Brain Injury Awareness: Information, Events and Resources for Coloradoans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Denver Options
Barb Lundy, Communications
Phone: 720-218-5999
Email: blundy@denveroptions.org
Brain Injury Awareness: Information, Events and Resources for Coloradoans
Monday, March 1 – Denver
The challenge of brain injury has captured the headlines throughout this year. Fans are anxiously following snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s progress, the NFL’s Brain Injury Study uncovered long-term brain injuries for several retired players and military combat troops continue to experience blast injuries that result in traumatic brain injury (TBI) in unprecedented numbers.
“The brain is about three pounds of soft delicate tissue that holds an astounding 15 to 20 billion neurons, plus other support cells. We now know that even mild brain injuries can result in the need for cognitive therapies,” said Dr. Stephen Block, Executive Director of Denver Options, a non-profit organization. “We provide care coordination to Colorado citizens and returning troops with traumatic brain injuries, helping them manage crisis, find resources and learn self advocacy.”
Judy Dettmer, Program Director for the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund, said she wants Coloradans to use every resource available. “We collect the fees from DUI convictions which, in part, funds care coordination through Denver Options. We know care coordination links people with brain injury to resources targeted to their unique needs. We also partner with the Colorado Brain Injury Association,” Dettmer explained.
Denver Options provides care coordination through two statewide programs, Colorado Connections and Operation TBI Freedom (OTF). Colorado Connections serves children and adults with TBI, while Operation TBI Freedom provides care coordination for active duty and military veterans who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Melanie, a professional dancer, sustained a mild traumatic brain injury when she fell on ice. “I look great, but I suffer from anxiety, depression, memory loss and trouble with decision-making,” she related. “My Colorado Connections care coordinator listened to my needs and provided both transportation and education support. Now we are exploring self advocacy classes.”
“Our military program took shape because people in the community saw a large unmet need. Operation TBI Freedom, funded through donations, helps troops with TBI and their families to make the transition back to civilian living,” said Jennifer Anderson, TBI Program Manager. “All of our OTF care coordinators are retired military personnel.”
Anderson co-authored a white paper on the benefits of intensive care coordination for returning military that was published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, and she will present her findings at the Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury in Washington, DC, this March. Reid, a veteran who used OTF services, said, “They helped me with mortgage payments after I was a victim of identity theft, and they got me a palm pilot and voice recorder to compensate for my memory loss. The palm pilot is a godsend, and the voice recorder helps me remember what my doctors say at appointments.”
Denver Options created another resource, the no-cost TBI Survivor Series, to help people with TBI explore employment options, build relationships and maximize their strengths. The organization also established the National Brain Injury Employment Conference. The popular conference, now in its fourth year, brings people with brain injuries and professionals together to learn about cutting-edge research and innovative employment strategies.
You can link to Brain Injury Awareness Month events here and you can learn more about Denver Options, the Colorado TBI Trust Fund and the Brain Injury Association of Colorado here. If you are interested in more information or if you would like to make a donation to expand these critically needed services, call 1-866-245-6600 or www.denveroptions.org.
Denver Options, Inc.
Denver Options is a non-profit organization that provides flexible, personalized services to help people with intellectual disabilities live active and purposeful lives. The Denver Options staff finds the services and resources people need to achieve optimum health and explore lifelong learning opportunities. They focus on individual talents and interests, helping people turn personal goals into everyday reality. They offer a wide range of services that include helping families manage the demands of care giving and navigate funding resources.
