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Brain Injury Association of ConnecticutAnnual ReportJuly 1, 2007- June 30, 2008
Chief Executive Officer Julie Peters, Executive Director Current Board of Directors Paul Slager, Esq., President Dr. John Stanwood, Vice President Mark Powers, Secretary David Bush, Treasurer Lillian Kosberg Dr. Thomas Miller Philip Nemphos Diana Orozco Dr. Michelle Brisman Sharon Pope, Esq. James Healey, Jr. Richard Shechtman, Esq, Amy Sills Gerald Wilson
Organizational Development • Six new members joined the Board of Directors during the past year. The new members include a neuropsychologist, physiatrist, certified public accountant, paralegal, community volunteer, and an institutional broker who has a family member with a brain injury. • The Executive Director (ED) and staff attended 51 conferences, workshops or trainings on topics including, but not limited to a four-month Trinity College Director Training Program (Special Events Coordinator); Treating the Medically Fragile Child; Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy; Life Transitions for Youth with ABI; TBI Outcomes: Implications for Returning Military Personnel; Freedom of Information Act Training; Parents with Cognitive Limitations Training; Special Needs Transitioning From High School to College; Living with Stroke; Overview of the ADA; Special Education Law; Unidentified TBI: The Importance of Screening; Ethics in TBI; Microsoft Outlook training; Connecticut Association of Nonprofits Annual Conference and Fund Development/ Marketing meetings; and the BIAA National Leadership Meeting. • BIAC’s website has been updated continuously with photos and new information. • A DVD was written and created by Nancy Wuennemann for BIAC. This DVD is now used to introduce many different audiences to BIAC. • BIAC hired former Board member Judy Henderson to serve as a writer/designer for the website, publications, press releases and other written materials. • With the continued resources of a Financial Management Grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, BIAC worked with Binnacle Consulting, in providing training as we moved to a new accounting system. They also helped develop a comprehensive financial policies and procedures manual. • The audit performed on 2006/2007 financial statements indicated total net assets increased by $128,831 to $798,008 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007. • And BIAC received $225,000 provided through a grant from DSS from the Brain Injury speeding and DUI assessment funds. Fund Development • In July, the Tyler Cooper Foundation raised $75,000 at its Golf Classic and SummerFest to benefit BIAC. • For the fifth straight year, the Annual Golf Tournament set a new fundraising record, bringing in over $120,000 in total revenue, and over $80,000 in profit for the tournament. •Community Health Charities of New England (CHC) continued to be a major contributor to BIAC, with over $55,000 raised from employee campaigns throughout the United States. The Executive Director served as a UW campaign speaker for CHC. • The third Annual Walk For Thought was held in October 2007 raised over $62,000 in total revenue, and over $51,000 in profit. • Together with the Hoffman Auto Group, BIAC launched the Drive for Action campaign with a press conference at the Legislative Office Building in March. Assisted by the help of Hoffman Auto Group’s public relations’ firm, BIAC invited legislators and the press to learn about the gaps in services and supports for people with brain injuries in CT. Hoffman Auto Group donated $13,725 to BIAC — $25 for every car sold during the month of March. • ED and Fund Development Director (FDD) met with Senior VP at Mt Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital regarding future partnerships. Legislative Advocacy • BIAC hosted a Legislative reception after the press conference for over 30 legislators and their aides. ED testified in support of more funding for the ABI Waiver program and provided written testimony in favor of other legislation, including teen driver and fall prevention programs. • Staff attended the Disability Rally at the Capitol in support of adding additional slots to the PCA Waiver. There are currently 100 people on the waiting list. Resource Facilitation • Advocates responded to over 4100 calls and emails over the year, a 15% increase over last year. Advocates have close ties with both state and federal VA staff members for connecting family members to appropriate services. Advocacy Director (AD) has been heavily involved with both individual and systems advocacy with the Armory (National Guard) in CT. • Staff provided an in-service to Yale hospital staff that work with patients with brain injuries and their families, She returned to continue discussion on how BIAC could collaborate with Yale staff, as well as providing another in-service specifically for Yale’s discharge planners and social workers. Plans are underway for a support group for parents of children with brain injuries to be held at the hospital. • BIAC hosts and staffs a meeting of professionals who provide brain injury services. These bi-monthly meetings are held at BIAC for members of our “Providers Council”. Usually, the director of the ABI Waiver program attends. It gives members the opportunity to network, learn from each other, and, advocate on behalf of providers, when appropriate. • AD attended a meeting with Assistant Regional Director of DDS (formerly DMR) to discuss challenges and solutions associated with brain injury survivors being served on the DMR Waiver. AD provided trainings to DDS supervisors throughout the year on brain injury. Advocacy director participates in team meetings on an as-needed basis. • Staff is heavily involved in working with DSS, because DSS administers the ABI Waiver. Advocates meet quarterly with the Director of the Waiver program to report questions and concerns. • ED and AD met with the Directors of the Centers for Independent Living and the President of the CT State Independent Living Council to begin to develop a better understanding of what our respective organizations do and don’t do. It was decided to set up regular meetings rotating meeting at the various sites throughout the state. • AD was a panelist at the Independent School Health Association Annual Conference on Concussion & Sudden Death: Coping With Two Crises, co-presented with Chris Nowinski and Dr. Cantu (panelists). • AD met with Director of Information and Acting VP of 211. • One staff member serves as an advocate at PPT meetings as needed throughout the state. Community Outreach • The Community Educator position was vacant for much of the year. When staffed, over 1400 people attended school and community presentations. • Staff provided in-service training for the advocates of the 18 Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) programs in the state. This is an important step because we learned on February 26th while doing an in-service for staff at the Umbrella Domestic Violence Program in Ansonia that there was little to no understanding of brain injury within the DV Association. So little, that they don’t even include a question to assess brain injury on their intake forms. Staff met with staff members at the CCADV. A follow-up meeting was established to begin working with CCADV staff to create questions regarding BI to be part of the intake process in the state’s 18 domestic violence programs. Staff attended annual DV Conference and made further relationships through the conference. • Staff has monthly meetings with the Director of Health Services for DOC. BIAC staff has provided training to corrections staff on TBI. AD attended federal court for two court proceedings to provide information to a judge regarding brain injury and information relating to a survivor that BIAC staff has been working with for over a year. AD will continue to advocate for survivor and his family. AD met with the Assistant Professor at the Center for Correctional Mental Health Services Research regarding a research project being conducted within DOC. AD attended a hearing at the Federal Courthouse in Bridgeport on as an advocate for inmate with a brain injury. AD served as an advocate in a meeting @ Walker Correctional Facility in Suffield for inmate with brain injury. A spring 2009 conference for DOC staff is planned. • CE Director did a presentation on March 27th for the Department of Public Health Injury Prevention Work Group – a group of professionals from state agencies and other non-profits. ED and Community Educator serve on the workgroup and helped write the state plan for injury prevention. • AD attended the National Service Inclusion Advisory Team Meeting in Hartford. Other • BIAC currently hosts 25 support groups throughout the state. Eight new support groups were formed in 07/08, include three support groups for veterans, two for ABI/stroke survivors, and two for caregivers. • The John Clark, Sr. Memorial Picnic was held and heavily attended on August 12th at Wickham Park in Manchester. Somers Congregational Church donated the food. • Executive Director, AD and Support Group Coordinator all serve on the HRSA Grant-funded TBI Advisory Council, which is run by the Dept of Social Services. Meetings are held quarterly. • ED, Advocacy Director (AD), and FDD met with VP of Business Development & Community Relations at Hartford Hospital to talk about ways to partner. • An advocate serves on the Parents With Cognitive Limitations Committee and helped plan a statewide conference for agency directors. • ED serves on the Money Follows the Person Committee for a newly approved Medicare/Medicaid program for CT. A Community Advocate also serves as an alternate providing valuable input to the committee. • AD serves as a board member on the Connecticut Disability Advocacy Collaborative (CDAC), a collaborative of disability organizations and individuals that meets every month. • The ED serves on the Connecticut Health Advocacy Collaborative (CHAC), a voluntary group of health-related nonprofits who get together around legislative issues. • NBC 30 aired BIAC commercials which dovetailed with the Health and Wellness Expo on October 20 & 21, 2007. • ConnTribute magazine debuted in April as a donor-focused publication. • Two editions of Making Strides magazine were published during 2007-2008, thanks to the law firms of Koskoff, Koskoff & Beider (www.koskoff.com) and Silver Golub & Teitell (www.sgtlaw.com). • The ED serves on the national BIAA Affiliation Review Committee and began in 07/08 and will continue in 08/09 to review BIAA affiliates to determine eligibility for continued affiliation with BIAA.
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