Publications

Kessler Foundation publishes annual reports, newsletters, and other informative pieces for consumer and professional audiences. Please see below for our recent publications, including:

Annual Reports
Traumatic Brain Injury Newsletters
Spinal Cord Injury Newsletters
Disability Employment Publications
Special Research Publications
Kessler Foundation's e-Newsletters

For news, visit Kessler Foundation's news page.

Annual Reports:
Kessler Foundation's 2011 Annual Report
Kessler Foundation's 2010 Annual Report
Kessler Foundation's 2009 Annual Report
Kessler Foundation's 2009 Interactive Annual Report (features video clips, a slide show, and audio clips from Kessler Foundation's senior staff and research scientists that highlight Kessler Foundation's research and program developments)

Traumatic Brain Injury Newsletter:
TBI News & Views Spring 2013
TBI News & Views Fall 2012
TBI News & Views Winter 2012
TBI News & Views Summer 2011
TBI News & Views Winter 2010
TBI News & Views Summer 2010

Spinal Cord Injury Newsletter:
SCI Connections Winter 2012

  Special Research Publications (visit each lab page in Kessler Foundation's Research Center for a complete list of publications):
Neurologic Disability: A Hidden Epidemic for India

Kessler Foundation's e-Newsletter:
e-Newsletter Spring 2012
          - Putting Veterans Back to Work
          - Rehabilitation Research Funding Surpasses Record Levels to Improve the Lives of People with Disabilities
          - Disability Employment Supported by Kessler Foundation with $2.17 Million in Grants
e-Newsletter Winter 2012
e-Newsletter Fall 2012
e-Newsletter Special Edition: ADA Anniversary - Summer 2012
e-Newsletter Spring 2012
e-Newsletter Winter 2011
e-Newsletter Fall 2011
e-Newsletter Summer 2011

Putting Veterans Back to Work

Like many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, Sergeant John Irwin faced challenges upon returning to civilian life. His transition was complicated by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), disabling conditions that affect one third of recent veterans. He received help from Project Connect, a veterans employment program. Kessler Foundation's grant funding for this program targets veterans with disabilities. SGT. Irwin is one of 55 veterans with disabilities to be placed through Project Connect. 

Back in the workplace, he gained experience for his dream job—helping other veterans. Today, this decorated soldier is the Veterans Field Representative for Congressman Pallone's (D-6) office, where he informs veterans of their benefits, directs them to resources, and ensures their needs are met.

SGT. Irwin, an infantry squad leader from Toms River, NJ, spent 8 years in the US Army. During his tour in Afghanistan, he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with “V” (Valor) device. During his tour in Iraq, he sustained a brain injury, which earned him a Purple Heart. He returned home in 2005 after a final tour in Afghanistan.

A big part of adjusting to civilian life was overcoming obstacles to finding employment. From his wife, daughter, and two sons, he gained the motivation he needed to find a way to provide for his family. Project Connect provided the opportunity.

In 2010, Kessler Foundation awarded a $450,000 Signature Employment Grant to launch Project Connect, a collaborative effort of Jewish Employment and Vocational Service (JEVS), Jewish Vocational Services, Tip of the Arrow Foundation--a volunteer organization staffed mostly by veterans--and the Garden State Council-SHRM. Through Project Connect, veterans undergo a rigorous vocational assessment to determine their skills and interests. Career counselors may recommend skills training or an internship. Lastly, Project Connect makes connections between veterans and employers who have employment opportunities that closely align with each individual’s abilities and interests.

For SGT. Irwin, Project Connect helped him land a job with PRIDE Industries at Joint Base-McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst. Project Connect assisted with interview preparation, discussing potential questions and coaching him on how to keep his answers concise—a common struggle for individuals with brain injury. Hired as service order dispatcher, he successfully applied skills learned in the military. Soon, he was promoted to training instructor, where he trained and provided ongoing support for employees with disabilities.

“Once I started working again, my emotions and self image changed,” he declared. “I came to the realization that we all have it in us to overcome our obstacles.”

As Jamie Kelly, director of employment services at JEVS, explained, “Veterans need to know that the skills and vocational experiences they acquired in the military are valued in civilian life and will enable them to provide for their families,” said Kelly. “Our program not only connects them to jobs, it connects them to other people who value the contributions they’ve made. As a result, quality of life improves for individuals who use the program’s services and become successful in employment.” With his experience, SGT. Irwin was the perfect candidate for his current position with Rep. Pallone.

SGT. Irwin is will do everything he can to help a neighbor, or even a perfect stranger. Those who have served, however, will always have a special place in his heart. In addition to his job, he volunteers for Tip of the Arrow, where he helps veterans find treatment programs, financial assistance, and employment. For SGT. Irwin, it’s an opportunity to continue to serve his country.

“These men and women are my brothers and sisters who would do anything for me,” SGT. Irwin exclaimed. “That's when I realized that our mission doesn't change. We are warriors and the best our country has to offer. We swear an oath that we will never leave a fallen comrade behind. For me, that does not change when the uniform comes off.”

Thanks to your support of Kessler Foundation, talented veterans are finding employment. Continue supporting employment for individuals with disabilities!

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Rehabilitation Research Funding Surpasses Record Levels to Improve the Lives of People with Disabilities

Rehabilitation research at Kessler Foundation earned record-level funding in 2012, totaling $10.8 million. Research advances made at the Foundation help people with physical and cognitive disabilities—including spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), and other neurological conditions—improve their daily function and prevent further complications.

Top funders include federal and state agencies, specifically the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Education/National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and the New Jersey Commissions on Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research; clinical research organizations, device manufacturers, and national organizations, such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and Craig H. Neilsen Foundation; and local organizations, such as the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Here are the highlights:

• A $2.2 million, five-year model system grant through the US Department of Education/NIDRR to fund comprehensive rehabilitation services for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) – The Northern New Jersey TBI System tracks individuals from the time of injury and conducts long-term follow up to identify obstacles to recovery and community participation. Researchers focus on ways to improve quality of life and raise the standard of care for people with TBI. Kessler Foundation is one of only 8 centers in the US with model systems in TBI and spinal cord injury.
• A $596,000, three-year NIDRR grant to study optimal treatment for hidden disabilities in survivors of right-sided stroke – The study will examine the effect of prism goggle therapy in individuals with spatial neglect, a hidden disability affecting up to half of stroke survivors. Hidden cognitive deficits like spatial neglect are often overlooked as major obstacles to rehabilitation. Investigating ways to detect and treat hidden disabilities will improve rehabilitation outcomes after stroke.
• A $738,000, three-year NIH grant to study the role of environmental factors in rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with spinal cord injury – Researchers will analyze the impact of environmental factors on social exclusion, functional decline, and poor health. Identifying obstacles to successful rehabilitation may influence public policy to promote the function, well-being, and inclusion of people with disabilities.
• A $44,000, one-year study funded by the NMSS to measure the cognitive effects of the use of iPads to provide intellectual enrichment in people with MS – Individuals with MS will use iPads to engage in reading, puzzle, and gaming activities to test whether these activities and can protect against decline in thinking, learning, and memory. Showing that therapy can be delivered via handheld devices may alter how cognitive rehabilitation therapy is administered in the future.
• A $366,000, two-year NIH grant to study the effects of chemotherapy on cognitive function in patients being treated for cancer – Many individuals on chemotherapy regimens report cognitive impairments that affect their quality of life for years. This study will help devise better ways to manage these symptoms and encourage the development of safer cancer treatment drugs.
• A $554,000, five-year NIH grant to study the role personality, coping, and health-related behaviors play in unemployment of individuals with multiple sclerosis – With the unemployment rate of individuals with MS reaching 80 percent, information gathered in this study will help predict who is most at risk for leaving the workforce. Results will be used to help individuals with MS retain jobs and their independence.
• Two three-year grants, totaling $660,000 from the NJ Commission on Brain Injury Research to study ways to improve cognitive function after traumatic brain injury – One study will look at why some individuals recover better after brain injury and identify factors that will help guide individuals and families through the recovery process. The second study will look at ways to improve executive function—the ability to organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time, and make decisions—after brain injury.

To participate in research, visit http://kesslerfoundation.org/researchcenter/joinourresearchstudies. 

Your support, along with major funding organizations, funds the studies that help people with disabilities live full and productive lives at home, in our communities, and in the workforce.

Help us continue this research!

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Disability Employment Supported by Kessler Foundation with $2.17 Million in Grants

To improve the employment rate for nearly 56 million Americans with disabilities, Kessler Foundation awarded $2.17 million in grants to organizations that create or promote employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Since 2005, the Foundation has distributed more than $27 million to support disability employment initiatives. Through this funding, 3,000 individuals are now earning a paycheck and contributing to society. The new 2012 grants will launch exciting projects and expand current employment and job training programs. 

”We are excited to announce the newest recipients of Kessler Foundation’s grants,” said Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. “I’m proud of the diversity of the funded programs as well as the potential of these new collaborations. The impact of our grant funding is clear; when talented individuals with disabilities join the workplace, society sees their abilities instead of their disabilities.”

Kessler Foundation awarded three Signature Employment Grants, its largest grants, totaling $1.3 million.

• APSE (Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst) and OfficeMax, in Maryland, will develop an employment model to train and hire job seekers with disabilities in the company’s distribution centers and retail stores. This model will be replicable in locations across the nation.
• The National Disability Institute and the Credit Union Association of New York will train individuals with disabilities in banking. They will then participate in vocational rehabilitation’s Work-Try-Outs and On-the-Job Training to place them in proper internships in credit unions, which makes them more appealing to future employers.
• The Center for Head Injury Services, in Missouri, will establish Destination Desserts—a social enterprise in which employees with and without brain injury will work together to prepare and deliver baked goods. Their job training, along with the provided therapeutic and vocational rehabilitation services, will support career advancement at Destination Desserts and prepare them for jobs in other businesses.

The Foundation also distributed 20 Community Employment Grants, totaling $702,670, to fund education, training, and placement programs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. These grants support businesses that primarily employ people with disabilities and career development for students and adults with disabilities, mainly in the New Jersey area. Highlights include:

• The Arc of Union County will provide training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities in an ecologically-conscious retail business that sells new and used sports equipment.
• Pathways for Exceptional Children will expand Project Win-Win, a program where students with disabilities are mentored by their peers and adults with and without disabilities in various careers, to include a recording studio.
• The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars will offer scholarships to students with disabilities so that they can participate in an internship in the nation’s capital, which combine classroom learning with real-world experience.

Kessler Foundation also awarded 12 Special Initiative Grants totaling $159,500. These invitation-only grants support grass roots initiatives in the arts, sports, film and education for people with disabilities. Highlights include:

• City Without Walls will provide an art program for Newark Youth with physical disabilities to produce a large-scale mural that will be permanently installed in a highly visible public space.
• The ReelAbilities Film Festival—dedicated to promoting awareness and  appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expression of people with disabilities—will come to New Jersey for the first time.
• The North Jersey Navigators, an adaptive sports team for junior athletes with disabilities, will continue to provide recreational and competitive athletic programs. The Navigators compete on state, national, and international level; in the 2012 Paralympics, Navigator Raymond Martin won four gold medals!

View all of the 2012 grantees.

Your support and generosity helps fund these programs that are improving the lives of people with disabilities and giving them an answer to the age-old question, “What do you do?” Employers are also enjoying the benefits of having highly dedicated and productive employees on their staff.

Continue to support employment for people with disabilities!

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