Our
Projects
Brain Injury Awareness 2023
Combined efforts with fellow survivors and thrivers presented a great opportunity in 2023 to help connect with more survivor networks around the world through projects addressing the impact of Aphasia on brain injury and stroke survivors - Bilingual Aphasia Support Group and Association Aphasie Internationale.
A shared commitment to educating leaders in the community about acquired brain injury, B.I.G Support group members, Javier Gil, A.C.S.W ; L.C.S.W and
Dr. Victoria Newman Ford, D.Div, RMT,
teamed up to provide insights from the survivors perspective related to living with day-to-day challenges with brain injury and stroke, including but not limited to treatment gaps, challenges and opportunities to raise awareness.
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As co-presenters at National Association of Social Workers Conference during Brain Injury Awareness Month in March and National Family Caregivers Month in November, B.I.G Support Group Members Javier Gil, and Dr. Victoria Newman Ford are more than their brain injuries. They have teamed up to tell their own stories to Social Workers, Case Managers, Administrators, Counselors and Therapists to bring awareness to the survivor population experiencing the most treatment gaps - individuals with mild brain injury.
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A journal published by PLOS ONE reports, "Up to 95% of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are classified as being mild in severity. The impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of moderate and severe TBI have been well documented, [but] much less is known about the impact of mild-TBI, especially in the longer-term - 40% of mild-TBIs occur in early to mid-adulthood." (PLOS ONE.org)
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Newman Ford and Gil discuss the clinical, community and systems navigation perspective as well as the impact for survivors in the long term whose mild brain injuries occurred in mid-adulthood.
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Social Workers Needed: Treatment Gaps for Stroke & Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors (2 CEs: Includes 2 Public Health Priority Hours)
Presenters: Dr. Victoria Newman Ford, D.Div, RMT & Javier Gil, MSW, LCSW, ACSW
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NASW North Carolina Annual Conference 2023
LIVE-Virtual: November 14, 2023 - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
www.naswnc.org
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NASW Virginia and Metro DC Joint Annual Conference 2023
Williamsburg, Virginia
In-person: March 24, 2023 - 3:45 pm - 5:45 pm
LIVE-Virtual: April 20-22, 2023
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