2018 BIAMI Impact Report

2018 BIAMI Impact Report

IMPACT STATEMENT 2 0 1 8

Cover artwork created by Cheryl Jackson, brain injury survivor

WE ALL GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

Our 2018 strategic planning process, approved by the Board in January of last year, made explicit what the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) has always held implicitly: It’s all about survivors. To that end, our staff and the Association’s members have focused single-mindedly on that objective, and it’s my privilege in this Impact Statement to highlight what we’ve done, and what we’ve achieved, in each of the six pillars of our mission: advocacy, awareness, education, prevention, research, and support.

What’s remarkable about this past year is that while in the midst of advocating to preserve the Auto No-Fault (ANF) system of care, the BIAMI was able to achieve more than ever before in terms of survivor impact in every single area of operations. While that’s indeed a credit to our staff, members, and supporters, we have no intention of resting on our laurels. Whatever challenges arise throughout 2019, new or old, we’ll be redoubling our efforts – and will continue to do so as long as survivors and their families need our support. I invite you to learn more in the following pages about what the BIAMI does and the impact we have. And I invite you, as well, to join us and lend your support to our mission of reducing the incidence and impact of brain injury however you may prefer – as a volunteer, a member, a sponsor, or a donor.

Thomas J. Constand President and CEO Brain Injury Association of Michigan

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DAY One of the truly extraordinary examples of BIAMI’s impact in 2018 was Civic Engagement Day. Held on March 22 in Lansing, the event was designed to teach attendees the “who, what, where, when, how and why” of advocacy — with the objectives of not just developing more knowledgeable and informed citizens, but encouraging and increasing self- advocacy among the survivor community. Attendees included survivors, their families, and caregivers, but the event was also open to professionals interested in becoming more effective advocates for themselves and those they serve. In addition to a presentation on civic engagement, attendees had the opportunity to meet legislators who sit on health- and disability-related committees, and to observe a committee meeting. In itself a remarkable achievement, what made Civic Engagement Day extraordinary is the fact that more than 250 individuals attended, representing 30 different disability and/or health-related organizations. Among the groups present for this event were the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, the Michigan Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Disability Network, the Disability Rights Coalition, the Developmental Disabilities Council, Susan G. Komen, Michigan Paralyzed Veterans, The Arthritis Foundation, and the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Planned and led by BIAMI Vice President Nichole Shotwell, Civic Engagement Day demonstrated our commitment to and leadership in Michigan’s survivor and disability forward in giving voice to the voiceless.

CAPITOL DAY Advocating for the rights of survivors and families has been, is, and will continue to be a priority for the BIAMI. During Capitol Day , for example, the BIAMI brought together representatives of the survivor and provider communities to meet directly with key Michigan legislators in their Lansing offices. While the BIAMI employs many strategies to educate and inform our state representatives about the needs of survivors, nothing is as effective as direct personal engagement. Additionally, our joint discussions with legislators have further sparked interest in increasing penalties for distracted driving, a growing cause of death and catastrophic injury. AUTO NO FAULT A significant portion of our efforts in 2018 were focused on the legislative battle to help lower Michigan’s auto insurancepremiumswhilepreserving its Auto No-Fault (ANF) system of care. We once again faced widespread opposition in the form of an extraordinary multi-front campaign funded by insurers, but supported by a number of private and public sector groups.Whether aggressively postured in the media or spoken only behind closed doors, the overarching goal of the opposition was the complete elimination of No-Fault. And with that, the willingness to return to a costly and unwieldy tort system, and a staggering lack of concern for current and future catastrophic accident survivors and their families who would be faced with an uncertain future.While a last-minute attempt to overturn no-fault was silenced during lame duck session, we knew that efforts would begin again in 2019 and worked in concert with our CPAN coalition member organizations to prepare for the battle ahead.

ADVOCACY GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS

In May 2018, advocates met with their legislators on the topics of Auto No Fault and distracted driving.

2 | 2018 Impact Statement

Unmasking brain injury 2.0 The key to reducing the incidence and impact of brain injury lies, first, in making the public aware of the prevalence and potentially severe effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI). An equally important goal is informing the public, particularly key target audiences such as healthcare professionals, coaches, and school administrators, on TBI prevention strategies and tactics. While it’s unfortunate that TBI is so little known, especially compared to less common diseases and medical conditions, BIAMI has taken aggressive steps to bring brain injury to the forefront. In 2017, we initiated “Unmasking Brain Injury,” a colloborative program with Hinds Feet Farms and the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina through which often voiceless survivors are encouraged to decorate paper mache masks to express their perceptions and feelings about their injury. (To see some of the masks created, see inside cover.) The masks are then publicly displayed along with brief stories about their creators. In 2018, we developed “Unmasking Brain Injury 2.0,” in which 12 videos exploring survivor stories “behind the mask” were debuted at the BIAMI Fall Conference and in the Capitol Rotunda in March and October. community outreach Although “Unmasking Brain Injury 2.0” is impactful in bringing the physical and emotional toll of brain injury topublic consciousness,this programrepresents onlya small portionof ourawareness activities. Virtually the entire month of October is focused on awareness issues throughout the state, including lectures, presentations, film screenings, panel discussions, and more.

AWARENESS & PREVENTION BRINGING THE REALITY OF BRAIN INJURY TO THE PUBLIC

LIDS FOR KIDS

We are very proud of our long- term partnership with the Sinas Dramis Law Firm in supporting the “Lids for Kids” bike helmet giveaway

Area students had the opportunity to view BIAMI’s “Unmasking Brain Injury”display during a field trip to the Capitol.

programs and riding safety awareness efforts by the media. At the annual events held in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Traverse City, BIAMI provides free toddler and kid bikes as giveaways, donates approximately 5oo helmets at each 2-hour events and provides volunteers to staff our booth and help fit the helmets. To date, more than 10,000 bike helmets have been given to children of all ages through this worthwhile program.

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EDUCATION REACHING OUT TO SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS AND PROVIDERS

Conferences, focused programs and speaking engagements are just a few of the ways BIAMI helps to educate its constituents – from survivors and their families to diverse members of our provider community. FALL CONFERENCE The Annual Fall Conference, a 2-day event in Lansing, is our major educational showcase featuring nationally-known keynote speakers and scores of expert- led continuing education-accredited breakout sessions on topics of interest to attendees. In additional, the conference provides exhibition opportunities for a record 150 vendors in 2018, as well as networking, dining, and social opportunities for both survivor participants and members of the provider community. Last year, in partnership with the Michigan Disability Support Alliance (MI-DSA), our Fall Conference included a highly successful session for survivors on voting rights for people with disabilities. QUALITY OF LIFE CONFERENCE The Quality of Life Conference provides education and information of interest to survivors, families, and caregivers – ranging from stress management to post-TBI sexuality to a presentation from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office on dealing with phone and email scams. 148 survivors and professionals attended the 2018 event. LEGAL CONFERENCE The Legal Conference is a one-day event, primarily for attorneys, case managers, and related providers, that explores the complex legal issues affecting brain injury survivors and families. Last year’s intensive sessions were attended by 207 professionals.

4 | 2018 Impact Statement

The Brain Injury Association of Michigan participates in two major research centers – the Southeastern Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury System and the Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. BIAMI President and CEO Tom Constand serves on the Boards of both Centers, of which there are only 16 in the U.S. The Southeastern Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury System (SEMTBIS) is a program of research that studies a variety of topics related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since 1987, SEMTBIS studies TBI treatment, recovery, and health outcomes and in 2017, the Center received a 5-year, $2.3 million government research grant to advance its longitudinal studies. According to Robin Hanks, Ph.D., SEMTBIS project director and chief of Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology at RIM and WSU professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, “This research grant will give us an opportunity to continue our longitudinal research on the recovery from traumatic brain injury, and also allow us to conduct research on optimizing outcomes in those who care for persons with traumatic brain injury.” Day-to-day research activities are conducted at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM), but the project has strong ties with Wayne State University and the larger hospital network of the Detroit Medical Center. Research findings are shared with TBI survivors, families, caregivers, and health care professionals locally, nationally, and internationally. Recent projects include: Safety and Feasibility of Minocycline in the Treatment of TBI Utility of MRI Techniques in Prediction of TBI Outcome Development and Assessment of Crosswalks in the TBIMS >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

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