Support Services for TBI Victims and their families
Last year in a class with Dr. Ruoff, we were asked to do research on different states to see what services they offered to individuals and families as it relates to Traumatic Brain Injury. The state, I decided to do my research on was Mississippi, because I knew overall this state is behind in many different ways. I also thought it would be interesting to share this information with my parents, especially my father since he is a native. It added to my information base, because it help me realize that as a whole, we (i.e. the individuals involved in this field have more work to do). Although, they formed a brain injury association, they had very limited resources. However through linking system, networking and collaboration; they were able to form partnerships with other states, such as Arkansas and Georgia for resources such as, long-term rehabilitation care, as well as help families financially with medical expenses. Since they had limited resources, they also didn’t have enough man power to reach the general population, so a lot of families didn’t know how to begin to access what resources they did have. Additionally, if they received severe cases they automatically would put them on a waiting list for Arkansas and Georgia base on the individual and their individual needs.
The material presented in class was through oral presentation and discussion, which afforded open dialog with our peers, and it was then that I learned Joe my classmate researched the state of Arknsas, which is the sister state to Mississippi, and he was able to provide further insight on what they had to offer. Overall, the teaching and learning process was structured in such a way that we were able to get immediate feedback. The class activities were always designed in a way where we would utilize the concept of “Think Pair Share,” and it is my belief that it fostered encouragement, as well as to collaborate. The premis of the TBI program is to encourage us to make effective systems change for TBI victims and their families, which will require us to communicate and work collaboratively with others.
We were given options to complete various assignments, but there were few assignments that required us to do it in a specific manner, for example: We may have been required to complete a power point presentation or brochure, but within our group or individual projects we still had the ability to choose the format that interesting to us. Furthermore, these projects later became resources that we could utilize in our private practices, as well as our schools. Overall, the information sharing of my class was always insightful. After listening to everyones experience, it made me realize that the task assigned wasn’t as easy as it appeared to be. Moreover, this experience also taught the class that some of the community service workers in other states sounded frustrated, due to the lack of support. It also reflected that Traumatic Brain Injury is still relatively knew, and as educators we are more aware of the adversities as it relates to this disability in comparison to the general public in many ways. With this particular assignment, my assumptions were challenge, and we have a to continue to make the public aware of the necessity to have supports in place for the victims, families, and service providers to ensure the quality of care services are in place for TBI victims and their families.
