August 3, 2005
Public Invited to Forum on Brain Injuries
A public forum on how to prevent brain injuries and how to thrive with a brain injury will be held Aug. 16 and 17 at the Greet the Dawn Auditorium in Poplar.
The forum is aimed at individuals with brain injuries and their families, as well as local and tribal health-care professionals and others who provide services to people with brain injuries, according to Nell Eby, with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). The department is sponsoring the forum in cooperation with the Brain Injury Association of Montana and the Montana Center on Disabilities.
“Many people don’t realize that Montana ranks second in the nation for per capita incidence of brain injuries after Wyoming,” Eby said. “It’s a startling statistic, and it’s devastating to every individual, family, and community that experiences it either directly or indirectly.”
She attributed Montana’s poor ranking to motor vehicle accidents, substance abuse, domestic violence, firearm accidents, farm and ranch accidents, and risky outdoor recreational activities. Data show that American Indians are more likely to suffer brain injuries than other segments of the state population, she noted.
The forum will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 16 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 17. Topics to be discussed include:
- An overview of the state Traumatic Brain Injury Project;
- Causes, consequences, and treatment strategies;
- Post-concussive syndrome;
- Substance abuse issues;
- Rehabilitation services; and
- Formation of a brain injury support group.
For more information about the forum, contact Nell Eby, DPHHS, at 406-655-7636 or neby@mt.gov; or Joyce Scott, Brain Injury Association of Montana, 800-241-6442.
Page last updated: 06/14/2006
