Building Bridges Office of Acquired Brain Injury

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Building BridgesOffice of Acquired Brain
Injury

• Bettie P. Beckworth, M.Ed.
• Director, Office of ABI
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission

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Office of Brain Injury

• Legislative Mandate
• Assist coordinate services for people with
  acquired brain injury.
• Includes coordination with military veterans
  services

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Tips for getting Your Own State Brain Injury
Office

• TBI Statewide Advisory Board or Council united
• Senior policy advisor
• Inform educate legislature
• Find those Champions
• Legislators with personal experience /or heart
  for TBI

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Tips, continued

• Recruiting of advocates
• Individuals with BI and family members
• Advisory Board/Council members
• Providers
• Veterans and family members

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Tips, continued

• Strong Advisory Board/Council with solid planning
• Learn how your State government works
• Where is the best place for this Office?
• Who in State government is needed to support your
  plan

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Tips, Continued

• Current State Models
• Lead Agency most States
• Interagency Leadership Council e.g. MN
• Umbrella agency such as Health Human Services
  Commission in Texas
• Decide TBI or ABI

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Tips, continued

• Takes time
• Takes patience
• Takes persistence

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Benefits of Our Office of Brain Injury

• Support and backing by State leadership
• Credibility possibly, authority
• Ability to establish relationships bridge silos
• Responsibility to identify needs, resources and
  gaps
• Direct access to National Guard, Wounded Warriors
  program and their family members.
• Alliances with sister agencies

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Office of Brain Injury

• Infancy
• But growing and maturing very fast
• Beyond our expectations
• There is no Cant
• Timing is right to connect the dots
• The sky is not the limit!

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February September, 2008

• Charted organizational structure
• Developed and approved 16 month strategic and
  project plans
• Outreach plan
• 2-1-1 collaboration
• Translated 2-1-1 call center TBI training into
  Spanish on a DVD
• Joined multi-agency community support services
  work group rural area focus

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February September, 2008

• Comprehensive bilingual website under
  construction
• Memorandum of Understanding Texas National
  Guard multiple State agencies
• Provide Information for returning service members
  and families
• Building programs
• Bridging silos

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February September, 2008

• Collaboration with TX Juvenile Probation
  Commission, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services

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Plans and Partnerships

• Conference in Nov, 2008 with people working in
  the Juvenile Justice System
• Goal provide intervention, prevention and/or
  services to help break the cycle and foster
  success
• New Statewide effort Office for Elimination of
  Health Disparities

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Plans and Partnerships

• Member of Strategic Planning Council for Defense
  Centers of Excellence in PTSD and TBI
• Form a Southwest Consortium of States
• Law Health insurance coverage for necessary
  treatment services as a result of a brain
  injury HB 1919

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What weve learned

• Grass roots advocacy efforts - necessity
• Those who persist, prevail
• Be pro-active and take the initiative
• Look for other possibilities
• Be visible and present
• Present the facts
• Never give up

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What Weve Learned

• Partnerships are Everything!