Snellings Law - August 2020

Snellings Law - August 2020

SnellingsInjuryLaw.com 214-387-0387

August 2020

Spotlight on BIND Helping People With Brain Injuries Find a New Lease on Life

a result, they weren’t going to work, attending church, or being involved in their community. In short, they weren’t doing the things they used to enjoy. After suffering a brain injury, a person’s physical health can decline, which is where rehab comes in. But the injury also has an impact onmental health. Many patients simply didn’t have their mental health needs addressed. Valerie wanted to do something about this. She spoke with leaders of other nonprofits and impacted families and decided to fix something that was clearly broken. As she puts it, Valerie spoke with a core group of families —many of whom she had worked with in the past — to help get BIND off the ground. These families became charter members, and BIND started to become a crucial resource for our community and the state as a whole. BIND gives patients who’ve experienced a stroke, a traumatic brain injury, brain cancer, or other brain injuries new opportunities. BIND has programs to help these folks reconnect with work, life, and everything in between. Many of these programs have a ripple effect, too. As patients immerse themselves in BIND’s programming, their spouses, children, parents, and others who may serve as their caretaker have more time to participate in their hobbies or work, as well. It’s a net positive. BIND also provides volunteer services for local government entities, hospitals, and other organizations. They are constantly engaged in the community and always looking to make new connections. In fact, they invite professionals from organizations and businesses to work one on one with their members on various projects and initiatives.

This month, I want to tell you about a great organization called BIND, the Brain Injury Network of Dallas. In fact, I believe in this organization so much that I serve on their board of directors. It’s a clubhouse where people who have suffered from a brain injury can go andmeet with others who have had a similar experience. BIND offers tools, resources, programs, andmuchmore. It’s an incredible resource for our community. BIND was founded by Valerie Gotcher in 2011. Valerie was a speech therapist and worked in medical rehabilitation for 10 years before founding BIND. In the 2000s, there came a tipping point. Valerie was facilitating a hospital- based support group for patients who had suffered brain trauma. She frequently heard from former patients about how much they enjoyed these support groups, which typically met once a month. In fact, Valerie says the patients would remark that the meetings were often the highlight of their month. Valerie was proud of the work she was doing in the support group but was concerned these former patients had little else to fill their calendar. In many cases, they were staying home and weren’t leading productive lives. The support group was helping, but something was missing. They didn’t know how to structure themselves outside of rehab or the group. As

on art pieces. BIND uses art as a therapy tool, and they auction those art pieces off during fundraisers and similar events. They also invite professionals in to help their members hone their interview skills. Valerie says it’s always good to have a fresh face come in to work with BIND members to practice their skills as they look to reenter the workforce. In addition, BIND welcomes donations of all kinds, including cleaning supplies. With the COVID-19 pandemic still looming, BIND is in need of items like paper towels, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes, such as Clorox wipes. They want to ensure a clean environment as they welcome back members on a more regular basis. Here’s a startling fact shared by Valerie: Over 400 Texans receive care for a brain injury every day. But only 5% of those people receive the care they need to reach their maximum recovery potential. While a brain injury can be devastating, there is also hope. With proper care — both physical and mental — and plenty of support along the way, a person suffering from a brain injury can thrive once again. If you would like to learn more about BIND, I encourage you to visit TheBIND.org. There you can learn more about what they do and find more resources to help get involved with this great organization that has done so much for our community.

For example, in the past, they have invited people to collaborate with BIND members

-Scott Snellings

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