Advocacy

CBIRT is the lead agency for Oregon’s TBI State Partnership Grant (2021-2026) —a cooperative agreement under the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Partnership Program. This program is funded under the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-196)

The goal of the grant program is to create and strengthen a system of services and supports that maximizes the independence, well-being, and health of people with traumatic brain injuries across the lifespan, their family members, and their support networks.

As described in the 2021-2026 Brain Injury in Oregon State Plan, CBIRT will work towards this goal by:

Illustrating the need for brain injury resource navigation
Educating and training service providers about brain injury
Supporting brain injury screening and accommodations programs
Increasing access to brain injury resource navigators statewide

The Oregon Brain Injury Council advises Oregon’s Administration for Community Living Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program.

The Oregon Brain Injury Council Charter

The Oregon Brain Injury Council is currently recruiting people living with brain injury and their family members to serve on the council.

Recruitment Process

Current Oregon Brain Injury Council Members

Dave Boyer – Disability Rights Oregon
Cheryl Green – Filmmaker; Person with lived experience of brain injury
Kent Gross – Independent Living Specialist; Lane Independent Living Alliance/Center for Independent Living; Person with lived experience of brain injury
Richard Harris – Former Director of Oregon’s Dept. of Addictions and Mental Health & Executive Director of Central City Concern
Cmdr. Napoleon Hodgers – Executive Director, National Association of Black Veterans, Portland Chapter; Person with lived experience of brain injury
Laura Linda Negri Pool – Early Childhood Educator and Trainer; Person with lived experience of brain injury
Kathryn Nunley – Oregon Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities
Fred Steele – Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Sherry Stock, ED, MS, CBIST – Executive Director, Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon; Person with lived experience of brain injury
Sheila Thomas – Executive Director, Lane Independent Living Alliance, Center for Independent Living; Vice President, Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living
Fern Wilgus – Vice President, Brain Injury Connections Northwest; Veteran; Advocate; Person with lived experience of brain injury

We hope to be inclusive every time we review our goals and actions for serving all Brain Injury communities.
We strive to acknowledge our own biases, understand systems of oppression, and clarify how our decisions may influence the underserved populations we try to reach.
We will work to consider the input of survivors and oppressed groups in every decision we make to improve Oregon’s resources for brain injury prevention and treatment of those with brain injury.

Our board will continue to learn and grow as we advocate. Our focus is on community integration and supporting people to get back to participation in life with accommodations and access to resources.

Read the full Equity Lens here.

Oregon Resources

Governor's Task Force

The purpose of the Governor’s Task Force (GTF) on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
(Executive Order No. 13-02, 2013) was to (1) identify the gaps in Oregon’s public
and private sector system of services for individuals with brain injury; and (2) make
policy recommendations to address those gaps.

Governor's Task Force on Traumatic Brain Injury - Executive Summary
Updated May 2018

Brain Injury

Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon
The mission of the Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, advocacy, education, research, and support.

Brain Injury Connections Northwest
BIC-NW serves the brain injury community in the Portland metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest.

General

Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon: ADRC
Get connected to local information and services for seniors and people with disabilities.

Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living (AOCIL)
The Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living’s (AOCIL) mission is to lead the consumer driven Independent Living Movement by supporting Centers of Independent Living, engaging in systems advocacy, community education, and the development of collaborative partnerships.

Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS)
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is Oregon’s principal agency for helping Oregonians achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Family and School Resources

Family Advocacy Skills Training: A Handbook for Family Advocates

Transition Toolkit for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

General Resources

BrainLine | All About Brain Injury and PTSD
Information and resources about treating and living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD: research-based articles, videos, personal stories, expert Q&A, research updates and more for people living with brain injury, caregivers, family, friends, and professionals.

CDC | Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion
Get the facts, signs and symptoms, response, recovery, prevention and more.

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC)
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) is a part of the U.S. Military Health System. Specifically, DVBIC is the traumatic brain injury (TBI) center of excellence for the Defense Health Agency.

National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury (NRCTBI)
The mission of the National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury (NRCTBI) is to provide relevant, practical information for professionals, persons with brain injury, and family members.

Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems | Sponsored by the Nation Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)
The 16 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems develop resources for people living with traumatic brain injuries and their supporters. These evidence-based materials are available in a variety of platforms such as printable PDF documents, videos, and slideshows.

Current Products

Recorded Webinars