Across the nation, 1.4 million Americans suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports, and abuse/assault. TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that in Utah, there are 44,000 Utah men and women living with disabilities stemming from severe head injuries. TBI is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of one and forty-four.
Also, a growing number of veterans are coming back from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with head injuries. Advocates estimate roughly two-thirds of the more than 30,000 men and women injured in the war so far have TBI, and it is the signature injury of the war.
TBI is an injury that is not well understood. Depending on the severity, it may go undetected for years, and can be easily misdiagnosed. No two brain injuries are the same even if the injury occurs in the same location of the brain. Individuals who have sustained a brain injury and their family members often find themselves lost in a maze of confusion, not knowing what to expect, where to locate information, and how to obtain professional services that meet their unique needs.
The Cache and Box Elder Traumatic Brain Injury Partnership Programs, part of the Utah TBI Partnership Project at the CPD, hosted the Northern Utah TBI Mental Health Provider Conference in March, 2009. This conference was designed to educate and inform mental health providers, individuals who have sustained a brain injury, family members, community members, or other individuals having an interest in learning more about brain injury.
Four sessions were offered on the following topics: TBI Mental Health Provider Foundational Training, Functional TBI Assessments for People with Brain Injury, TBI Mental Health Provider Tools and Treatment Options, and Pharmacology and TBI for Mental Health Providers.
TBI resources and information are available on several excellent websites. A listing of these websites are available on the CPD website. For more information, please contact Sue Dubois at (435)797-8810.
