The Brain Injury Association of NYS has developed an innovative training
program for civilian and military providers of brain injury services, entitled
Understanding Life with Brain Injury and Participant Rights.  This program
is offered by the NYS Department of Health in cooperation with BIANYS. 

In 2003, the DOH and BIANYS conducted consumer satisfaction surveys of individuals who receive services through the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Medicaid waiver.  This survey uncovered opportunities for improving direct-care staff understanding of participants’ rights, as well as increasing staff knowledge about what it is like to live with the consequences of a brain injury.  In response, the Department of Health and BIANYS developed a training program to assist providers in addressing these issues with staff members. 

In addition to reviewing a number of facts and information about the nature of brain injury, the training is focused on developing a greater awareness of the day-to-day and life-long consequences of brain injury. The session assists staff in understanding the experiences of individuals with TBI and how they may differ from preconceived perceptions of behavior and feelings. Some topics addressed by the training include:

• Developing and enhancing competency about the common affects of brain injury
• Exploring the myths and realities of brain injury
• Learning to use creative questioning to build consensus
• Practicing the rule of “don’t assume”
• Building and maintaining effective staff/participant teams

The training also helps staff find effective ways to communicate with and support individuals with brain injury. Issues such as personal dignity, privacy, personal choices and goals, freedom from abuse, and freedom from isolation are highlighted.  

Each agency that receives the training will receive a complete training package, including DVD, for use to train agency staff.

Three different training modules are available.

1. Train the trainer version. (3 hours) Designed to provide senior staff of New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Medicaid Waiver Program providers and other senior level staff with the necessary tools for training direct care staff.

2. Direct care staff version. (2 ½ hours) Designed to provide direct care staff with a basic understanding of TBI and how it affects those that they care for.

3. Military version (3 hours) Designed to provide direct care staff, social workers, counselors, medical personnel, law enforcement, clinicians, and others who work with service members and veterans, with an understanding of TBI and how it may affect the persons that they care for or interact with in therapeutic, counseling, employment, or other life situations.

To schedule a training, or for more information, please contact Jody Ference at (518) 459-7911 or jference@bianys.org.