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In Brief
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Call for Abstracts for Best Practices Day conference
- Have you been involved in initiatives that improved patient care, system flow, or service delivery?
- Have you developed programs, tools, or partnerships that your peers in rehab could learn from?
- Do your research findings help rehab professionals make better decisions about system planning, service delivery, or patient care?
Share the creative ways in which you are working to help patients maximize their outcomes and keep our healthcare system running smoothly by submitting an abstract for Best Practices Day 2010.
The GTA Rehab Network ~ along with its planning partners in Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay ~ invite rehabilitation researchers, clinicians, policy and management professionals and students to share best practices, research and innovation through the Call for Abstracts for Best Practices Day 2010.
On March 1, 2010, the GTA Rehab Network's 10th annual Best Practices Day will focus on the role of inquiry, innovation and integration for both the system and the patient journey through the rehabilitation process.
Authors are invited to submit abstracts for either poster or podium presentations. All rehabilitation-related abstracts will be considered. The deadline for submissions is November 16, 2009.
Find out more about Best Practices Day 2010 and how you can submit an abstract for this event.
Planning underway for Network's 2010 conference
Planning is well underway for the next Toronto ABI Network Conference which will be held in the fall of 2010. Members of the conference planning committee have been meeting since July to plan and organize the event. The details are still being worked out but we are almost ready to make an announcement on the date, location and program. Make sure you receive information about this event by adding your email to our ABI Events List.
Resources available following forum on ABI and homelessness
The Toronto ABI Network partnered with COTA Health and the City of Toronto, Homelessness Partnership Initiatives to put together a workshop aimed at increasing the awareness of brain injuries in those working with the homeless population.
Based on the published study by Dr. Stephen Hwang citing the prevalence of brain injury in the homeless population, Dr. Carolyn Lemsky of Community Head Injury Resource Services and ABI case managers from COTA Health led the session which was designed to assist in identifying brain injuries in their clients, understand its impact and enhance their ability to support this unique population.
The workshop was video recorded. You may view workshop presentations online on the Toronto ABI Network website or you may purchase a DVD of the presentations for later viewing offline.
Brain Matters conference focusing on TBI and mental health
St. Michael's Hospital Mental Health Service is hosting an upcoming conference about traumatic brain injury and mental health. The conference, called "Brain Matters: Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health ~ Overview, Impact and Management" will be held at the 89 Chestnut Street Conference Centre in Toronto on January 25, 2010.
Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Silver will give the keynote address, providing an overview of traumatic brain injury and its impact on patients and families. A panel presentation will follow which will explore the family and patient impact of mental health issues after TBI. Panelists will include Dr. Silver, Dr. Shree Bhalerao, Theresa Cook, Dr. Carolyn Lemsky and Dr. Chanth Seyone.
For more information, download the event flyer from our website: www.abinetwork.ca/downloads/flyer-brainmatters2010.pdf
Successful workshop provided strategies for brain injury family intervention
In October 2009, the Toronto ABI Network hosted the second two-day workshop of the Brain Injury Family Intervention (BIFI) for families of adults affected by ABI and the newly-modified version designed specifically for adolescents ages 13 to 19 years (BIFI-A).
Returning as facilitators were Caron Gan of Bloorview Kids Rehab, and Drs. Jeffrey Kreutzer and Taryn Stejskal of Virginia Commonwealth University. Assisted by Kathy Gravel and Rebecca Swift-Weir this exceptional program introduced to participants practical tools and a structured, manualized protocol for clinicians to use in their own practice.
The first day provided an overview focusing on the impact of brain injuries on families, intervention techniques and theoretical frameworks, how to effectively manage difficult cases and situations, and objectively evaluating change and therapeutic benefits. The second day, participants were divided into two groups to focus on interventions for adults with ABI and adolescents with ABI, respectively, where they were given the opportunity to focus on skill-building, drawing on family discussion, vignettes, role plays and interactive exercises.
For the second time offering this workshop, the event was sold out and very well received. In total, there are now 80 participants who have completed this two day workshop. This session’s participants have expressed a desire to reconvene now as a larger group to have further discussions on how to implement this model of intervention into their practice and to have the opportunity to raise any questions and problem solve around particularly challenging cases.
The Toronto ABI Network in currently reviewing the evaluations forms and will begin planning next steps including the possibilities of hosting another session for new participants and/or a follow-up session with the first two groups of participants.
Workshop about changes to auto insurance legislation sold out
On Thursday, September 10, 2009, Thomson, Rogers hosted an event outlining the proposed changes to the Ontario automobile insurance legislation. Over 250 people attended this one-day conference to learn about how the proposed changes will affect their ability to provide service and support for their patients.
All proceeds from this successful event were donated to the Toronto ABI Network. In turn, the Toronto ABI Network further donated one half of these proceeds to the Scott Southwell ABI Assistance Fund which provides financial assistance to individuals with an ABI, enabling them to participate more fully and meaningfully in the community and to reach their own personal development goals through education, training, devices, equipment or support services.
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