Mission of the Center
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Developing Strategies to Foster Community Integration and Participation (CIP) for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) was awarded to researchers at TIRR Memorial Hermann and Baylor College of Medicine by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) on October 1, 2009.
This RRTC conducts three research projects and five training projects, providing a comprehensive approach to improving participation in all areas of community integration for all persons with Traumatic Brain Injury, including minorities.
- Research Project 1 is a randomized controlled trial of a community-based contextualized intervention to improve memory and memory-related participation activities. This trial compares the effectiveness of a contextualized memory intervention provided in the participant's home to standard instruction in use of a memory notebook for improving functional memory and community participation.
- Research Project 2 is a randomized controlled trial of an extended case coordination service to maximize access to and benefit from state vocational rehabilitation services. This trial compares employment outcomes for persons receiving a case coordination intervention to those only receiving a referral for state vocational rehabilitation services.
- Research Project 3 develops a comprehensive list of symptoms of TBI and, based on this list, creates a classification system for persons with TBI utilizing symptoms, and barriers and facilitators for community integration. This system deploys an innovative, user-friendly, web-based application. Training and technical assistance activities facilitate the widespread dissemination of educational materials on evidence-based strategies for improving function and participation after TBI.
Training projects focus on increasing capacity for social networking and on providing education to persons with TBI, caregivers, and treating clinicians, in order to maximize community participation. Training is also conducted in use of the classification system to assist researchers and clinicians in allocating persons with TBI to appropriate treatments. Technical assistance activities are also conducted to improve implementation of training activities and to maximize resulting community integration.
