acquired brain injury network news - abin-pa · ©2012 acquired brain injury network of...

©2012 Acquired Brain Injury Network of Pennsylvania, Inc. PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY AND DISTRIBUTE UNCHANGED AND AT NO CHARGE TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED.

ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY NETWORK NEWS December 1, 2012—2012/#12—71st Issue 215.699.2139 or 800.516.8052 Fax: 215.699.5139

2275 Glenview Drive, Lansdale PA 19446.6082 [email protected] www.abin-pa.org

Eagleville: 484.751.5244 or [email protected]

FALL PICTURES EAGLEVILLE: Pat Strenk and Joyce Shaffer making important decisions!

LANSDALE NEWSLETTER FOLDING PARTY: Erik Toye, Chris Love, Kay Rowe, Helen Love, Gordon Rowe, Barb Dively

EAGLEVILLE: Joyce Shaffer and John Dively working on computer issues—there are always many of these!

IN THIS ISSUE PAGEi

1. Editor, Schedule, Photos, Index 2. Donors, CILSCPA Brain Injury Outreach 3. Fish Oil/HBOT, Mission, Resources 4. 2013 Luncheon, ABIN-PA News 5. Gibbs-Slaps, Denise’s Corner, Ad Rates 6. Neurofeedback, 2012 Notebook 7. Return to School, Workplace Toolkit 8. Your Message to ABIN-PA, Donations

2012/2013 ABIN-PA SCHEDULE

1-3pm Saturday Newsletter Mailing.Lansdale: 12/1, 1/5, 1/26, 2/23, 3/23, 4/20, 6/1, 6/29, 7/27, 8/24, 9/28, 10/26, 11/23, 1/5. Pls. come! 2-4pm Sunday Board Meetings.Lansdale: Call-in: 218.862.1300, PC127105. 1/13, 2/10, 3/10, 4/7, 5/5, 6/9, 7/14, 8/11, 9/15, 10/13, 11/10, 12/8. All are welcome!

Greetings……….

As I write, Thanksgiving is almost here—the year is winding down, and it is wonderful to look back and see what has been accomplished. and what is unfolding. PeerConnect began in January and

over 60 people are involved statewide. We took on a SCSEP funded worker in

January through Goodwill. First Employee Procedure Manual. Our 5th Anniversary Luncheon was held

on May 18 in King of Prussia. July 1st, the Eagleville Office was added. September 1st, our first employee arrived. An Employee Handbook was prepared. October 24th Open House in Eagleville. A Woman’s Place kept us busy all year. All brochures revised and 6 added. ‘2012 Brain Injury Notebook’ copyrighted. Programs at Merck, Abington Visiting

Nurses, Peaceful Living and others. Many information tables provided. InfoLine, Website, 1130 Newsletters/mon.

This issue is packed with wonderful articles and timely information—keep those articles coming! Also, if you would like to help shape ABIN-PA’s future, send us your thoughts.

Barb Dively


ABIN-PA NETWORK NEWS—December 1, 2012—

BRAIN INJURY OUTREACH AND SUPPORT PROGRAM (BIOS)

From Lisa Cullen, CILSCPA The Brain Injury Outreach and Support (BIOS) Program is designed to help individuals with brain injury retain and build skills while encouraging independence. Examples of the services available through the program are: Skills training, Advocacy, and Information and Referral. These services are molded to meet the person’s individual needs. Here are some facts about brain injury that have been gathered from various sources: It is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In the United States, there are approximately five times as many people living with brain injury than with HIV/AIDS. It is the signature wound of the Iraq conflict. It is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. Although the brain makes up 2-3% of the body’s weight, it uses 15-20% of the body’s blood supply; 60% of the oxygen supply. A concussion and a stroke are brain injuries. We also have family mentoring. Regardless of whether a family member has recently sustained a brain injury or has had the injury for some time, other family members find they too need assistance. Family members often need help coping with the injury, get frustrated at not knowing how to “help”, and need to know where to turn for help, etc. This program can help family members get the information or services they need. We serve the following seven counties in Pennsylvania: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana and Somerset.

For more information, or to request services or a presentation, contact Lisa Cullen,

Project Coordinator, at 1-800-237-9009 or you can email Lisa at [email protected].

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

OCTOBER DONATIONS

Keith Ardell, Nancy Bitler, Barry Childress, Robert Drucker, Jerry & Sherri Herschfeld,

Jean Hurd, Sally Kneipp, Helen Love, William Miller, Jr., Darlene Primavera, Dan Rohrback,

Jr., Kay & Gordon Rowe, Allan Shelatz, Steven Silberstein, Lars Skoogfors, Richard

Stoner, Pat Strenk, Karl Thaler, Derek Vietro, ORGANIZATIONS: Success Rehab

NOVEMBER DONATIONS

Dottie Ardell, LaVerne Devenny, John & Barb Dively, Bob Drucker, Andrew Follmer, Sally Kneipp, Helen Love, Dan Rohrback, Kay

Rowe, Steve Silberstein, Stephanie Staerk, Mike & Denise Westerfer.


ABIN-PA’s MISSION ABIN-PA is dedicated to increasing public

awareness about acquired brain injury and to providing support, education, information, advocacy and other services for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families.


RESOURCES (PDO = “PA Department of”)

Brain Injury Help Line—PDO Health 1.866.412.4755

Brain Injury InfoLine—ABIN-PA 1.800.516.8052, abin-pa.org

Brain Injury Resource Line—BIAPA 1.866.635.7097, biapa.org

Brain STEPS—school children—BIAPA 1.724.944.6542

Client Assistance Program for OVR & CIL’s 1.888.745.2357

Consumer Protection—PA Atty. General 1.800.441.2555

Crime Victims—www.pbpp.state.pa.us 1.800.563.6399 and 1.800.233.2339

Defense & Veterans Brain Injury 1.814.255.8601

Disability Rights Network 1.800.692.7443, drnpa.org

Domestic Violence Hotline—1.800.799.7233 Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA

1.800.887.7165, efepa.org Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central PA

1.800.361.5885, efwp.org Head Injury Program—PDO Health

1.717.772.2762 Health Law Project—Public benefits

1.800.274.3258, phlp.org Managed Care—Health Insurance

1.888.466.2787 PDO Health 1.877.881.6388 PDO Insurance Parent to Parent . Mentoring

1.8880727.2706, parenttoparent.org Resources for Daily Living—Inglis

www.easiresources.org Self.Determination Housing Project

1.877.550.7347, sdhp.org Special Ed Consult Line—PDO Educ.

1.800.879.2301 Voting Issues—PDO State

1.877.868.3772 Waiver Enrollment—1.877.5504227

Waiver Help Line—PDO Public Welfare 1.800.757.5042

MINER RECOVERS FROM 41 HOURS IN TOXIC FUMES THRU

HBOT AND FISH OIL (Lead from Megan Herlihy. Do a web

search on “fish oil saved our son”.)

Fish oil was first used (with HBOT) for Randal McCloy in 2006. He was the sole survivor of a mine disaster in West Virginia after being trapped for 41 hours with 12 other miners in noxious methane and carbon monoxide. Instead of dying, he came out of his coma in three weeks, and was walking and speaking three months later. In 2010, Bobby Ghassemi was given fish oil after a 3 week coma with a Glascow Coma Scale of 3. Instead of dying, he began to emerge from his coma 2 weeks later and in three months attended high school graduation. Since the brain is 30% omega-3 fatty acids, and fish oil is an omega-3 fatty acid, perhaps omega-3’s are essential for repair.


ABIN-PA NEWS

BRAIN INJURY COURSE FOR FAMILIES: The course runs for 3 Wednesdays, starting November 28 and is being publicized widely.

TIMES HERALD ARTICLE: Our thanks to Melissa Brooks for a wonderful article on our course!

SALES TAX REGISTRATION COMPLETE: ABIN-PA is one step closer to our on-line store as we have received our sales tax number.

SALES TAX EXEMPTION: ABIN-PA is now exempt from paying sales tax on purchases!

STATISTICS: Anna Marie Childress completed her training in data entry for Contact Management and comes weekly to enter statistics on InfoLine calls. This will help us measure and illustrate ABIN-PA’s impact. TX!

PEER CONNECT: Maria Markakis comes weekly to pair phone and email buddies and send out letters of notification. TX!

BOOKKEEPING: Terri Wernly comes weekly to pay bills (usually by electronic bill payment) and prepare our mail-in deposits. TX!

VOLUNTEER NEEDED—WEBMASTER ASSISTANT: Requires Dreamweaver 5.5 and CSS. Annual website update. 3 hours/week in Lansdale. Send resume and/or bio. Work with Barb.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ACROSS STATE FOR MARCH BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH: 1. Raise congregational awareness—Share our brochure “Serving Clients, Customers, Parishioners, and Patients Who are Recovering from Brain Injury” with your congregation and give a brief message.

2. Reach out to county commissioners: Request a proclamations from your county. It will be read out loud—reaching everyone at the meeting. You would be there to receive the proclamation on behalf of ABIN-PA. We can supply the text and recruit other subscribers in your area to attend with you. CONTACT ABIN-PA FOR MORE INFORMATION.


6th ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON—May 18, 2013

The luncheon this year will be at the CROWNE PLAZA PHILADELPHIA WEST, 4100 Presidential Blvd., Philadelphia PA 19131 which we hope is more convenient to the 5 county area. This is right off the Schuylkill Expressway on the boarder of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. We hope you will plan to come.

“Choosing, Funding & Using Technology to Simplify Your Life

after Brain Injury”

At the luncheon, Amy Goldman and Susan Tachau will bring us up to date on the many advances in assistive technology which can make our lives easier after brain injury. This month, I will tell you about Amy. Amy S. Goldman, MS, CCC/L is co-executive director of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University’s Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and manages the Institute’s emergency preparedness efforts. She also directs PA’s Initiative on Assistive Technology or PIAT (a statewide program under the federal Assistive Technology Act of 2004) and similar local, state, and federal projects. As a speech/language pathologist, Amy has specialized in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC); she is immediate past chair of the steering committee of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Special Interest Group on AAC. She received her BS in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College and her MS in Communications Disorders from State Univeristy College at Buffalo; she completed her doctoral coursework in Special Education at Temple University.


2013 NEWSLETTER & WEB ADS Reach 1,130 subscribers in your target market while supporting ABIN-PA. You also benefit from monthly distribution of over 500 additional copies by subscribers and can use each issue to promote your services.

Your ad will remain visible in our web archives and a link on our homepage is available. Ads run through December 2013. Email [email protected] for a contract. JPG of ad required. Dark copy extra.


DENISE’S CORNER I celebrate Christmas. Although, you might celebrate other holidays.

As I got older, I wasn't sure what to get people. So, since I am unsure of what to get people I find gift cards easy. That way, they can get what they want. Unless, it's something special. We don't have any young children to buy for, yet. Except for our younger caregivers family.

I love this time of year. It's always special. My Grandfather was born on December 25th, My niece was born on December 24th, and my parents wedding anniversary was December 26th! Plus, my cousin had a daughter on the 24th! You might have other special events around Christmas.

Christmas itself is a special day. It's the day we Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord, Christ. The music and hymns are special. And the coming snow. Although, I, not being a kid anymore, could do without all the snow. A few flakes on Christmas is all I really need, or want. Well, Have A Good One.

Denise Patterson

GIBBS-SLAP—SHOULD WE ALL BE SPEAKING OUT?

Anna Marie Childress alerts us to a new phenomenon: the Gibbs-Slap—a sharp, upward slap to the back of the head given to someone who has just done something “stupid” which began with Special Agent Gibbs of NCIS. While actors choreograph contact that appears painful, children and teenagers may not realize that real smacks can injure the brain. You might want to contact the advertisers for this Tuesday night series after watching a collection of NCIS head-smacks at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boY7i11aYRA&feature=related.

Ad Type

Web Link

12 Issues

1/4 Yes $2,450 1/4 No $950 1/8 Yes $1,975 1/8 No $475

1/10 @Mo. $245 $95 $198 $48

Print Ad Dimensions

3 7/16 x 4 1/2 3 7/16 x 4 1/2

3 7/16 x 2 3/16 3 7/16 x 2 3/16


2012 BRAIN INJURY NOTEBOOK AVAILABLE For an easy to read source of information on brain injury, purchase our 45 page Notebook—see page 8. This Notebook will be used in Montgomery County by Montgomery County Emergency Services in their police training program. At the meeting of the Philadelphia Forensic Task Force, the Notebook appealed to those working with prisons and judges.


TREATING TBI SYMPTOMS WITH NEUROFEEDBACK Based on information from Quietmind Associates as provided by Cindy Nowicki

Research on EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) for traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms began about 40 years ago with studies on anxiety and drug-resistant, uncontrolled epilepsy. Out of 174 medically intractable patients in these studies it was found that 82% of patients had fewer seizures after neurofeedback and none had an increase in seizures. Neurofeedback research also shows positive results in treating other symptoms related to TBI including memory loss, difficulty with concentration and attention, unstable mood, impassivity, anxiety, depression, disordered sleep, anosmia (loss of smell), apraxia (physical balance) and motor loss. All these disorders are caused by an interference with the brain’s natural ability to self-regulate, which can be addressed through neurofeedback. Neurofeedback allows the individual to decrease their TBI symptoms by increasing their brain efficiency. In order to display brain waves on a screen, EEG electrodes are placed on the scalp. No electrical stimulation is used. The person is rewarded with sounds, images, or pleasant vibrations when they normalize the brain waves that they are watching. Since symptoms correlate with abnormal EEG data, symptoms can be reduced by normalizing brain waves. This type of training has been studied extensively by the United States military for improving performance and managing PTSD symptoms in combat troops. Studies show that once brain wave activity has been reinforced into normalized patterns, the brain permanently retains and regularly reproduces these new patterns. Like physical exercise, neurofeedback exercises the brain and can be used by itself or with other treatment modalities. Neurofeedback is both nondrug and noninvasive, so there are minimal side effects of any kind. New brain wave patterns can be established in twenty to forty sessions of training; however, improvement is often noted within six to ten sessions. After a diagnostic brain mapping called a Quantitative EEG (QEEG) is completed, a training program is designed which provides feedback while the individual is watching a movie, listening to music or playing a computer game. QEEG studies have linked specific brain wave abnormalities to specific disorders. These abnormal changes in brain activity cannot be detected with an MRI or CAT scan. For more information or an appointment, contact Quietmind Associates at 610-940-0488 or www.quietmindassoc.com or the Quietmind Foundation at www.quietmindfdn.org. Quietmind Associates (QMA) is a comprehensive neuropsychological and behavioral health organization and accepts most insurance plans.


DOL VIRTUAL WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY TOOLKIT

“On October 11 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) launched its online Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to provide employees, job seekers, employers, policymakers and researchers with information, resources and a unique approach to workplace flexibility.

Funded by the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) in partnership with the DOL Women's Bureau, the toolkit makes more than 170 resources easily accessible, particularly for workers and job seekers with complex employment situations, such as parents of young children, single parents, family caregivers, mature workers, at-risk youth, ex-offenders, and individuals with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities and people with HIV/AIDS.

The toolkit, which can be accessed at http://www.dol.gov/odep/workplaceflexibility/, points visitors to case studies, fact and tip sheets, issue briefs, reports, articles, websites with additional information, other related toolkits and a list of frequently asked questions. It is searchable by type of resource, target audience and types of workplace flexibility, including place, time and task. New information will be added to the Workplace Flexibility Toolkit as it is identified.

The launch of the toolkit coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise awareness about disability employment issues as well as to celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?" Visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/ to keep track of NDEAM activities.”

From PARF News—www.parf.org

BRAINSTEPS RETURN TO SCHOOL CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT TEAMS

It is difficult to turn on the news or read a newspaper article without hearing about new concussion research. With this increase in public knowledge, the BrainSTEPS Program has been working to assist an ever increasing number of students with concussion return to school. But, returning to the demands of school too soon following concussion can significantly increase and prolong symptoms. Because of this, the BrainSTEPS Program has established a Return to School Protocol utilizing school based Concussion Management Teams (CMTs) across Pennsylvania. All schools are invited to partner with BrainSTEPS for training, information on current best practices and research for accommodating students in the classroom setting. All school districts in PA are encouraged to set up school based Concussion Management Teams and register them at www.brainsteps.net. Also, to help teachers understand and support students with concussions, and to explain the BrainSTEPS Concussion Return to School Protocol, the BrainSTEPS program and PaTTAN have created a 1 hour webinar which is available online at www.pattan. net/Videos/Browse/Single/?code_name= brainsteps_presents_concussions_in_the.

For more information, please go to www.brainsteps.net or contact:

Brenda Eagan Brown at [email protected]



ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY NETWORK OF PENNSYLVANIA, INC. 2275 Glenview Drive Lansdale PA 19446.6082

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

YOUR MESSAGE TO ABIN-PA—December 1, 2012

Date:________Name:__________________________Phone:_______________Need a call?___

Street:____________________________Apt:_____City:________________State:___Zip:________

County:______________________Survivor:___ Family:___ Other:___ Change of Address?___

Email:________________________________________________ Change to email delivery?___

Apartment or Business Name:_______________________________ United Way: #45813?___

PeerConnect: ____(phone or email buddy) Donation canister ___(one per person)

Donation to ABIN-PA: Sending My Check #_______ for $_______. Employer Match____. In Memory Of:__________________________ Person to be notified:______________________ In Honor Of:_______________________________________________(Honoree will be notified.) Address for Notice:_________________________________________________________Apt:____ City:______________________________State:___Zip:______Other:_________________________

WristBands: 10 for $10 ____. Brain Injury Notebook $25 ____.

Mail to: ABIN-PA, 2275 Glenview Drive, Lansdale PA 19446. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABIN-PA is a 501(c)(3) Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation. Contributions are tax deductible. The official registration and financial information of the Acquired Brain Injury Network of Pennsylvania, Inc., may be

obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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