BrainSTEPS

Child & Adolescent Brain Injury

School Re-Entry ProgramBrenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBIS

Program Coordinatoreaganbrown@biapa.org

Phone: 724-944-6542

Funding:

• The BrainSTEPS Program is jointly funded through a federal Title V MCHB grant from the PA Department of Health and a federal OSEP grant (SPDG) through the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education.

• The Training and Education Program is funded by TBI Implementation Grant #H21MC17232 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA.

Traumatic Brain Injury

STATISTICS

Brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in children &

young adults.

Children with Traumatic Brain Injury 0-14 years of age

CDC StatisticsAverage ANNUAL number of Traumatic Brain Injury Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations in the United States

• Most children who sustained a TBI (91.5%) were treated and released from the emergency department.

United States. Centers for Disease Control. Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States. 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/TBI_in_US_04/TBI%20in%20the%20US_Jan_2006.pdf>.

474,000

Each year, approximately26,000

children in Pennsylvania sustain a traumatic brain injury

(mild, moderate, or severe)

Source: The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, 2008

How Common is TBI in Children in Pennsylvania?

In 2006 approximately

4,000Children & Adolescents in

Pennsylvania were HOSPITALIZED with TBI

Source: The Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2006DOES NOT INCLUDE EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.

This figure would lead us to expect conservatively there are

approx. 48,000 students who are in PA schools with a prior

moderate/severe TBI

Not all will experience lasting educational effects – but many will

(12 years cumulative) Source: The Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2006

DOES NOT INCLUDE EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS

Statistics in Pennsylvania

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

MedicalSystem

SchoolSystem

Children Discharged from Hospitals in PA with TBI

Diagnosis (1 year)

4,000

Number of students classified as TBI receiving

Special Education as of the 2009-10 PDE Report

(cumulative): 701

In one year (2006) the PA Department of Health recorded approx. 4000 children ages 0-21, who were hospitalized with TBI.

BrainSTEPS

Brain Injury

School Re-Entry Model

Program

• SStrategies• TTeaching • EEducators• PParents• SStudents

What is BrainSTEPS?

• Brain injury consulting teams available to families and schools throughout Pennsylvania.

• Teams are extensively trained in the educational needs of students returning to school following brain injury.

• Teams will work with local school staff to develop academic interventions, strategy implementation, and monitoring of students.

The BrainSTEPS Program

Funded by: 1. PA Department of Health

2. PA Department of Education

Implemented by: 1. Brain Injury Association of

Pennsylvania - Fall since 2007

BrainSTEPS Encompasses Acquired Brain Injuries

• Traumatic Brain Injury (includes Concussions)

• Non-Traumatic Brain Injury (Any child who has a brain injury that

occurs AFTER the birth process can be referred!)

A Concussion is a

Traumatic Brain Injury!

30 BrainSTEPS Teams27 Intermediate Unit teams & 3 large school

district teams300+ Active Team Members

All Colored Areas = Trained BrainSTEPS TeamsWhite = Intermediate Unit regions without BrainSTEPS

teams

BrainSTEPS Educationally based team members come from:

• Educational Intermediate Units• Schools• Pediatric Rehabilitation Centers • Hospitals• Family members• Community agencies

Building Solid Collaborations & Partnerships

• 30+ solid partnerships have been formed community facilities– Medical facilities– Rehabilitation facilities– Government Agencies– Community agencies– Colleges/Universities

• 20+ of these organizations also have professionals on our BrainSTEPS teams

BrainSTEPS Partnerships– BrainSTEPS on Discharge Info at:

• Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh• Children’s Hospital Philadelphia• St. Mary’s Hospital, Bucks County• Lehigh Valley Health Network• Good Shepherd Rehabilitation

Hospital & Rehabilitation based:1.Acadia Rehabilitation, Inc.2.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia3.The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh4.Geisinger Medical Center5.Good Shepherd Rehabilitation 6.Lehigh Valley Health Network7.Hershey Medical Center8.Mainline Rehabilitation9.Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children10. Reading Hospital 11. Schuylkill Health Systems12. St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children13. St. Vincent’s Medical Center14. Success Rehabilitation15.St. Luke’s Hospital

Non-School Based Team Members Include:

What BrainSTEPS Can Do:

1.Communicate with the district and medical professionals to ensure a smooth re-entry

2.Gather medical, rehabilitation, & educational reports to assist in making educational recommendations.

What BrainSTEPS Can Do:

4. Create & provide a training for the school on the educational impact of the student’s specific brain injury. Educate and support district staff & family.

5. Provide Peer Trainings, so peers understand how brain injury has impacted their classmate.

6. Consult on all aspects of the student’s educational plan & make recommendations to the district team.

7. Assist in transitioning a student from grade to grade or school to school by training new teachers.

BrainSTEPS Teams monitor all referred students annually

until they graduate.

• Communication with family• Communication with school• Records review• Consultation: strategies• Consultation with medical professionals• Consultation educational plan• Training of educators and support staff• Classroom and peer education• Information sharing among team• Demonstration of interventions

Consultation Activities that BrainSTEPS team

members perform

Who should be referred to BrainSTEPS?

1.A student who continues to have CONCUSSION symptoms 4 WEEKS after injury, should be referred to BrainSTEPS.

2. A student who sustains a more moderate to severe brain injury should be referred prior to the student’s return to school.

3.A student who has an older injury, but begins to experience educational impacts as their brain matures/develops can be referred at any time through graduation.

www.brainsteps.net

Online Reporting BrainSTEPS (ORBS)www.brainsteps.net

1.Once referred, we identify students and follow them through graduation.

2. We ensure students are receivingappropriate supports from team members

3. We determine what regions/school districts in PA do not have students being served and conduct focused brain injury awareness trainings in those regions.

Pennsylvania’s BrainSTEPS Program

is Considered a National Model for Brain Injury School Re-Entry!

December 2008,BrainSTEPS won the

Award of Excellence for Programs & Services

from the national Brain Injury Association of America

PA Department of Education Conference 2009

Three hour presentation:• Brain Injury Educational Effects• BrainSTEPS Program• Great for teacher in-services/parents

BrainSTEPS -2010-15 “Next STEPS”

Need : smooth transitioning into post secondary settings for high school students following brain injury

1. Solution: Disability Support Services Professionals will be recruited & trained statewide from post secondary institutions

2. Solution: Trainings will take place at the post secondary level to ensure those working in disability support service roles understand the educational impact of brain injury

If you have a student who continues to have CONCUSSION symptoms

4 weeks after injury,

a referral to BrainSTEPS is necessary.

The BrainSTEPS team will support that student’s

teachers!

How to Make A Referral

1. Visit www.brainsteps.net

2. Click on “MAKE A REFERRAL”3. Find the correct county student resides in4. Call/email the BrainSTEPS team leader with

your student referral6. The team will then work with the school &

family

What Can You Do?

Ensure that EVERY child diagnosed with an

ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY who is experiencing

educational effects is referred to theBrainSTEPS Team in your region.

Ensure thatEVERYchild diagnosed witha mild (concussion),moderate, or severeBRAIN INJURY isreferred to theBrainSTEPS Teamin their region.

Available at www.brainsteps.net

Best Practices for Implementing BrainSTEPS ProgramCreated in Partnership with PA Dept of Education, BSE

For More Information on the

BrainSTEPS ProgramContact:

Brenda Eagan Brown, M.S.Ed., CBISBrainSTEPS Program CoordinatorBrain Injury School Re-Entry ProgramBrain Injury Association of PennsylvaniaPhone: 724-944-6542Email: eaganbrown@biapa.orgwww.brainsteps.net

For More Information on the BrainSTEPS Program

Jennifer Hertwig, Team Co-Leaderjhertwig@dciu.org

Sheree Parkinson, Team Co-Leader

sparkinson@dciu.orgSue Lucas, Occupational

Therapist slucas@dciu.org

Mary Lazar, Neuropsychologist

mflazar@yahoo.comJane Bunting, Physical

Therapist jbunting@dciu.org

Kate Mehlem, Speech Language Pathologist kmehlem@dciu.org

Stephanie Cozzi, School Psychologist

scozzi@dciu.orgPaul Kurland, Behavior

Specialistpkurland@dciu.org

Stacey Ciarrocchi, Behavior Specialist

sciarrocchi@dciu.orgKaren Brandon, Parent

Member

Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania

1-866-635-7097Toll Free Brain Injury Resource Line

www.biapa.org