Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a cognitive, psychological, neurological or anatomical change in brain functions caused by an external blunt force trauma to the head. Each year, 22,000 traumatic brain injuries are on record in California alone. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAUSA) reports that TBI can cause epilepsy and increases the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age. In April 2008, the RAND Institute reported that 320,000 veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq experienced a probable TBI during their deployment.

DMH contracts statewide with organizations that demonstrate diverse approaches to service delivery and resource coordination. Availability of services can be determined by visiting the website of the organizations (below) that serve your region. Family members and caregivers may also wish to consult with Caregiver Resource Centers for additional support and information available in their region. DMH does not provide direct funding assistance to individuals or directly administer TBI programs.

California Traumatic Brain Injury Community Stakeholder Meetings

August 28, 2009 - CTBI Board Meeting - Planning for HRSA No-Cost Extension Deliverables

• Meeting Materials:
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Meeting Minutes from July 30 Conference Call
  • Meeting Summary from July 30 Conference Call
  • TBI Environmental Scan - SWOT Analysis
  • Recommended TBI Regional Meeting Locations Schematic

Travel Request Form

July 30, 2009 - TBI Advisory Board Conference Call

• Meeting Materials:
  • Agenda
  • Advisory Board Roster
  • CSUS Contract
  • TBI No-Cost Extension Letter

Supported Living Services provide a range of training, support, and appropriate supervision to maximize independence where the participant lives: private home, assisted living arrangements, or group settings. The sites provide a coordinated service model, directly or by arrangement. Core services include the following:

• Community Reintegration Services maximize independent functioning with the goal of living in the community and participating in community life. These services include providing or arranging for:
  • access to housing
  • transportation
  • medical care
  • rehabilitative therapies
  • day programs
  • chemical dependency recovery programs
  • personal assistance
  • education
    
• Services Coordination assesses and identifies participants' challenges and develops services to meet the needs. Services coordination should:
  • be participant driven
  • expand individual empowerment
  • maintain linkages to services
  • support and encourage growth and recovery
  • provide personal advocacy and outreach when needed
  • monitor progress and reassess needs


• Vocational Supportive Services include prevocational and educational services to individuals who are un-served or under-served by existing vocational rehabilitation services and provide assistance in the following four areas:
  • identify service participants who lack the prospect for unassisted competitive employment;
  • provide ongoing training, supervision and support services;
  • advocate for the same workplace benefits, income levels, security, mobility, and workplace quality enjoyed by others; and
  • negotiate work site flexibility and support mechanisms that allow the participant to function competitively.

In 1998, the DMH and the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) teamed up to develop vocational rehabilitation programs specifically focused upon the needs of adults with TBI. Currently, three of the sites participate in the interagency agreement with DOR.

Family and Community Education keeps families and communities informed of the nature and consequences of TBI, early detection, service referral processes for persons with TBI, and monitors for continuous improvement opportunities within the system of available services.

• Independent Evaluation of the Traumatic Brain Injury Services of California:Legislative Report, January 30, 2005
• Independent Evaluation of the Traumatic Brain Injury Services of California: Addendum to Legislative Report, January 30, 2005
• California’s Needs and Resources Assessment, Spring 2002
• California’s Traumatic Brain Injury Statewide Action Plan, Fall 2002

DMH convened an advisory workgroup to help develop and weigh requests for proposals, evaluate programs, manage objective data collection and review, and create TBI awareness campaigns and prevention strategies for peace officers. Program funding come from fees collected for cALIFORNIA"S Vehicle Code violations, including the seatbelt law.

Section 4353 of the Welfare and Institutions Code authorizes the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to fund TBI pilot projects for recovering adults.