TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury Program

OUR NEW PROGRAM!

Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) is excited to have been awarded a 2.5 year grant to offer a Traumatic Brain Injury program in Southern and Eastern Alameda County. This program will begin on December 1, 2024.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury. This happens to about 1.7 million Americans each year. 53,000 deaths, 235,000 trips to the hospital, and 1.1 million trips to the ER each year are because of TBI. Traumatic brain injuries are separate from non-traumatic brain injuries (NTBI), which are caused by internal factors, such as lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, stroke, near drowning, or an infectious disease.

Common causes of TBI include car accidents, falls, assault, and sports injuries. Traumatic brain injury can be classified as mild (concussion), moderate, or severe, based on the patient’s clinical presentation, and the effects of TBI can be temporary or permanent. Those who survive a TBI can face effects that last a few days, or the rest of their lives. Effects of TBI can include impairments related to thinking or memory, movement, sensation (e.g., vision or hearing), or emotional functioning (e.g., personality changes, depression). These issues not only affect individuals but also can have lasting effects on families and communities.

Referrals to CRIL for TBI services will receive the following:

1. Community Integration: You have the right to live in the setting of your choice:

  • We will provide necessary Community Integration Services designed to maintain and/or maximize your independent living.

  • We will leverage community resources for housing, transportation, medical care, recovery programs, personal assistant, or education services, and any others needed to support Community Integration.

2. Employment Support Services: We will provide you with tools and supports to help you find employment:

  • 1:1 support for resume and job search or volunteer opportunities to help you build job skills.

  • We work with Department of Rehabilitation, American Job Centers and others

  • Referral to benefits coordination for Ticket to Work program.

  • Peer supports

3. Information and Referral:

  • Caregiver Supports

  • CRIL maintains a private registry of caregivers, Quickmatch. CRIL staff will provide support in how to hire, to supervise, to terminate.

  • Working with an Independent Living or Assistive Technology Specialist, we’ll help you identify your options, we’ll help get you connected, we’ll advocate with you.

4. Public and Professional Education:

  • We will provide educational information on brain injuries for consumers, caregivers, and professionals.

  • We will participate in community events and presentations to educate local businesses, students, educators, homeless service providers, mental health service providers, those serving the justice involved, as well as aging and disability service providers to increase their ability to identify, refer, and effectively serve individuals with TBI.

  • CRIL will engage individuals at local hospitals, nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers who wish to increase their knowledge and understanding of brain injury, and related cognitive, memory, and behavioral issues and available supports for those with TBI and their families

How can we support you? Call us to make a direct referral to CRIL’s TBI program: (510)881-5743.