T7: State-of-the-Science Conference on Community Integration for Persons with TBI
Description of the Conference:
This state of the science conference addressed several key areas of the Center's mission, which are outlined here:
- That all those affected by Traumatic Brain Injury, including traditionally under-served populations, have access to information, resources, and services that maximize participation in their communities and that treating professionals have the necessary information to meet the needs of persons with TBI
- That all areas of community integration, including traditionally under-emphasized areas such as friendship, intimacy, and creative expression, be addressed
- That attitudinal barriers to community integration of persons with TBI be reduced
- That new types of partnerships, such as those with the larger disability community, be established in order to empower persons with TBI to have a voice in creating community services and networks to facilitate maximal community participation.
The conference discussed core areas of community integration that have been the focus of much research and intervention attempts such as facilitating employment and educational outcomes. The conference also focused on many other topics that have received relatively less attention, but are considered to be important to a sense of belonging to a community. Topics such as parenting, intimacy, spirituality, friendships, and finding meaning in life are just a few of those understudied areas.
Since many of these topics have not been well-addressed in the TBI literature, the goal of the conference was to pair experts in TBI with experts on these topics from other disability areas to work toward plans for implementing models and solutions for persons with TBI.
In addition to presentations by our expert panels, our goal for this conference was to elicit audience involvement in attempting to generate ways in which various models and programs can be applied to facilitate community integration for those with TBI. Roundtable discussions followed each group of topics, and the audience members were invited to select and join the roundtable with which they wanted to participate.
It is our hope that the results of this conference will help set a research agenda and lead to new knowledge and partnerships that can begin to solve problems in these life areas that are so important for persons with TBI.
