Brain Injury Services (BIS)

Acquired Brain Injury,” or ABI, refers to all non-congenital/non-developmental/non-degenerative injuries to the brain that result in cognitive or behavioral problems. The most common types of ABI addressed at WWRC are traumatic brain injury, stroke, anoxic injury, brain tumor/cancer, and a smaller number of clients with histories of infectious disease or other etiologies. WWRC provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation services for individuals with acquired brain injury who demonstrate rehabilitative and vocational potential. Individualized service plans are developed that reflect findings and recommendations of initial neuropsychological and physical medicine evaluations.

An individual's Brain Injury Team may include professionals from any or all of the following disciplines:

• Neuropsychology
• Physical Medicine
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
• Physical Therapy
• Vocational Counseling
• Rehabilitation Counseling
• Psychological Services
• Case Management
• Specialists in Community Reintegration

Neuropsychological assessment is a systematic clinical diagnostic procedure used to determine the extent of any possible behavioral deficits following diagnosed or suspected brain injury. Such assessments would be helpful for patients having, or suspected of having, various brain disorders that result in problems with memory, intelligence and cognitive functioning, activities of daily living, or behavior and emotions. Such conditions include head trauma, stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor, toxic or other encephalopathies, dementia, developmental and learning disabilities, and other neurological disorders.

Neuropsychological assessment is helpful in determining the differential contribution of neurologic and psychiatric factors in a patient's presenting problems, and in the specification of the patient's psychological and behavioral strengths and weaknesses related to neurological dysfunction.

Information is provided that can contribute to decisions about:

• differential diagnosis;
• prognosis;
• rehabilitation potential;
• return to work;
• ability to function independently;
• specialized school placement;
• forensic issues;

The evaluation involves the comprehensive assessment of higher cognitive skills, intelligence, academic abilities, problem-solving skills, abstraction, memory, visual-motor skills and related abilities. Sensorimotor functioning and psychological/emotional status are also assessed.

• Pre-referral Consultative Services
• BIS staff provide assistance to potential clients or referral sources to guide them toward the most appropriate rehabilitation services.
• Outpatient Clinic Evaluation Services
• Medical Evaluation Clinic - comprehensive medical & neurobehavioral evaluation clinic. The focus is to identify an individual's current level of functioning and to provide information to the referral source to facilitate services in the individual's home community.
• BIS Program Feasibility Clinic - comprehensive medical, neurobehavioral, and vocational evaluation clinic. The focus of this clinic is to identify an individual's current level of functioning and to determine whether further services offered at WWRC are expected to produce improved independent functioning with the ultimate aim of returning to work.
• Vocational Clinic - vocational counseling and service planning for individuals with milder functional impairment and who do not require additional medical therapies prior to vocational evaluation/training.
• Neuropsychological Evaluation
  A neuropsychological evaluation (NP Eval) is a systematic clinical diagnostic procedure used to get a better picture of an individual's cognitive, intellectual, and emotional functioning following a formally diagnosed or suspected brain injury.
• Psychological Counseling
  Services are available for clients requiring assistance in managing stress/anxiety, depression, adjustment concerns, and/or difficulties involving self-regulation and social interaction.
  
  Services can include the following:
  • Individual psychotherapy
  • Group counseling
  • Monitoring and support
  • Family and staff consultation
  • Psycho-educational support groups
  • Substance abuse and relapse prevention services (RAPS)
  • Individualized intervention plans
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  
  • Diagnosis and treatment of impairment and disability
  • Management of medical rehabilitation program
  • Medical consultations
  • Orthotics, Prosthetics, Outpatient Evaluation, and Seating Clinics
  • Patient and family education
  • Physician and nursing assessment of common conditions
  • Prescription of medication and medical equipment
  • Psychological/Psychiatric consultation and medication management
  • Electrodiagnostic testing
  • Staff members include specialists in internal, general and rehabilitation medicine, as well as psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences.
  • Physicians and nursing staff collaborate to coordinate the client’s treatment regimen and ensure that safe, quality care results in improved function. This physician prescribed program enables the patient to access third-party funding for services and equipment.
• Case Management Services
  
  • Coordination for implementation of comprehensive rehabilitation services
  • Communication with program sponsor and family
  • Counseling for orientation to WWRC and personal/social adjustments
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech-Language Therapy and Audiology
• Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy
  
  • A program of guided therapy to learn (or relearn) ways to remember, concentrate, and solve problems after an illness or injury affecting the brain. The desired outcome is achieving the most significant improvement possible in independent functioning and meaningful participation in work & daily life events.
  • Compensatory Strategy Training
  • Cognitive Prosthetic Technology Training
  • Environmental Restructuring Strategies
• Vocational Evaluation & Training
  
  • Career Testing & Counseling
  • Hands-On Vocational Evaluations
  • Numerous Training Options
  • Job Seeking Skills Training
  • [Some Additional Online Vocational Resources]

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