DRC Programs
Protection & Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI)
The Arkansas Traumatic Brain Injury Protection & Advocacy Project is a federally funded project authorized by the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 and reauthorization as part of the Children's Health Act of 2000. The Act provides grants to protection and advocacy systems to insure that individuals with TBI and their families have access to:
- Information, referrals and advice
- Individual and family advocacy
- Legal Representation; and
- Support and assistance with self-advocacy
| Anyone who has suffered a crania-cerebral head trauma as an occurrence of injury to the head arising from a blunt or penetrating trauma or from acceleration-deceleration forces that are associated with skull fracture, diagnosed intracranial lesions, decreased level of consciousness, amnesia, or other neurologic or neuropsychologic abnormalities is eligible for PATBI services: . |
Funding is provided from the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Click here to review HRSA information about this program.
The members of the TBI Advisory Council are available here.
New TBI Brochure Available to Download
 The DRC TBI and Returning Military Personnel flyer is now available to download in PDF format. Military personnel that return from service are more likely now to have a brain injury than ever before, and it's important to recognize the symptoms and not be descriminated against because of it. You can download the flyer here.
State Task Force on Traumatic Brain Injury
AUGUST 2008 - The State TBI Implementation Partnership Project/State Health Dept. is bringing in Susan L. Vaughn, Director of Public Policy, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) to speak to the State Task Force on Traumatic Brain Injury (See DRC Calendar of events). The presentation will be on setting up an infrastructure on services planning for individuals impacted by TBI.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
2:00 P. M.
Room 130, State Capitol Building
Little Rock, Arkansas
Ms. Vaughn will also speak with the State Implementation Partnership Project Advisory Board, of which DRC is a member, at: Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, 1616 Brookwood Drive, in the Riverdale area at 9:00 a.m. on the 26th.
TBI Act Signed
On Monday, April 28, 2008, the President signed into law: S. 793, the "Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008", which authorizes appropriations and makes changes to the Department of Health and Human Services programs that provide grants for State programs for: tracking and reporting of brain injuries; and brain injury rehabilitation.
Injury Prevention Center Unveiled
On 4/16/2008 Terrie Root, attorney and prior DRC employee, spoke about her daughter in the unveiling of the new Arkansas Childrens Hospital's (ACH) Injury Prevention Center. DRC, Brain Injury Association of Arkansas, the AR Dept. of Health, ACH and many other groups are working together on traumatic brain injury awareness and prevention and praise this new center.
Free Book to Download
The Rand Corporation has published a book titled Invisible Wounds of War which focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury among returning veterans. A free downloadable copy is available.
New FMLA Leave Rules for Soldiers' Relatives: What Employers Need to Know
On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act, which grant additional leave under the FMLA to employees who have family members in the military. The legislation creates two new categories of FMLA leave:
- Leave During Family Member's Active Duty - Employees who have a spouse, parent, or child who is on or has been called to active duty in the Armed Forces may take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave yearly when they experience a "qualifying exigency."
- Injured Servicemember Family Leave - Employees who are the spouse, parent, child, or next of kin of a servicemember who incurred a serious injury or illness on active duty in the Armed Forces may take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for the injured servicemember in one a 12-month period (in combination with regular FMLA leave).
All employers that are subject to the FMLA's requirements (those with at least 50 employees) need to be aware of the new requirements and how to comply.
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