Webinars

The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey offers comprehensive webinars on a variety of topics designed to provide you with valuable information, strategies and resources that can assist you. All webinars are free and open to the public.

If there is a webinar that you are unable to attend, you will be able to view the presentation within two weeks of the live broadcast. Click here to visit the Webinar Archive.

Upcoming – Domestic Violence and the Role of the Healthcare Provider: Assessment and Intervention Strategies

Wednesday, August 28, 2019
11:00 AM
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Presented by: Elaine Hewins, CSW, DVS, Program Coordinator, Domestic Violence Education and Awareness, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health

Elaine Hewins, CSW, is a NJ Domestic Violence Specialist with 30 years of experience in the field of domestic violence.

At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, she coordinates and presents programs to address DV, such as “Domestic Violence & the Role of the Healthcare Provider: Assessment and Intervention Strategies” seminars for healthcare providers, which has educated over 2,500 providers in three states. Elaine has co-authored a White Paper on this topic, and presented at the 2015 and 2017 National Conferences on Health & Domestic Violence. In 2016, Elaine and the RWJUH Domestic Violence Education & Awareness Program implemented the NO MÁS Violencia Initiative to address DV/SV in Latino communities. Since 2016, the program’s focus has also been working with youth on teen dating violence prevention.

Topics include:

– Domestic violence background: National and New Jersey facts
– Domestic violence dynamics
– Impacts on healthcare and health effects for survivors
– Identification indicators/screen strategies
– Resources and referral information

Upcoming – Exploring Executive Dysfunction in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Monday, September 23, 2019
12:00PM
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Presented by: Hilary Murphy, PhD, Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health
Hilary Murphy Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and formally trained pediatric neuropsychologist with a specialization in the assessment of neurodevelopmental and neuro-medical disorders. In addition, she is a NJ certified school psychologist and her training provides her with expertise in collaborating with educators and families to develop comprehensive educational and treatment programs. Her areas of expertise include Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specific learning disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), concussion, epilepsy, stroke, and developmental disabilities.

Executive functioning encompasses a myriad of higher order cognitive skills required for goal-directed activity. This network of abilities is frequently disrupted by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), resulting in deficits in adaptive, academic, and social domains. This workshop will focus on identifying individual facets of executive functioning as well as how these deficits may manifest in daily life. In addition, appropriate assessment techniques and available treatment protocols will be reviewed.

Topics to be Discussed:

Impact of TBI on cognitive functions in pediatric populations with an emphasis on attention and executive control.
Discussing the skills encompassed by the term “executive functioning” as well as the contribution these abilities have on all areas of life.
Reviewing strategies for managing these deficits socially and academically.

Persuasion: A Cornerstone to Effective Advocacy

Thursday, June 6, 2019
11:00 AM

Presented by: Tom Grady, MPA, DTM, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey

Participants will learn to define persuasive messaging, to know where and when persuasion can and should be used, and how to structure a persuasive message.

Mr. Grady currently serves as Director of Advocacy & Public Affairs for the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and has done so since October 2002. The mission of the Alliance is to support and advocate for individuals affected by brain injury and raise public awareness through education and prevention.

One of his roles as Director is to serve as staff liaison to the Council for the Head Injured Community, one of the Alliance’s advocacy committees whose mission to champion and publicize the advocacy, rights, and needs of people who have survived a brain injury. In this capacity, Tom assists with preparing and implementing Council meetings plus address follow-up activities. He assists with defining the needs of the council; providing counsel on how to advocate; implementing the group’s signature event at the Alliance’s annual seminar, Mike-at-the-Mike; defining independent activities for members; and raising awareness of the Council through social events and other activities.

Additional roles as Director include being chair of the Alliance’s Advocacy & Public Affairs Committee and of the United States Brain Injury Alliance’s Public Policy Committee. He is also a member of the Kessler Foundation’s Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System advisory board. He previously served on Moss Rehabilitation’s TBIMS advisory board from 2012-2014.

Learning Travel Skills to Lead to Independent Mobility in the Community

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Presented by: Melody Bundy, Research Coordinator, New Jersey Travel Independence Program, Rutgers University & Louis Hoffman, Research Coordinator, New Jersey Travel Independence Program, Rutgers University

Melody Bundy and Louis Hoffman are co-program managers with a collective over 20 years of experience in travel training. Most of their research initiatives target improving access to transportation for disadvantaged populations, including people with disabilities and older adults. Recent examples of their transportation-equity focused projects include a pilot project funded by the Henry H. Kessler Foundation, Travel Instruction and Traumatic Brain Injury. The project focused on the development and refining of a comprehensive public transportation orientation that included small group and one-on-one travel instruction to facilitate the employment of NJ adults living with traumatic brain injury. Most of Ms. Bundy’s work includes training individuals to use public transportation to become independent travelers. She has experience as a trainer with community organizations and high school transition students, and her professional strengths focus on program/curriculum development and implementation. She received her Master of Public Administration degree in Non-Profit Management from Capella University and Bachelor degree in Economics from Seton Hall University. Mr. Hoffman currently manages multiple projects including a new multi-county mobility management program and leads targeted projects with schools and human service agencies. Throughout his tenure, he has created customized local guides using public transit. Mr. Hoffman is a graduate of the School of Social Work at Rutgers University with a concentration in Nonprofit and Public Management as well as an area of emphasis in aging. He was a recipient of a 2012-13 Fellowship in Aging.

Course Objectives:

– Planning trips–schedules, maps, help over the phone and online
– Accessible features on NJ Transit buses, trains and light rail vehicles
– Reduced fares for older riders and people with disabilities
– Benefits of training through NJTIP at Rutgers University
– Additional transportation resources and local transit options

NJTIP tech sheet and Trans Alternatives

Active Recovery of the Post-Concussion Patient

November 15, 2018

Presented by: Diana Toto, MS, Director of Sports Medicine and Business Development, Saint Barnabas Health, RWJBarnabas Health

Diana has served as Program Director for the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes at RWJBarnabas Health since 2011 and currently supports RWJBarnabas Health as Director of Sports Medicine and Business Development for Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. Diana obtained her Bachelors in Kinesiology at Penn State University and her Masters in Clinical Exercise Science from East Stroudsburg University. Diana has done hundreds of talks on youth safety, concussion, prevention and sports injury management. She has been in charge of updating concussion management policies and protocols for statewide centers under RWJBarnabas Health for the last six years. Today, under Diana’s leadership, the Morahan Center currently manages over 30 schools across the state for varying services ranging from elementary level to NCAA partnerships as well as 7 satellite programs for concussion care. Diana is also an active member of the BIANJ, and was recently published on acute concussion research in the Journal of Sports Health in 2018.

Course objectives:

– Create a better understanding of safe progression vs. regression following brain injury
– Offer tools to keep children and parents engaged and compliant during recovery, leading to better outcomes
– Provide best practice towards use of a cross-disciplinary model for concussion management
– Clarify appropriate, safe parameters for acute improvement through physical exercise and academic reduction

Provider ID P10032. The Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes is recognized by the Board of Certification, Inc. to offer continuing education for Certified Athletic Trainers.

Voice Assistive Technology for People with Brain Injuries

August 22, 2018

Presented by: Kristen Russell, OTR, ATP

Kristen is an Assistive Technology Specialist at Advancing Opportunities with a background as an Occupational Therapist. She is certified by RESNA as an Assistive Technology Professional and provides assistive technology evaluations and trainings to consumers with all types of disabilities through a variety of agencies including the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Traumatic Brain Injury Fund, School Districts, Veteran’s Administration, and Division of Developmental Disabilities. She has extensive experience helping students to achieve greater independence.

Voice assistants (also called smart speakers), such as the Amazon Echo (Alexa) and the Google Home, are newer technologies that have many applications for people with brain injuries. This session will explore many of those ways including using these tools for organization, time management, and daily life. Attendees will be provided with an overview of what voice assistants can do, a review of the most popular versions of home devices available, as well as a list of voice commands that are particularly pertinent for people with brain injuries. This session will be helpful to people considering purchasing a voice assistant or those who are looking to more fully utilize one that they currently own. Professionals will learn practical ways to utilize this type of technology to help increase their client’s independence with everyday tasks by using reminders, timers, and accessing their calendar and lists by voice. Professionals will also be provided with questions to help determine if this technology is appropriate for their clients. If time allows, a brief overview of other newer assistive technologies that are applicable to people with brain injuries will be provided.

Resources:

Google Home Commands Amazon Alexa Command Cheat Sheet

Loss, Grief and Brain Injury

June 13, 2018

Presented by: Connie Palmer, LCSW

Connie Palmer is a licensed clinical social worker who is an experienced teacher, therapist and school counselor with more than thirty years of experience working with youth and their families. She is currently the Clinical Training Director for Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss in Westfield, NJ. She presents seminars on various topics such as: grief and loss, resilience, shame, parenting, anti-bullying, depression and anxiety.

Webinar objectives:

– Normalize the impact of grief after brain injury
– Explore the losses experienced by the person with a brain injury
– Explore the losses experienced by caregivers, friends and family members of the person with a brain injury
– Describe how shame blocks the ability to mourn the losses associated with brain injury
– Describe the Companioning Model of grief support