Question:
I am now 30 years old, walk with a slight limp, and have limited use of my left arm and hand. Professionally, I have become a social/rehabilitation worker with knowledge, training and first hand experience in the field of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. I am hoping to fulfill my vocational aspirations of working as a rehabilitation counsellor with individuals and families living with the consequences of traumatic brain injury. Personally, I have a great deal of compassion for others less fortunate than I, and a zest for living life to its fullest. I am still striving to achieve a balanced life, by obtaining vocational, social, emotional, and spiritual stability. I would be really interested in hearing from other people who may have had similar social experiences following their injury. I currently sit on the Board of Directors for the Head Injury Association of Toronto, and have done so for the past two years. As far as I know, I am the only one in the Toronto area who has successfully completed all levels of education and is working in the community. I would be glad to meet other people who have experiences that are similar to mine. Any comment ?

Answer: I have recently become a new member of the TBI-SPRT list. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and reveal the interest I have as a subscriber. I am a social worker (MSW), and am currently working for THE BRAIN INJURED RELEARNING CENTRE INC., in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a private rehabilitation centre that provides community based services and a Day Program for individuals living with the consequences of TBI in Metropolitan Toronto, and surrounding areas. Many of you may know, that there have been many individuals with TBI who were injured in adolescence or young adulthood, and subsequently experienced unsuccessful re-entry and completion of post-secondary education at the college or university level. The thrust of our services is focused on the academic remediation of students with TBI at secondary and post-secondary levels of education. As a rehabilitation counsellor, I engage clients in cognitive therapy, study skills, learning compensatory strategies, and, facilitating psychosocial adjustment. We also provide vocational rehabilitation as well as auxiliary services such as family counselling, pain management, music therapy, and group work. What really makes our program special is that clients have the opportunity to work with some professionals who have had personal experience with the consequences of traumatic brain injury.

My interest in the TBI-SPRT list is professional as well as personal. Twenty-four years ago I was in a motor vehicle accident, in which I sustained a depressed fractured skull to the right hemisphere of my brain. At the young age of 6, I became permanently disabled with a poor prognosis. The severity of the damage I sustained indicated that I would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, and remain institutionalized as it was expected that I wouldn't be able to care for myself.