Brain injury awareness presentations are made to returning soldiers and their families at post deployment health assessment workshops. We believe the most important part of our message is that these wounds are “Invisible” and “Treatable”. No brain injury is too small to ignore or too severe to lose hope. Veterans returning from combat may have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by Shock wave blasts from improvised explosive devices, rocket propelled grenades and land mines are the leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in combat zones. Reports indicate that up to 20 percent of returning veterans exhibit symptoms of having sustained traumatic brain injury. "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation." - President George Washington It is difficult to return home from an intensive combat environment. It takes a lot of understanding and patience on the home front as our troops adjust back to their previous lives. In many cases, they may never be completely the same. It is even tougher for those that have sustained a TBI during their combat tour, especially if they do not seek diagnosis and treatment. It is critical that the family members, close friends and co-workers of troops returning from combat understand and watch for TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Click here to download the Resources for Veterans brochure. Medical systems throughout the U.S., especially Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VA), are seeing an increase in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan. Most people who sustain a TBI will experience temporary or permanent physical, cognitive, or emotional changes. The VA is helping polytrauma survivors reintegrate into civilian life through a newly created polytrauma system of care. Centered in four Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (Minneapolis, Palo Alto, Richmond, and Tampa) and spread across the U.S. through specially designated VA hospitals, the system of care addresses patients' complex medical, psychological, and rehabilitation needs, with a special emphasis on brain injury. Specialized services include inpatient and outpatient medical and rehabilitation care, and proactive, long-term case management. Service can also include long-term care for those who cannot return home because of the severity of their injuries. The Brain Injury Association of Michigan's goal is to provide answers and avenues of support for all Michigan residents living with brain injury. If you are a veteran who has or believes you have a brain injury, or if you are the loved one of a veteran with similar concerns, the Association encourages you to contact us at 800-444-6443 or 810-229-5880. You are not alone.
The Brain Injury
Association of Michigan’s Veterans Program is hosting the second annual
Veterans TBI Summit the day before our Annual Fall Conference which is
the largest brain injury conference in the nation. The Summit will
feature a combat TBI Veterans Panel; Fort Campbell, Kentucky’s Dept. of
Defense “TBI Warrior Resiliency and Recovery Program; and other VA and
private sector presentations on combat TBI research, issues, and
rehabilitation.
The purpose of
this one-day summit is to provide state-of-the art information about
combat brain injury programs, treatment and research, which will provide
optimum outcomes for quality of life and military service reintegration
opportunities. This summit is designed to benefit DoD, VA and private
sector personnel engaged in management and care of troops exposed to
potential TBI in field and post-deployment situations. Specific
information will be provided about mild TBI, Neuro-cognitive
Rehabilitation, the VA Assisted Living Program, TBI Blast Research,
Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialist (ACBIS) Certification
Program, and an opportunity to hear from and talk directly to
soldiers/Marines injured in combat and their families about how they
were injured, the rehabilitation programs received, and the impact TBI
has had upon their lives.
Sponsorship Opportunities are available. You can reach out to a wide variety of DoD,
VA, and military personnel and network with industry partners.
Opportunities include Presenting Sponsor, Breakfast, Lunch, and
Afternoon Break Sponsorships. For questions about Sponsorship
opportunities contact Katie Knight at (810) 229-5880 or kknight@biami.org.
Scholarships and BIAMI memberships are available for
DoD, VA, and military brain injury survivors and their families.
Save on your
registration fee! Become a member of the Association to take advantage
of our lower rates. Join today! Download a General Membership
Application or Corporate Membership Form.
You can reach the State of Michigan's Veteran Hotline at (800) 455-5228. Click here for Veteran Information provided by the State of Michigan.
The Returning from the War Zone, A Guide for Military Personnel is a guide is for service members returning from deployment. It contains information to help military personnel understand what to expect when returning from a war zone, and to help them to better adapt back to home life. Reintegration is an adjustment for all involved. This information aims to make this process as smooth as possible and covers: What help is available and what it involves
After sustaining a brain injury from a roadside bomb in Iraq, Bob
Woodruff, journalist for ABC News, became committed to assisting
injured service members and their families. ReMIND.org is a program of the Bob Woodruff
Foundation to educates the public about the needs of injured service
members, veterans and their families as they reintegrate into their
communities and empowers people everywhere to take action. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center serves active duty military, their beneficiaries, and veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) through state-of-the-art clinical care, innovative clinical research initiatives and educational programs. DVBIC collaborates with the military, VA and civilian health partners, local communities, families and individuals with TBI. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their families. Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits. You can or view a fact sheet about the Department here. The Department of Defense has developed a comprehensive handbook describing compensation and other benefits service members and their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a result of serious injury or illness. The handbook was compiled in cooperation with the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and and the Social Security Administration. Additionally, there are references to assistance provided by other governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations. After a brain injury, there are often difficult decisions to make. Fortunately, there are many resources available right here in Michigan to assist with the rehabilitation process.
Michigan has 18% of the nations total CARF accredited TBI neurocognitive rehabilitation facilities and over 700 ACBIS certified brain injury specialists. After a brain injury, there are often difficult decisions to make. Fortunately, there are many resources available to assist with the rehabilitation process. Please ask for help.Veteran’s Programs
Early in 2007, the Brain Injury Association of Michigan created a Veteran's Program to specifically help our combatants returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with the complex traumatic brain injury issues. Called the “invisible wound” because a very serious injury can be sustained without visible indicators, TBI has been named the “Signature Wound” of the War on Terror.
“Signature Wound” of the War on Terror
Estimates point toward as many as 320,000 veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) eventually sustain traumatic brain injury. However, it is not only recently returning vets who are living with brain injury. Many veterans of past conflicts are living with the effects of undiagnosed brain injuries, not realizing that avenues exist for them and their families to find answers.
TBI Symptoms include but are not limited to:
For all Veteran-related events - click here.
Veterans TBI Summit - wed., September 26, 2012
Lansing
Summit Information
Sponsorship
Attendee Registration
Information to Keep In Mind
Summit Updates
Updates regarding registration, parking, and other notifications will
be posted here and on our Facebook page. “Like” our page so that you can
stay up to date on the summit.
Additional Resources
State of Michigan - Veteran Hot-line
Returning from the War Zone
Remind.org
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Defense Compensation and Benefits Handbook
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