Survivors of TBI Specialized Programs

Survivors of TBI have access to many specialized programs at RIC. The Circle of Caring program is a support and educational program for caregivers and families. The Technology Center provides state of the art equipment for persons experiencing difficulty in the areas of speech, environmental control and/or computer access. The Lester B. Knight Technology Lending Library  is a unique program that allows lending of communication and electronic aids for daily living for those with short-term needs and also offers an opportunity to assess equipment prior to purchase. For patients who require complex positioning, our Seating and Positioning Center provides coordinated assessments through an interdisciplinary group of occupational therapists, physical therapist and rehabilitation engineers. This approach allows customization to meet the most challenging seating and positioning needs. Spasticity assessment and treatment is available including injections or implantable pumps and are handled through coordination with NMH neurosurgery and orthopedic services, as required.

Life-long care is provided by the Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program through the comprehensive services available in our continuum of care. This includes medical, physical, social, neuropsychological, vocational and community services. Much of this success is due to the variety of resources that the TBI program and RIC are able to provide in facilitating reintegration into the workplace and community. Clinics available to meet TBI survivors’ complex needs are available through RIC outpatient centers, these include physiatric, neurologic, orthotic, orthopedic and urologic services. The Primary Care Clinic for the Disabled is designed to provide ongoing primary and preventative care addressing these needs in the context of the unique issues of people with disabilities. Our Women’s Center focuses on health issues for women with disabilities. Neuropsychological services are available in inpatient and outpatient settings. RIC extensive resources also include an adjacent freestanding fitness center designed for people with disabilities and a comprehensive patient-family resource center, which offers free onsite internet access and conference facilities.

RIC has been supporting community reintegration for brain injury survivors through its close affiliation with Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago as well as through its connections within the business community. Access Living is an internationally recognized independent living center that provides community-based, consumer-controlled services and advocacy for persons with disabilities. RIC played an integral role in the formation of Access Living in 1980. An exemplary Vocation Rehabilitation Program provides vocational assessments and training including job coaching, job site evaluations and identification of reasonable worksite accommodations. More than 100 area employers partner with RIC to volunteer their knowledge to help people with TBI find employment. Business team members maintain an ongoing relationship with RIC's vocational rehabilitation staff to facilitate training and employment services for these individuals.

While the focus of the TBI program has been on clinical excellence, RIC has a wealth of research expertise in many areas relevant to TBI research and this expertise is available for collaborative efforts. These include the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research and the Sensory Motor Performance Program a program which has been doing cutting edge research in the areas of motor control and spasticity assessment. RIC also is the recipient of the Model Systems grant through the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research for Spinal Cord injury .

Through these and many other resources our Model System initiatives can be expected to have a beneficial impact on people with TBI, their families and communities, professionals who provide care for people with TBI and the public in general.