Kessler Foundation Sponsors Upcoming Conference: “Brain Injury: From Research to Rebuilding Lives”
2012-09-11 14:10:15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A two-day conference, “Brain Injury: From Research to Rebuilding Lives”, will be held on September 27th and 28th at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ. This conference will explore advances in care and research and strategies for overcoming barriers to recovery. Day One is for medical professionals; Day Two is for individuals with brain injury and their families. The conference is sponsored by Kessler Foundation and funded by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System (NNJTBIS).
“A traumatic brain injury changes someone’s life forever,” said Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., director of NNJTBIS. “Even when the visible injuries heal, the mental, social, and psychological imprints remain. Through this conference, we can all learn new ways to better the lives of individuals with brain injury.” Dr. Chiaravalloti is also director of Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation. She has a faculty appointment at UMDNJ—New Jersey Medical School.
Richard Pimentel, one of the founding fathers of the Americans with Disabilities Act and an expert on employment for people with disabilities, will serve as the keynote speaker on both days. Dr. Chiaravalloti will provide an update on TBI research at Kessler Foundation. A panel featuring individuals with brain injury and family members, moderated by Kessler's TBI support group director, Betty Collins, will discuss coping with the after effects of brain injury.
On Professional Day, September 27, starting at 8:00 a.m., Steven Benvenesti, Esq. a partner of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, PC who represents people with disabling injuries, will discuss the lifelong impact on a brain injury professional. David Scarisbrick, Ph.D., vice president of Clinical Services at the Progressive Health of PA, Inc., will address sexuality issues after TBI. Continuing education credits are available through Kessler Institute to qualifying nurses, occupational therapists and social workers.
On Consumer Day, September 28, beginning at 8:30 a.m., Michael Greenwald, Ed.M., will host his popular audience participation session-- Mike-at-the-Mike— for which he chooses a thought-provoking topic about living with brain injury, fields questions from the audience and presents them to an expert panel along with his own insights as a TBI survivor.
"Brain Injury: From Research to Rebuilding Lives" is a free conference, but space is limited and registration is required.
To register for Day One Professional Day (9/27), visit www.kesslerfoundation.org/tbiprofessional.
To register for Day Two Consumer Day (9/28), visit www.kesslerfoundation.org/tbiconsumer.
Prospective attendees may also call 973-324-8448. Refreshments will be served.
About the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System
The NNJTBIS is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and is a collaborative effort of Kessler Foundation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. NNJTBIS is part of a network of 16 federally funded model systems that promote collaborative research, find solutions to issues that affect individuals with brain injury and improve the standard of care. Kessler Foundation is one of only six centers in the U.S. to have model systems of care for both TBI and spinal cord injury. “Brain Injury: From Research to Rebuilding Lives” is a consumer outreach initiative of the NNJTBIS.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation is one of the largest public charities in the field of disability. Kessler Foundation Research Center focuses on improving function and quality of life for persons with injuries of the spinal cord and brain, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic neurological conditions. Kessler Foundation Program Center fosters new approaches to the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease. Targeted grantmaking funds promising programs across the nation. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke, and young adults striving for independence are among the thousands of people finding jobs and training for careers as a result of the commitment of Kessler Foundation.
Find us at KesslerFoundation.org
Like us at http://www.facebook.com/KesslerFoundation
Follow us @KesslerFound http://twitter.com/#%21/KesslerFound
###
Contacts:
Carolann Murphy, PA 973-324-8382, [email protected]
Lauren Scrivo, 973-324-8384, 973-768-6583 (cell), [email protected]
