Come and learn from the best!

CLICK HERE TO

REGISTER

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WE’VE CHANGED OUR NAME AND LOGO FOR TH 2013 WALKS

The Brain Injury Association of California is pleased to introduce our new name and logo for the 2013 Walks across the state. The former Walk For Thought will now be billed as WALK FOR BRAIN INJURY. This change is taking place as part of our continuing effort to brand with the Brain Injury Association of America. This new logo will be used by all state affiliates that hold walks around the nation with the goal of becoming a nationally recognized logo that better represents our cause. 2013 will be our 6

th year of hosting Walks across the state and we are very excited to

announce the dates and locations of all 13 Walks, which start off in March 2nd

and end on May 5

th. With so many walks, it has become impossible to complete all walks

in the month of March (Brain Injury Awareness Month) so this gives everybody an op-portunity to attend one or more walks. Please see the dates and locations below:

2013 WALK SCHEDULE March 2 Fresno March 3 San Francisco March 9 Bakersfield March 16 Yuba City March 23 San Diego March 24 Sacramento April 6 Santa Barbara April 13 Rancho Cucamonga April 14 Torrance April 19 Downey April 20 San Jose April 28 Fullerton May 5 Oxnard So Save the Date and watch for upcoming announcements on when you can register and begin building your teams and raising funds to support the Brain Injury Association of California and the local Host Organizations.

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Continued on Page 7

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Here's what experts say parents should do during CONCUSSION RECOVERY:

Regular and close monitoring for first 24 to 48 hours. Although most sport-related concussions are mild, the potential always exists for complications, some life-threatening (such as bleeding on the brain or second-impact syndrome). Such complications may occur immediately (minutes to hours) or over several days after the injury. If your child experiences any of the following signs of deteriorating mental status, take her to the hospital immediately:

Has a headache that gets worse

Is very drowsy or can't be awakened (woken up)

Can't recognize people or places

Is vomiting

Behaves unusually, seems confused or very irritable

Experiences seizures (arms and legs jerk uncontrollably)

Has weak or numb arms or legs

Is unsteady on his feet

Has slurred speech

Waking up: The traditional rule has been to wake up a concussed athlete every 3 to 4 hours during the night to evaluate changes in symptoms and rule out the possibility of an intracranial bleed, such as a subdural hematoma. A good rule of thumb to use is to wake up your child during the night to check for signs of deteriorating mental status only if he experienced a loss of consciousness or prolonged amnesia after the injury, or was still experiencing other significant post-concussion symptoms at bedtime. There is no need to check his eyes with a flashlight or test his reflexes.

Medication: After a concussion, you should consult with a medical doctor before giving medications to your child. Drug use warning: Warn your child about the dangers of ingesting alcohol, illicit drugs, or other substances that might interfere with cognitive function and neurologic recovery.

Physical rest: Rest is important to recovery, but not complete bed rest. Allow your child to resume normal activities of daily living such as driving once symptoms begin to resolve or decrease in severity, but engage in exercise or training only after his symptoms have completely cleared, and return to physical and mental rest if symptoms recur.

Cognitive rest. Because activities that require concentration and attention may exacerbate post-concussion symptoms and delay recovery, youth athletes who have sustained concussions should limit their day-to-day and school-related activi-ties until they are symptom free. You should check with your child's doctor for best strategies for returning to school, sports, and other normal activities.

Graduated return-to-play. Recent concussion guidelines recommend that athletes follow a step-wise approach to return-to-play utilizing progressive aerobic and resistance exercise challenge tests.

Further testing/management. Your child should be seen by a specialist if any of the following are true:

His post-concussion symptoms last more than 10 days or recur with exertion;

He experienced concussive convulsions or loss of consciousness of one minute or more at the time of injury;

He has suffered one or more concussions in the past, especially where they appear to be recurring with progressively less impact force (a minor blow); or

He has learning disabilities.

Trust your instincts. Be as involved in the management of your child's concussion recovery as your instincts tell you to be. Don't be afraid to ask your child how he is feeling, or take him to his pediatrician or a specialist if you suspect some-thing is wrong.

Concussion Recovery: What A Parent Should Know

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Revolutionary apps for simplifying

everyday life with brain injury

Almost everyday, we hear of new smartphone applications (“apps”) developed for just about everything, from staying organized to finding pharmacies or restaurants while on the road. These iPhone, iTouch, and iPad apps can be very useful to people with a brain injury and

their families and caregivers.

CLICK HERE

FOR LIST OF

“APPS”

7

CLICK HERE

to read the article by Mark J. Ashley, Sc.D.

Dr. Mark Ashley, Chairman of the Board for the Brain Injury Association of California, authored an article titled "Repairing the Injured Brain: Why Proper Rehabilitation is Essential to Recovering Function" which was published in the online journal, Cerebrum (July 2012). This article discusses the brain's ability to promote recovery following a brain injury, the importance of environment in the process of recovery, the best practices for rehabilitation and the long and challenging road to accessing rehabilitation. Please take a moment to download and read this informative article.

"Repairing the Injured Brain: Why Proper Rehabilitation

is Essential to Recovering Function"

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Do you or someone you care about suffer

from traumatic brain injury?

The Cognitive Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury research study at the Los

Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is seeking

individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury and healthy adults between the

ages of 18 and 50 years. All research subjects will receive reports of thinking

ability and emotional functioning. If you are interested, or if you know of someone

who may be interested, please contact Dr. Matthew J. Wright at 310-222-5445 or

310-222-7958.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Cake Roll

1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup finely chopped pecans confectioners' sugar

INGREDIENTS________________________________________________________________ 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder

FILLING 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs

for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Add lemon juice. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan; sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a

kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the filing ingredients; beat until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to within 1/2 in.

of edges. Roll up again; place seam side down on a serving platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

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HHS ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF STATE FUNDING Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on May 31, 2012, announced a new $25 million funding opportunity made possible by the Affordable Care Act to help states strengthen and expand their ability to help seniors and people with disabilities access home and community-based long-term services and supports. Over the next one to three years, funding will support Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in nearly every state. Every year, more seniors, people with disabilities and their families are confronted with often challenging decisions about how to obtain the long-term services and supports they need. Choices range from care in their home to care in a nursing home; social supports for daily living to home health care; transportation to physical therapy to name a few. “We are pleased to make it easier for Americans to get the care and support they need where they need it,” said Secretary Sebelius. “This opportunity, supported by the new health care law, will help states continue to improve their long-term service and support systems.” The initiative, known as the Aging and Disability Resource Center Program, is established through a partnership between the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA will make an additional $27 million available over three years in ADRC-funded states through the VA Medical Centers. This funding will increase access to home and community-based services for veterans through ADRC programs. The ADRC Program will help state agencies administer and better coordinate state and federal long-term service and support programs for older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans with disabilities. Approximately eight states will be competitively selected to accelerate the development over a three-year period of the creation of single entry point models, which provides one-on-one options counseling to streamline the intake and eligibility determination processes for consum-ers accessing long-term service and support programs. Kathy Greenlee, ACL’s administrator and assistant secretary for aging, said, “Options counseling is an important tool that can provide custom-tailored advice about all the services available in a person’s community, reducing unnecessary time and energy spent searching for answers in a variety of places.” “We want these programs to serve as high-performing ‘one-stop shop’ models across the country,” said CMS’ Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. In addition to accelerating activities in the eight states selected, funding will be provided by ACL to up to 40 states next year to support their current ADRC programs. This will help them develop a sustainable infrastructure that is critical to ensuring ongoing coordinated access to services. This announcement is part of the Obama administration’s long-standing commitment to ensure that seniors, people with disabilities, and those living with chronic illness have the necessary services and supports to stay in their own homes when they wish to do so. In April, Secretary Sebelius announced the creation of the new ACL, bringing together key HHS offices dedicated to improving the lives of Americans with functional needs into one coordinated, stronger entity. This new agen-cy, which acts as a key partner in today’s announcement, will work on increasing access to community supports and achieving full community participation for seniors and people with disabilities. Go here for more information on the Administration for Community Living.

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SLOW DOWN YOUR LISTENING

How many times do you find your mind wandering when someone is talking to you? No, you don’t have attention deficit disorder. The average person speaks at an average rate of about 120 words a minute but most people can listen about four times faster. So your mind fills in the gaps by thinking of other things. Be aware of this and slow down your listening. Force yourself to stay focused, so that you can really comprehend everything

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SUPPORT GROUPS IN CALIFORNIA

For a list of support groups, contact Ursula Pesta at

upesta@biacal.org

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A SECOND CHANCE TO BE KIND

Four years ago, Marco Ferreira was riding his motorcycle down an isolated road in Los Angeles when he hit some grout and had an accident. Though he was wearing a full helmet, leather pants and jacket, Ferreira suffered a traumatic brain injury. After being in a six-week coma, his wife, Wendy Tucker, was there when he woke up.

"You didn't walk, you didn't talk, and you couldn't feed yourself for seven months," she says during a visit with her husband. “Since then, it's just been getting better all the time."

But Ferreira, who formerly worked at a large international law firm as a defense attorney, remembers nothing from the time of the accident and doesn't feel like he's getting better. "My mind, I feel, is so damaged; it's kind of made my life very hard to live, really," he says. "I tried to commit suicide, because I thought that I'd lost so much of my life, why be alive? Why? So I took a drug overdose, but you took me to the hospital." When his wife Wendy asked her husband if he's sorry she saved his life, however, he says no. "You did the right thing," Ferreira says. "You saved my life, and you're still saving it. Every day you save it."

Tucker, who is also an attorney, reminds her husband that before the accident, he was slightly sarcastic. "You were always the guy known for the quick wit," she says. "Do you feel that now you're kinder in some way than you were before?"

"Absolutely, I am," Ferreira tells his wife. "Absolutely." Before the accident, he was salty to their nieces. Tucker says that even though Ferreira's always loved them, before the accident, he "didn't have the openness to them." "They bugged me before," he says with a laugh. "All kids bugged me before the accident, that's the weird thing. I wouldn't even invite people to our house because they have kids, for Christ's sake. I wouldn't do it. And now, I love my nieces. I love those girls.

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“How you think about a problem is more important than the

problem itself. So always think positively.” - NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 3 LABOR DAY OCTOBER 8 COLUMBUS DAY OCTOBER 16 BOSS’S DAY OCTOBER 31 HALLOWEEN NOVEMBER 4 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS NOVEMBER 6 ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 12 VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER 22 THANKSGIVING DAY NOVEMBER 23 LINCOLNS BIRTHDAY

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Prevention BIAA and ACBIS Jewelry BIAA Signature Items Booklets Books Brain Injury Source - Back Issues Bulk Orders

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Personal Accounts Posters Recorded Webinars Spanish Materials Support Group Resources Treatment and Rehabilitation Upcoming Webinars

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15

How to Thrive as a Special Needs Family and Community By Douglas Baker

Autism/Special Needs Parent, Advisor, Advocate & Resource Specialist

We live in a world that is fast-paced, high-tech, image driven and unforgiving, fueled by

sensationalized media and reality television shows portraying what is now considered by many to be

“normal”. Add to all of this a special needs newborn, child or adult in a family, and reality becomes a

sub-world driven by a lifetime of challenges that require incredible commitment, compassion and

persistence, as well as a lifespan of specialized planning and services. To thrive instead of simply

survive as a family affected by special needs, it is important to have a socially integrated lifestyle with

acceptance and great support groups, both personally and professionally.

Who are the special needs families? Families of genetic and birth

conditions, or affected by Autism spectrum disorders, mental

health and related illnesses, intellectually challenged and learning

delayed, and physical or brain impairment though injury or trauma

- a global microcosm of cultures that transcend race, religion,

gender and the socioeconomic status.

A look at the numbers (compiled 2010-2011)

54 million American adults (nearly 20% of population) are affected by a mental or physical disability

Over 6% of children ages 5-15 suffer from a disability

NAMI reported that there are 1 in 4 households affected by a mental illness

US household wealth is approximately $60 Trillion.

The math: 1 in 9-10 households are affected by a significant special need.

What does this mean? Conservatively, 1 in 10 equates to a $6 TRILLION special needs community.

How do we thrive instead of just survive? The special needs world is massive and continually

growing. Change is needed to reverse the service and funding cuts and influence legislation to better

serve our communities. Facilitating change is really not that difficult. Much of it is a matter of

changing to better habits and behavior. A good example of this is eating healthier because of a health

risk diagnosis such as diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

+ Start using and supporting special needs owned and managed services, business, products,

professionals and organizations highly supportive of our communities. We chose every day where we

spend our money. Why wouldn’t we be supporting our own community members who are the ones

that give back to the community?

+ Start using local and community banks or credit unions instead of these massive banking

institutions that are behaving badly with no regard for our working Americans, yet alone our special

needs families. You can better support the communities where you live. These local banks usually have

better service, lower fees and almost all give you a certain monthly dollar credit toward ATM fees you

may incur elsewhere. 16

Changing legislative poor behavior toward our special needs communities… Yes, we will still have

fragmented communities and differing agendas, but unions and big special interests all have their

various agendas too, and they always bring their money behind their voices. This legislative game has

been defined for decades, and for some reason, our special needs communities have never learned how

to play it. Over the last decades, our services have eroded while our numbers have exploded. The

math doesn’t work. And in July of this year, it was announced the Federal government expects another

$900 Million in reductions if congress doesn’t act before January 2013.

“Either We Organize and Thrive, or Die a Painful Existence

Divided...” Today there are small numbers of special needs advisors

throughout America working with thousands of families doing just this

- building the foundation for a national network and increasing our

economic clout. As affected community members, we are the one’s

serving, guiding, growing and giving back into our communities. A

united effort from our families, the serving professionals, our

supporting institutions and foundations, and everyone involved makes

this happen. This is our “Occupy Special Needs” movement. Our

mission is to make our money visible to increase our services

relationally to the communities. Our directives are to support, empower and enhance our own

communities. Our measurable results will change the future of special needs legislation, research and

services while preserving our American dream.

We are the parents, the advocates and the professionals of special needs. We must also be the “catalyst”

of change for our special needs communities and the future of our children. We are tens of millions

strong, yet we start with one child, one family and one village at a time.

"It falls upon us and only us - The Village that sustains itself, the Village it takes to raise a child, the

Village it takes to support our families" – D. Baker

For more information:

Email douglaso.baker@yahoo.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/douglas-baker/5/2a5/755

www.facebook.com/specialneedsadvisor

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Are you or someone you know an Asian or Caucasian American adult who experienced a brain injury?

We are recruiting Asian and Caucasian American adults with brain injuries and their family members to voluntarily participate in interviews. Purpose: To learn about your needs and develop culturally competent interventions Participant involvement: Must be an Asian or Caucasian American adult (18+) who has experienced a brain injury and/or a family member (18+) of an Asian or Caucasian American with a brain injury Incentive: Though there is no financial incentive at this time, you will be contributing to the potential improvement of services for people with brain injuries. How to participate: Please contact Kristen Bean at phone number 657-217-2224 or email her at kristen.saabi@gmail.com.

Dr. Fei Sun, Principal Investigator

Kristen Bean, Co-Investigator Arizona State University

411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 800 Phoenix, AZ 85004

THE LEADING

CAUSES OF TBI

Falls (35.2%)

Motor vehicle/

traffic crashes

(17.3%)

Struck by/against

(16.5%)

Assaults (11%)

Unknown/other

(21%)

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Health Care Reform Update

This week, The Brain Injury Association of America was invited to attend two meetings hosted by the Administration to discuss the Health Insurance State Exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The first meeting was hosted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop strategies to communicate to the new consum-ers of the Health Insurance State Exchanges where they can go to learn information about their healthcare options. The second meeting was with the Special Assistant to the President for Health Care and Economic Policy at the White House. The Special Assistant to the President for Health Care and Economic Policy is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the state exchanges under the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act. BIAA will continue to be at the table in Washington to advocate for individuals with brain injury as the proposed rule is released on the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released two new cost estimates for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act this week. The first report indicates that after the Supreme Court decision to uphold the law, CBO expects the cost of the Affordable Care Act will drop by $84 billion compared to previous estimates. Please click here to read the report. The second report CBO released is a cost estimate for H.R. 6079, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act repeal bill that passed the House of Representatives on July 11, 2012. The report reaffirmed that repealing the ACA would increase the deficit over ten years by $109 billion. To read this report please click here. TBI Act Reauthorization 2012 The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act, H.R. 4238 was introduced by Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) and Representative Todd Russell Platts (R-PA) on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in the House of Representa-tives. Please call your Representative today to ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 4238. Specifically, BIAA would like constituents of the following members to call or email their Representative to ask them to cosponsor the bill.

BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

7 20

BIACAL Distributes Multi-Sport Helmets at Recent Bike Rodeos

BIACAL and the Sheriff’s Activities League (SAL), East Bakersfield Sheriff’s Substation, hosted its first Bike Rodeo on June 23rd, 2012. The event high-lighted the importance of bicycle safety and safe bicycle riding for children. The SAL set up a great obstacle course and the BIACAL fitted and provided the children with multi-sport helmets thanks to the generous donation from the Association of Petroleum Wives. Erica Rosales, a Shafter High School student from Buttonwillow, coordinat-ed a Bike Rodeo on July 31, 2012, as part of a Girl Scout project. The event was held at the Buttonwillow Recreation & Park District’s new Recreation Building and over 55 children attended the event. With the assistance from the Buttonwillow Sheriff’s Department, the East Bakersfield Sheriff’s Activi-ties League (rodeo set up and brake/safety inspection), BIACAL distributed the multi-sport helmets, recently donated by the Association of Petroleum Wives, to all children in attendance. The donated pizza and raffle prizes were also a big hit with the children, making it a fun filled afternoon. We thank Erica for a job well done!

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Please consider participating in

this Traumatic Brain Injury Research

We are seeking individuals' participation in a research study investigating the relationship between ethnic identity and how someone reintegrates into his or her community after traumatic brain injury (TBI), including such daily life activities as home and family activities, social activities, employment, school, and volunteerism. The results of this study may be used

to offer more tailored individual treatments to those who have sustained TBI.

Eligibility to Participate 1. At least 18 years old 2. Have experienced a traumatic brain injury (such as

from a fall or auto collision) 3. At least one year past time of injury 4. No other neurological disorder such as seizure disorder or dementia before the head injury. However, if you have neurological conditions

after the head injury, you are still invited to participate.

Contact Information

Jennifer Peraza, M.A. BJ Scott, Psy.D.

Principle Investigator Faculty Advisor pera3470@pacificu.edu bjscott@pacificu.edu 909-286-4547 503-352-2409

22

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has issued the attached memo to its chartered state affiliates. Please take the time to read this important memo and take appropriate action to reach out to your elected representatives and urge them to adopt a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not include further cuts to essential jobs and services, such as the TBI Act and the TBI Model Systems.

In addition to the suggested attendance at Town Hall Meetings, calls and letters to your elected representatives is also a great way to communicate your message.

CLICK HERE

For the Memo from the

BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION

OF AMERICA

Brain injury is unpre-dictable in its conse-quences. Brain inju-ry affects who we are, the way we think, act, and feel. It can change every-thing about us in a matter of seconds. The most important

things to remember:

• A person with a brain injury is a per-

son first

• No two brain inju-ries are exactly the

same

• The effects of a brain injury are com-plex and vary greatly from person to per-

son

• The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location, and

severity

23

Helmet Replacement and Education Partnership Launches

CDC’s Heads Up program joined with multiple sports entities and

equipment manufacturers (see list below) to launch a youth football

safety and helmet replacement program for youth in underserved com-

munities. The effort, initiated by CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum, is

expected to educate thousands of youth football coaches on vital

health and safety issues, including concussion, and provide nearly

13,000 new helmets to youth football players in low-income communi-

ties beginning in July 2012.

To help get concussion information into the hands of coaches, CDC’s

Heads Up concussion resources on how to prevent, recognize,

and respond to a suspected concussion are incorporated throughout

the program.

The goal is to remove 10 year or older helmets in under-served areas

and provide eligible leagues with new helmets for their players. Applications are being accepting for

a pilot of the program that will be facilitated in New York, NY; Cleveland, OH; New Orleans, LA; and

San Francisco and Oakland, CA prior to the 2012 youth football season. Go HERE for the applica-

tion (due May 23, 2012).

Learn More

Helmet Replacement Program

CDC Heads Up Educational Materials

Partners:

NFL, NFL Players Association, USA Football, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA), NCAA, National Operating Com-

mittee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association

(SGMA), Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt, and Xenith is supported by U.S Consumer Product Safety Com-

mission

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24

MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to be the voice of brain injury. Through advo-cacy, education and research, we bring help, hope and healing to thousands of Californians living with brain injury, their families and the professionals that serve them.

ABOUT BIACAL As a chartered state affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America, the Brain Injury Association of California pro-motes awareness of brain injury on a state, regional, and local level; provides education and training to individuals with brain injury, to family members and professionals; delivers timely and accurate information and access to resources through the BIACAL website, help line and news letters; and promotes progres-sive public policy while carrying out community and legislative advocacy. In all of these endeavors, BIACAL receives no federal, state or other municipal fund-ing. The organization relies solely on donations, member-ship dues, sponsorships and proceeds from fund raising events to carry out its extensive programs and services.

Brain Injury Association of California 1800 30th Street, Suite 250 Bakersfield, CA 93301

1. Click on the green DONATE & SUPPORT button. 2. Fill out the “Personal Information” section. 3. Under the section “Please Select an Option”, select “Donation” and choose your

advertising option. 4. Enter your credit card information OR To pay by check, please make check out to BIACAL and mail to the following address:

………………….…………………………………………….………………….....CUT HERE...………………..……..……………...………………………………………………..

Brain Injury Association of California

1800 30th Street, Suite 250

Bakersfield, California 93301

(661) 872-4903

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( ) Check Payable to BIACAL – Mail to: 1800 30TH

St., #250, BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301

( ) Credit Card Mail to the above address or FAX to (661) 840-6160

Name on Card:

Card Type: ( ) Visa ( ) MC ( ) Discover ( ) American Express

Card Number:

Card Code: Expiration Date:

Signature:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard Adams, MD

Mark J. Ashley, Sc.D., CCC-SLP,

CCM, CBIST

Doreen Casuto, RN, CRRN, CCM

Deborah Doherty, MD

Lynda Eaton, PT

Sharon Grandinette, MS, Ed, CBIST

Michelle Hartshorn, MSN, RN

Dennis Hays, JD, CPA

David Hovda, Ph.D.

Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, Ph.D.,

CBIST

Claude Munday, Ph.D.

Ann Perkins, MA

Randall H. Scarlett, J.D.

Patsy Sholders, MA

BIACAL STAFF

Paula Daoutis, Administrative Director

Ursula Pesta, Project Coordinator

Elaine Solan, Community Liaison

BIACAL MEMBERSHIP Making A Personal and Collective Impact

The advantages of being a BIACAL member include access to educational information and a wide range of other resources, legislative representation, collaboration with a comprehensive group of brain injury clinical and social service specialists, the personal experiences of brain injury survivors and care givers and a steadfast and ongoing commitment to injury prevention and improving the quality of life for individuals with brain injury and their families. BIACAL annual membership levels are listed below: $10 Person with Brain Injury $25 Student $50 Individual $100 Professional $500 Corporate

25

UMBRELLA $8.00 each

+ S&H TOTE BAG $8.00 each + S&H

SIGNED PRINT BY ARTIST LEE BERMEJO $100 INCLUDES S&H

MARKETPLACE

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS MAY SEND THEIR EVENT INFORMATION TO URSULA PESTA AT UPESTA@BIACAL.ORG FOR INCLUSION IN BIACAL’s QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER.

Brain Injury Association of California

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TO PURCHASE CONTACT: URSULA PESTA (661) 872-4903

Other Events Around the State Organization Event Date Address Time Cost Contact

San Diego Brain Injury Foundation

Friendraiser 9/22 Mission Trails Regional Park

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Stephanie Bidegain 619-294-6541 stephaniesdbif@aol.com

Rancho Los Amigos Foundation

Car Show 9/29 7601 E. Imperial Hwy. Downey, CA 90242

10:00 - 3:00 pm $25

per

car

Amy Salinas

562-401-6275

Brain Injury Center of Ventura County

Magical Memories 10/27 Mandalay Beach Resort 5:30 pm $85 805-482-1312

info@braininjurycenter.org

Brain Injury Coalition

THRESHOLDS - Series of educational work-shops held the 2nd Thursday of month (September—May)

9/13 10/11 11/8

Old Municipal Bldg. 441 Main Street Assembly Room—2nd Floor Chico, CA 95920

4:00 - 6:00 pm Free 530-342-3118

Braininjurycoalition.info

The COMMIT Foundation

Female Mentoring Work-shop

11/8 & 11/9

The COMMIT Foundation is excited to announce that the application process for the Female Veteran Mentoring Workshop is now open. Twelve talented female veter-ans will participate in a meaningful day of mentorship and relationship building as they spend time with twelve female leaders from the private sector. The workshop will take place in Palo Alto, CA on November 8 and 9, 2012. All expenses for the veterans will be paid. Events are centered around the idea of inspir-ing and assisting transitioning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to transition to the civilian workforce. 2012 COMMIT Female Veterans Program Application: http://commitfoundation.org/application