Session: (15) - Mike Miller
Building A Legislative Caucus in Pennsylvania
The process utilized to build a legislative caucus in both the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate will be described and evaluated.

Session: (16) - Stewart Shear, Michelle Herrigel, Lisa Fernandez, & Katharine Donlan
Keeping The Faith: The Effect of the Practice of Faith on Quality of Life for Adults with Brain Injury
Lives are forever changed after brain injury, and the struggle to define a “new normal” continues after the injury has occurred. Many individuals develop networks of support post-injury and identify faith as one of these supports. An empirical investigation was conducted to determine what impact the practice of faith has on quality of life which included adults who have brain injury. Individuals with moderate to severe injuries were administered the Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Practice of Faith Survey (developed for the purpose of this study). Recommendations for incorporating the practice of faith into person-centered planning are discussed. 

Session: (17) - Gayle Chesley, Alexis Geib, & Jennifer Olinik
Teenagers with Brain Injury: Community Supports in PA
Consequences of brain injury include cognitive, emotional, social, and academic impairment. Adolescents with brain injury experience the burden of attempting to develop a positive self-identity while coping with these impairments. A connection with other adolescents with brain injury and optimal school accommodations are vital to achieve positive outcomes with this process. This presentation will focus on three programs by which teens with brain injury can find social and academic support in Pennsylvania: teen brain injury support groups (i.e., The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Bucks County Brain STEPS support groups), Camp Cranium, and Brain STEPS.

10:45 am to 12:00 pm           
Session: (18) - Dawn Scheidell & Linda Geldner
The Use of a Vocational Rating Scale: From Sheltered to Competitive Employment
This presentation is an overview of a vocational rating instrument developed for use in a community integrated brain injury setting using the framework of The Work Personality Profile (WPP) developed by Bolton and Roessler. The rating system recommends a range of vocational programming and profiles are clustered into five behavioral categories: Autonomy; General Work Skills; Attention; Emotional Stability and Judgment. Goal areas and compensatory strategies are developed based on the need areas and future vocational programming is recommended. The ratings were obtained on data collected on the individuals in various real life (paid) jobs from sheltered to competitive employment. Case studies will be presented in video and/or pictorial form in their natural work environments and discussion to follow.  

Session: (19) - Juanita Kasper & Ed Snyder
IEP Success: Parent & Student Involvement
Johnson and Sharpe (2000) reported that more students were attending their IEP transition meetings than in previous years, but active participation is still minimal. As high school students are preparing for adult life, their involvement in their transition planning becomes crucial. There is also some evidence that parental participation in the transition process can increase the likelihood of a good match between students and their post school goals. This presentation will discuss the importance of student/parent participation in transition planning as well as the self-determinations skills that will enhance this process.

Session: (20) - Roberta Brooks & Madeline DiPasquale
Ways & Means of Relationship Building
Presenters will identify neuropsychological changes after acquired brain injury that impact communication, social skills and changes in life roles. Through modeling and role-playing scenarios, participants will have the opportunity to observe and comment on successful and less successful strategies for interacting with others. After several modeling and formal role playing exercises depicting common social situations, audience members will be asked to identify situations they have experienced and benefit from presenters and group comments for problem solving. Tips on where, when, how and with whom to practice communication strategies for social skills will be provided.

Session: (21) - Sam Pierce & Curry Johnson
Be Involved: Coordinating Races for Recovery
The presentation will discuss the process of organizing a Race for Recovery which is designed to educate the general public about brain safety and generate funding for the BIAPA. The session will review the process of identifying an appropriate venue, volunteer & participant recruitment, race management, sponsor recruitment, online/offline fundraising, and public relations for a Race for Recovery. Practical tips for organizing a Race for Recovery will be the focus of the presentation.

12:15 pm to 1:15 pm
Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Pennsylvania Representative Tim Briggs
LegislativeUpdate on Brain Injury
State Representative Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, will discuss   the status of his legislation (H.B. 2060) which would make sure that we better manage concussions that happen in youth sports and increase awareness regarding their seriousness. Rep. Briggs’ bill would require that if a player sustains a concussion or brain injury, they could not return to play unless cleared by a licensed health care provider. This measure would also require a student’s parent or guardian to annually sign a concussion and head injury information sheet prior to the student’s participating in practice or competition.

1:30 pm to 2:45 pm  
Session: (22) - Dave Stoddard & Frank Oschell
Brain Injury and Wheelchair Seating
Brain injuries can result in various physical abnormalities that effect mobility and posture. This session will focus on one area of assistive technology for those with Brain Injuries, namely adaptive wheelchair seating. Factors influencing seated positioning include primitive reflex patterns, musculo-skeletal asymmetries, abnormal muscle tone, sensory integration, functional abilities and contractures. Various seating approaches will be discussed including planar, contoured and custom-molded, as well as wheelchair frame configurations such as tilt-in-space, recline, and elevating legrests. Custom-molding will be demonstrated using the bead-evacuation process to show how an individual’s shape can be accurately captured with bead bags, digitized into a 3-D image and used to carve custom seat and backrest cushions.

Session: (23) - Carolyn Cass
Department of Health - Improving TBI Services, Supports, and Capacity in Pennsylvania
Starting April 1, 2010, the PA Department of Health was awarded a grant from the federal Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to expand and improve state and local TBI capacity by developing TBI specific programs that target at risk populations who are either unserved or underserved. The program will build on existing programs that advance best practices already in place in Pennsylvania, including providing TBI education in PA Child Care Settings, Education ofHealth Professionals, Training and Education to Domestic Violence Community, Youth Brain Injury Transition to Adulthood Program, Community Awareness, Education and Training Program, Expansion of the BrainSTEPS School Re-Entry Program to Post Secondary Students, Families and Faculty, and Post Secondary Student and Faculty Training, Education and Outreach Program. This session will also highlight accomplishments of the Department of Health’s Head Injury Program, current activities and program status, and plans for the future, including new initiatives.

Session: (24) - Page Walker Buck
What Should I Say? Explaining Traumatic Brain Injury to Family, Friends & Work Colleagues
Explaining mild traumatic brain injury, commonly known as concussion, is often a significant burden for survivors, family members and workers alike. Despite the fact that awareness of this invisible injury within the medical community has increased significantly in recent years, the lay community remains largely uneducated about its cognitive, physical and social implications. This interactive presentation will give participants hands-on opportunities to learn and practice ways to communicate about mild TBI injuries in written, spoken and expressed form. Suggestions about language use will be provided including what to say and when to say it. 

Session: (25) - Bridget Lowery
Understanding Memory & Attention: Real Life Strategies & Activities
Memory and Attention problems are common after a Brain Injury. We know that memory and attention can be divided into many categories. We use a variety of   types of memory and attention in everyday life. In order to improve these skills, we must first understand them. This presentation will describe the different types of memory and attention and highlight how they play out in our everyday lives. We will also identify activities that survivors and/or families can do at home to strengthen these areas. Strategies that can be used to compensate for deficits with memory and attention will be identified.

1:30 pm to 2:45 pm - Special Session
Monica Vaccaro - Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania
Support Group Facilitators Meeting

3:00 pm to 4:00 pm  
Closing General Presentation
Eugene Brown, Linda Washington Brown, Althea Walker, & Dr. David Brock,
Together Rehabing Through Life
Eugene Brown is a survivor of an acquired brain injury that occurred in 1997 as the result of a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM). As a result, he experienced left side paralysis and had to rebuild his life. Eugene, along with his wife, Linda, social worker and friend, Althea Walker and Dr. David Brock, Medical Director, Neurosensory ICU, Thomas Jefferson University, will share what they believe are keys to his recovery.