Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – March 2022


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Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – December 2020

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – June 2019

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – December 2018

– Concussion Workshop in December – Proceeds support Brain Injury Australia Read more.

  • (NICK RUSHWORTH)

  • – Three hundred attend Brain Injury Australia’s 6th National Brain Injury Conference Read more.

    – Brain Injury Australia’s five-year partnership with MAX Employment Read more.

Read the full December 2018 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – July 2018

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – December 2017

– Brain Injury Australia Facilitates “Community of Practice” for National Disability Insurance Agency Read more.

  • (Left to right: Nick Rushworth, Rebeca Sciroli and Rosanna Robertson)

  • – Brain Injury Australia Co-Hosts Breakfast on ‘Making The Link’ Between Family Violence and Brain Injury at Pricewaterhouse Coopers Read more.

    – Brain Injury Australia Invited to Write Editorial for Young Stroke in the United States Read more.


Read the full December 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – October 2017

– Getting the Best From The NDIS – Workshop For Clinicians, Allied Health, Service Providers Read more.

  • – Getting The Best From Your NDIS – Workshop For People With Brain Injury, Families, Advocates Read more.

    – Following Brain Injury Australia’s successful application to the Australian Government’s National Disability Conference Initiative, it has received $11,000 in funding to assist people with a brain injury to attend October’s 5th Annual National Acquired Brain Injury Conference”. Find out more.

    – Brain Injury Australia “On The Stump”. Find out more.


Read the full October 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – August 2017

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – August 2017.

– BIA leads Australia’s first prevalence study of brain injury and family violence. Read more.

– Speakers announced for national launch of 2017’s Brain Injury Awareness Week. Find out more.

  • Brain Injury Awareness Week 2017 Poster Available – Download and Print here.


Read the full August 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – June 2017

– BIA asked to quote on Australia’s first study into brain injury and family violence. Find out more.

– Rosanna Robertson tells Ray Martin about her recovery from being shot point blank in the back of the head by her boyfriend. Find out more.

  • “National survey data suggest that about 50 to 60 per cent of Australian women drink in pregnancy.”

  • In the latest in series of articles co-commissioned by Brain Injury Australia for Australian Doctor – “Australia’s leading independent medical publication”, read weekly by 35,000 General Practitioners – authors Associate Professor Carmela Pestell from the University of Western Australia and Dr. James Fitzpatrick, Director of PATCHES Paediatrics write “alcohol is a teratogen [any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development] and causes damage to the fetal central nervous system and other organ systems.” Read more.
Read the full June 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – May 2017

– Brain Injury Australia to Facilitate a “Community of Practice” for NDIS. Read more.

– Brain Injury Australia to Hold 2 Workshops on the NDIS. Read more.

  • Mates4Mates, which provides “national and regional support services…to current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, and their families, who are wounded, injured or ill,” will host the national launch of 2017’s Brain Injury Awareness Week in Brisbane on Monday, 21st August.

    Read more.

Read the full May 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – April 2017

– New Research: How Many Make a full Recovery from Concussion? Read more.

– Neuromoves now in Sydney: Exercises for Neurological Conditions. Read more.

  • Professor Matthew Kiernan, Director of the Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia at the Neurological Alliance Australia launch event.

    Read more.

Read the full April 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – March 2017

– BIA Receives National Disability Agency Funding. Read more.

– New Research: Driving After Concussion: Is it Always Safe to Drive After Symptoms Resolve? Read more.

  • As part of its work on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Information, Linkages and Capacity Building, referred to at left, Brain Injury Australia is keen to hear from the potentially many thousands of Australians with experience of post-concussion syndrome/ “mild” traumatic brain injury.

    Find out more.

Read the full March 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – February 2017

– 2017’s Brain Injury Awareness Week Devoted to Brain Injury in the Military. Read more.

– BIA’s Subscribers Offered Discounted Registration to Brain Injury Conferences. Read more.

  • Brain Injury Australia has recruited two new Directors to its Board: Dr. Suzy Goldsmith and Mr. Richard McKinnon (pictured left).

    Learn more about Suzy and Richard here.

Read the full 2017 February Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – January 2017

– Return to Work Program for People with Brain Injury Shows Promise. Read more.

– BIA’s charity partner Sidetember doubles its support for Return2Sport. Find out more.

  • Heading in Youth Soccer
  • New Research: Can Heading a Soccer Ball Cause Brain Injury?

    Read More.

Read the full January 2017 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – December 2016

– BIA’s Speech to the NDIS Business Transformation Strategy Conference. Read more.

– BIA Chairs 4th Annual National Acquired Brain Injury Conference. Read more.

  • 100 people from around Australia and New Zealand attended BIA’s Concussion Training Day held on November 7, at Sydney’s Royal Rehab. Attendees learnt the latest concussion assessment and management techniques from Professor Barry Willer (pictured below), and Professor Gary Browne, and Dr Julia Treleaven.

    Read more.

Read the full December 2016 Newsletter.

Response to the Discussion Paper: New Disability Employment Services from 2018 (2016)

“Brain Injury Australia’s advises that there has been an historic under-representation of people with brain injury in the Disability Employment Services (DES). This situation has worsened with the closure of Commonwealth Rehabilitation Services Australia (CRS) Australia and subsequent loss of brain injury-specific expertise and staff with allied health qualifications to appropriately assess and provide vocational programs for this client group.”

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – November 2016

– Top Canadian University Offers Case Management Training. Read more.

– BIA Joins Forces with Australian Institute of Neuro-Rehabilitation. Read more.

  • Brain Injury Australia’s charity partner Sidetember raises $10,000 for Return2Sport.

    Read more.

Read the full November 2016 Newsletter.

Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – September 2016

– 4th Annual Acquired Brain Injury Conference. Read more.

– BIA Receives National Disability Conference Funding. Read more.

  • "Mum, I'm not the same person"
  • The 4th Annual National Acquired Brain Injury Conference will be held at Royal Rehab in Ryde, Sydney, on the 8th and 9th November, 2016. The conference will feature an “International Keynote Presentation” on traumatic brain injury as a chronic condition, delivered by Professor Barry Willer from the University at Buffalo in New York State, and an “Opening Address” by Robyn Cetinich – mother of Tyson, pictured above left – about the impact of concussion on mental health. Find out more.
  • Read BIA’s September 2016 Newsletter.

    Young Stroke (2016)

    “Brain Injury Australia recommends a national level overhaul of health services and disability-funded supports to meet the age-appropriate needs of young stroke – for example; in the provision of specialist physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling of sufficient frequency, intensity and duration to effect optimum family/relationship functioning, community reintegration and return to work.”

    Concussion in Sport (2012)

    “Brain Injury Australia recommends that the Australian Football League, the Australian Rugby League Commission, and Australian Rugby Union co-fund an independent, large-scale, prospective study – comprising cohorts from all three sports – examining the risk factors for as well as the incidence, assessment, short and long-term effects, management and potential prevention of concussion in child and adolescent players.”

    Brain Injury Australia’s Annual Reports, 2014-2004

    Brain Injury Australia’s Annual Reports, 2014-2004.

    Brain Injury Australia’s Flyer – Print, Post, Publish!

    Brain Injury Australia has put together a new flyer that describes what we do. Please print, post and publish, as far and as wide as you can!

    DisabilityCare Australia “Practical Design Fund” Report on Indigenous Australians with Brain Injury (2013)

    Brain Injury Australia, in collaboration with its then Queensland Member organisation “Synapse,” and James Cook University, advises that DisabilityCare should integrate the Planning and Assessment Framework into its Operational Guidelines, and for assessments with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, assessors should work in accordance with the four stages specified in the Planning and Assessment Framework: Engagement, Pre-Assessment, Assessment and Follow-up.

    Supplementary Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Disability Care and Support (2011)

    “Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a “hidden disability.” Participants reported poor understanding of ABI within the medical, allied health, and disability professions. This has led to unsuitable or inappropriate treatment from doctors, therapists and support workers engaged to support people with an ABI. It can also lead to misunderstanding in the community where people with an ABI are excluded from mainstream services because they are considered to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances and/or mentally ill.”

    Submission to the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ Review of Disability Standards for Education 2005 (2011)

    “Brain Injury Australia believes that access to educational supports for students with disabilities should be consistent between jurisdictions.”

    Head Over Heels (2011)

    Published in the National Seniors Association’s 50 Something magazine. “While it might be common knowledge that falls are the leading cause of injury in Australia, perhaps it’s less well-known that falls are now also the leading cause of traumatic brain injury – accounting for around 2 in every 5 admissions to hospital.”

    Out of Sight, Out of Mind: People with an Acquired Brain Injury and the Criminal Justice System (2011)

    “Brain Injury Australia recommends that the Australian Government and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) – through the Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference (CDSMC) – enlist stakeholders such as the Prisoner Health Information Group, the Juvenile Justice Research and Information Group and the National Forensic Disability Working Group to modify reception screening and other assessments to render optimum detection of ABI. This will serve to fulfill both the Australian Government’s obligations as a State Party to Article 31 (“Statistics and data collection”) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as well as COAG’s commitment to “good data” under the National Disability Strategy.”

    Time to Use Our Heads (2011)

    Published in Aged Care INsite magazine. “Firstly, while it was no surprise that those aged 85 years and over – the fastest growing segment of Australia’s population – have the highest falls, falls injury, TBI and TBI death rates, it was still shocking how high their death rates actually were. Every local and international study of TBI outcomes in the “old old” demonstrates “100 per cent mortality”. To be blunt; if you reach that age, fall over and hit your head, you die.”

    Submission in Response to Towards a National Carer Strategy: A Discussion Paper From the Australian Government Submission to the National Carer Strategy (2011)

    “Brain Injury Australia commends the development of the National Carer Strategy as an important recognition of the work of Australia’s growing ‘care force’. It needs involvement and voices from all involved. In particular, it is essential that carers are directly involved in planning and implementing policy and programs under the Strategy.”

    Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Disability Care and Support (2010)

    “Brain Injury Australia recommends that need is a more appropriate basis for eligibility than one based on a medical diagnosis. A nationally consistent definition of need must be developed, which retains flexibility to respond to the complexity and diversity of different disabilities, including acquired brain injury.”