BrainSTEPS Child & Adolescent Brain Injury School Re-Entry Program

1. BrainSTEPSChild & Adolescent Brain Injury School Re-Entry Program Brenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBIS Program Coordinator eaganbrown@biapa.org Phone: 724-944-6542

2. Funding: • The BrainSTEPS Program is jointly funded through a federal Title V MCHB grant from the PA Department of Health and a federal OSEP grant (SPDG) through the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education. • The Training and Education Program is funded by TBI Implementation Grant #H21MC17232 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA.

3. Traumatic Brain Injury STATISTICS

4. Brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in children & young adults.

5. CDC Statistics AverageANNUAL number of Traumatic Brain Injury Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations in the United States 474,000 Children with Traumatic Brain Injury 0-14 years of age • Most children who sustained a TBI (91.5%) were treated and released from the emergency department. United States. Centers for Disease Control.  Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States. 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/TBI_in_US_04/TBI%20in%20the%20US_Jan_2006.pdf>.

6. How Common is TBI in Children in Pennsylvania? Each year, approximately 26,000 children in Pennsylvania sustain a traumatic brain injury (mild, moderate, or severe) Source: The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, 2008

7. In 2006 approximately 4,000 Children & Adolescents in Pennsylvania were HOSPITALIZED with TBI Source: The Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2006 DOES NOT INCLUDE EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.

8. This figure would lead us to expect conservatively there are approx. 48,000 students who are in PA schools with a prior moderate/severe TBI Not all will experience lasting educational effects – but many will (12 years cumulative) Source: The Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2006 DOES NOT INCLUDE EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS

9. Statistics in Pennsylvania In one year (2006) the PA Department of Health recorded approx. 4000 children ages 0-21, who were hospitalized with TBI. Children Discharged from Hospitals in PA with TBI Diagnosis (1 year) 4,000 Number of students classified as TBI receiving Special Education as of the 2009-10 PDE Report (cumulative): 701

10. BrainSTEPSBrain InjurySchool Re-Entry ModelProgram

11. Strategies Teaching Educators Parents Students BrainSTEPS

12. What is BrainSTEPS? • Brain injury consulting teams available to families and schools throughout Pennsylvania. • Teams are extensively trained in the educational needs of students returning to school following brain injury. • Teams will work with local school staff to develop academic interventions, strategy implementation, and monitoring of students.

13. The BrainSTEPS Program Funded by: 1. PA Department of Health 2. PA Department of Education Implemented by: 1. Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania - Fall since 2007

14. BrainSTEPS Encompasses Acquired Brain Injuries • Traumatic Brain Injury (includes Concussions) • Non-Traumatic Brain Injury (Any child who has a brain injury that occurs AFTER the birth process can be referred!)

15. A Concussion is a Traumatic Brain Injury!

16. 30 BrainSTEPS Teams 27 Intermediate Unit teams & 3 large school district teams 300+ Active Team Members All Colored Areas = Trained BrainSTEPS Teams White = Intermediate Unit regions without BrainSTEPS teams

17. BrainSTEPS Educationally based team members come from: • Educational Intermediate Units • Schools • Pediatric Rehabilitation Centers • Hospitals • Family members • Community agencies

18. Building Solid Collaborations & Partnerships • 30+solid partnerships have been formed community facilities • Medical facilities • Rehabilitation facilities • Government Agencies • Community agencies • Colleges/Universities • 20+ of these organizations also have professionals on our BrainSTEPS teams

19. BrainSTEPS Partnerships • BrainSTEPS on Discharge Info at: • Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh • Children’s Hospital Philadelphia • St. Mary’s Hospital, Bucks County • Lehigh Valley Health Network • Good Shepherd Rehabilitation

20. Non-School Based Team Members Include: Hospital & Rehabilitation based: • Acadia Rehabilitation, Inc. • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia • The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh • Geisinger Medical Center • Good Shepherd Rehabilitation • Lehigh Valley Health Network • Hershey Medical Center • Mainline Rehabilitation • Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children • Reading Hospital • Schuylkill Health Systems • St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children • St. Vincent’s Medical Center • Success Rehabilitation • St. Luke’s Hospital

21. What BrainSTEPS Can Do: • Communicate with the district and medical professionals to ensure a smooth re-entry • Gather medical, rehabilitation, & educational reports to assist in making educational recommendations.

22. What BrainSTEPS Can Do: 4. Create & provide a training for the school on the educational impact of the student’s specific brain injury. Educate and support district staff & family. 5. Provide Peer Trainings, so peers understand how brain injury has impacted their classmate.

23. 6. Consult on all aspects of the student’s educational plan & make recommendations to the district team. • Assist in transitioning a student from grade to grade or school to school by training new teachers.

24. BrainSTEPS Teams monitor all referred students annually until they graduate.

25. Communication with family • Communication with school • Records review • Consultation: strategies • Consultation with medical professionals • Consultation educational plan • Training of educators and support staff • Classroom and peer education • Information sharing among team • Demonstration of interventions Consultation Activities that BrainSTEPS team members perform

26. Who should be referred to BrainSTEPS? • A student who continues to have CONCUSSION symptoms 4WEEKS after injury, should be referred to BrainSTEPS. • A student who sustains a more moderate to severe brain injury should be referred prior to the student’s return to school. • A student who has an older injury, but begins to experience educational impacts as their brain matures/develops can be referred at any time through graduation. • www.brainsteps.net

27. Online Reporting BrainSTEPS (ORBS) www.brainsteps.net Once referred, we identify students and follow them through graduation. 2. We ensure students are receiving appropriate supports from team members 3. We determine what regions/school districts in PA do not have students being served and conduct focused brain injury awareness trainings in those regions.

28. Pennsylvania’s BrainSTEPS Programis Considered a National Model for Brain Injury School Re-Entry!

29. December 2008,BrainSTEPS won the Award of Excellence for Programs & Services from the national Brain Injury Association of America

30. PA Department of Education Conference 2009 Three hour presentation: • Brain Injury Educational Effects • BrainSTEPS Program • Great for teacher in-services/parents

31. BrainSTEPS -2010-15 “Next STEPS” Need : smooth transitioning into post secondary settings for high school students following brain injury Solution: Disability Support Services Professionals will be recruited & trained statewide from post secondary institutions Solution: Trainings will take place at the post secondary level to ensure those working in disability support service roles understand the educational impact of brain injury

32. If you have a student who continues to have CONCUSSION symptoms 4 weeks after injury, a referral to BrainSTEPS is necessary. The BrainSTEPS team will support that student’s teachers!

33. How to Make A Referral 1. Visit www.brainsteps.net 2. Click on “MAKE A REFERRAL” 3. Find the correct county student resides in 4. Call/email the BrainSTEPS team leader with your student referral 6. The team will then work with the school & family

34. What Can You Do? Ensure that EVERY child diagnosed with an ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY who is experiencing educational effects is referred to the BrainSTEPS Team in your region.

35. Ensure that • EVERY • child diagnosed with • a mild (concussion), • moderate, or severe • BRAIN INJURY is • referred to the • BrainSTEPS Team • in their region. • Available at • www.brainsteps.net

36. Best Practices for Implementing BrainSTEPS Program Created in Partnership with PA Dept of Education, BSE

38. For More Information on the BrainSTEPS Program Contact: Brenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBIS BrainSTEPS Program Coordinator Brain Injury School Re-Entry Program Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania Phone: 724-944-6542 Email: eaganbrown@biapa.org www.brainsteps.net

40. For More Information on the BrainSTEPS Program Jennifer Hertwig, Team Co-Leader jhertwig@dciu.org Sheree Parkinson, Team Co-Leader sparkinson@dciu.org Sue Lucas, Occupational Therapist slucas@dciu.org Mary Lazar, Neuropsychologist mflazar@yahoo.com Jane Bunting, Physical Therapist jbunting@dciu.org Kate Mehlem, Speech Language Pathologist kmehlem@dciu.org Stephanie Cozzi, School Psychologist scozzi@dciu.org Paul Kurland, Behavior Specialist pkurland@dciu.org Stacey Ciarrocchi, Behavior Specialist sciarrocchi@dciu.org Karen Brandon, Parent Member

41. Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania 1-866-635-7097 Toll Free Brain Injury Resource Line www.biapa.org