March is Brain Injury Awareness Month: explore events and supports in Washington
March 13, 2023
DSHS Office of Communications
Jessica Nelson
360–628–1043
OLYMPIA— March is Brain Injury Awareness month, a great time to explore the programs and supports offered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Strategic Partnership Advisory Council. Together, we offer an array of services for people with a TBI and their families, caregivers and medical providers.
Prevention first
Kids can get hurt playing sports or while having fun at the playground. Families can learn more about how to prevent injuries on the Safe Kids Washington website. Several modules are available with information on pedestrian and sports safety, along with the popular Brain Adventures with Mylin, which helps kids learn more about how their brain works, and how to protect it. Kids can watch educational videos, take quizzes and complete a workbook, earning a certificate of achievement for what they’ve learned.
In addition to providing educational materials, Safe Kids Washington provided more than 100 events with 30,000 participants just last year. The initiative is a partnership between DSHS, the TBI Council, Washington Department of Health and the University of Oregon’s Center for Brain Injury Research and Training.
Additional support and resources
Free events, information and support: Through the TBI fund, DSHS provides services and supports for people experiencing a TBI including:
· Traumatic Brain Injury Resources and Workbook, featuring journaling prompts and exercises to help with a variety of TBI-related topics including symptoms and effects, self-care and recovery, and domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
· TBI events portal, where you can attend brain injury workshops, watch past supportive workshops, find a support group and more.
Help plan for the future: Help DSHS and the TBI Council plan for the future by taking part in our research surveys. Surveys are available for people living with a TBI, caregivers and providers. The project will identify gaps in support and barriers to treatment and improve resources and services related to traumatic brain injury in Washington state.
Link to local services: Washington 211 is also helping people with a TBI, connecting them to more than 32,000 resources statewide, including food assistance, medical care, child care, crisis intervention and much more. Their community resource specialists can link you to existing public and private services in your area. In just the last three months, WA 211 referred more than 5,000 people to resources. If you need help, just call 2–1–1 or 211WAOD to 898211.