Trauma-Informed Services
March 1, 2011 - Imagine having a disability that caused you to slur your speech, made it difficult for you to learn new things, and affected your balance. Now imagine that no one knew you had this disability.
That is what it’s like for people living with a disability as the result of a brain injury. Brain injury is known as an invisible disability because there are often no outward physical signs of the disability. Brain Injury Awareness Month is intended to make this invisible disability visible.
There are 5.3 million people in the United States living with disabilities as the result of a brain injury. Of the 1.7 million Americans who sustain a brain injury every year:
- 52,000 die,
- 275,000 are hospitalized,
- 1.365 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
Brain Injury and Addiction
After sustaining a brain injury, many people experience devastating physical, emotional, and behavioral changes. People with brain injuries often struggle with depression, poor impulse control, and short-term memory problems, which are just a few of the reasons for the increased incidence of substance abuse among this population. Too often, people with brain injuries are not successful in conventional drug and alcohol treatment programs which do not accommodate their unique learning styles.
Vinland Makes a Difference
For more than 20 years, Vinland has been providing drug and alcohol treatment designed for adults with cognitive disabilities, including brain injuries. We strive to make all possible accommodations for cognitive deficits and individual learning styles. On average, 69 percent of our clients are people living with brain injuries. For more info, click here.
Get Involved
A listing of national Brain Injury Awareness Month events.
Believe. Inspire. Achieve. 2011
Join Joe Kopp as he celebrates his recovery by walking a marathon and raising money for the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. The event will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2011, at Rosedale Center in Roseville, Minnesota.
