Brain Injury Alliance Of Connecticut Inc

RAISING VOICES AND VISIBILITY OF PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURY AND IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: BIAC PROGRAM STAFF REMAINED AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROVIDE A FULL MENU OF PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, WITH THE OPTION OF EITHER IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL PLATFORM, AS PER THE CHOICE OF THE HOST ORGANIZATION. THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES AT OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS GREW SUBSTANTIALLY FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITH A TOTAL OF 1,050, COMPARED TO 500 LAST FISCAL YEAR. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 110% PERCENT. OUR SURVIVOR AND FAMILY/CAREGIVER CONFERENCE, CO-SPONSORED WITH CT DMHAS AND THE CT WOMEN'S CONSORTIUM, WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND SAW NEARLY 120 ATTENDEES AT THIS EVENT. OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDED HOSTING INFORMATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT TABLES AT VARIOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS. THESE INCLUDED: - CTAHPERD ANNUAL CONFERENCE - NEW BRITAIN WALK & ROLL ABILITY AWARENESS DAY. - CASBHC ANNUAL CONFERENCE - CONCUSSION BOX 5K EVENT - DMHAS PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE - MIDDLETOWN KIDS HEALTH & SAFETY DAY - HEALING BY GROWING 2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE WE ALSO PROVIDED A VARIETY OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING: - CONCUSSION TRAINING - WEST HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSING STAFF, - INTRODUCTION TO BRAIN INJURY & EFFECTIVE CARE MANAGEMENT TO RELIANCE HEATH COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER. - INTERSECTION OF BRAIN INJURY AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE WITH DCF CONTRACTED VENDORS - INTRODUCTION TO CONCUSSION - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - CTAHPERD - BRAIN INJURY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS - CABLECT - WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH FAMILY MEMBERS - WOMEN'S CONSORTIUM / DMHAS TRAINING SERIES - INTRODUCTION TO BRAIN INJURY: EFFECTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT - CARELON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES 250 PROFESSIONALS WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE. WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CEU OPPORTUNITIES BY RECORDING ALL WORKSHOPS FOR "ON- DEMAND" VIEWING FOR 4 WEEKS AFTER THE LIVE EVENT. WE OFFERED 9 WORKSHOPS COVERING DIVERSE TOPIC AREAS, INCLUDING A KEYNOTE PRESENTATION. THE CONFERENCE WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WITH STRONG, POSITIVE FEEDBACK NOTED IN OUR ATTENDEE SURVEY REPORTS. IN TOTAL, WE HAD 250 REGISTERED ATTENDEES FOR OUR ANNUAL EVENT.

NAVIGATOR BIAC CONTINUED TO OFFER OUR NAVIGATOR SERVICE THROUGHOUT THIS FISCAL YEAR. THIS FEE-FOR-SERVICE OPTION CONTINUES TO RECEIVE A LOT OF INQUIRIES REQUESTS. ALL INQUIRIES HAVE BEEN RESPONDED TO WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY, EITHER BY THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS & SERVICES OR BY THE SENIOR BRAIN INJURY SPECIALIST.

HELPLINE - BIAC PROGRAM STAFF CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE FREE HELPLINE, AND THIS CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF OUR MAIN, CORE SERVICES. DURING THE 2023-2024 YEAR, WE HAD 1,982 CONTACTS WITH INDIVIDUALS REQUESTING INFORMATION, RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND COMMUNITY LINKAGES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 632 CONTACTS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, REPRESENTING A 47% INCREASE IN TOTAL CONTACTS. - WE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE CALLS AND INQUIRIES FROM NEW CALLERS TO OUR HELPLINE DURING THIS PERIOD. 245 NEW CALLERS/INQUIRIES REACHED OUT TO OUR HELPLINE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 11% COMPARED TO NEW CALLERS FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ONCE AGAIN, WE RECEIVED A HIGH LEVEL OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM OUR HELPLINE CALLERS REGARDING OUR RESPONSIVENESS AND THE GREAT BENEFIT THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED IN CONNECTING WITH A BIS.

SUPPORT GROUPS BIAC CONTINUED TO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF SUPPORT GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. AS ALWAYS, ALL OUR GROUPS ARE FREE TO ATTENDEES. OUR GROUPS OFFER DIVERSE STRUCTURE AND PLATFORM OPTIONS. WHILE MOST GROUPS ARE "OPEN" TO ALL WHO WISH TO ATTEND, WE ALSO HAVE A FEW GROUPS WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON EITHER FAMILY/CAREGIVER NEEDS OR SPOUSE/PARTNER NEEDS. OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO OUR NETWORK INCLUDES AN IN-PERSON GROUP SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON SOCIAL PRAGMATICS AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. WE EVEN HAVE 2 IN-PERSON GROUPS WITH A THEME OF EXPRESSIVE ARTS AS A VEHICLE TO EXPRESS ONESELF AND TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS.