Resource Discovery: Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

By: Jason Jowers

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and with that comes lots of great resources, specifically for military families. Traumatic brain injuries received during combat affect about 1.7 million military service members and veterans annually, according to the CDC (2020). Also, the possibility of sustaining a TBI is increased for military service members in comparison to their civilian contemporaries. With the increased likelihood or possibility of military service members sustaining a traumatic brain injury, we wanted to share a few resources we have found that can provide help and information during this useful awareness month.

The Disabled American Veterans website at https://www.dav.org/ shares information on what TBI is and how TBI happens in the context of war and veterans. They also share coping skills for veterans and families as well as how to tell if your loved one suffers from TBI. Veterans with service-connected TBIs can get assistance at no cost in filing their claims for VA benefits. Contact your local DAV National Service Office for more information.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) gives background on current TBI research. Their webpage at https://www.ninds.nih.gov includes full treatment information, as well as information about patient organizations and related research publications.

Patient organizations include:

• Brain Injury Association of America, Inc. (TBI Awareness Month campaign).
• Brain Trauma Foundation
• Family Caregiver Alliance/National Center on Caregiving

Additional resources from OneOp on TBI include:

(Blog post) Resource Discovery| The Defense and Veteran Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) and “A Head for the Future”

(Blog post) Taken for Granted: The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury on Sense of Identity and Family Relationships

(Blog post) Deep Impact: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the Family

(Webinar) Gray Matters: Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury’s Impact on Families