Advocacy

Advocacy is when a person or organisation speaks on behalf of an individual to communicate certain needs, views or interests. At BIA NSW we strive to help people living with an acquired brain injury (ABI) to push for changes in law, policies and practices that affect their day-to-day lives. The Individual Advocacy Service offered by BIA NSW can help brain injury survivors push for more suitable services in the community, assist with the navigation of these services as well as provide support and advice when making a complaint or when representing needs to government agencies, service providers and the wider community.

Information and Referral

Our vision of equality cannot be achieved unless we meet the needs of people living with an ABI.For this reason, we have a number of information channels which provide information about ABI and the services available to survivors, as well as their families, friends and carers. Through our library, database, newsletters, seminars and website we aim to provide accessible and relevant information about topics that affect the everyday lives of brain injury survivors. In addition, our referral service provides links to reliable and relevant service providers who can also help to empower people living with an ABI.

Case Management Service

The case management service provides support to people with acquired brain injury to access existing community services and broker’s private therapeutic services for the purposes of assessment, behaviour support and complex case management. Priority will be given to people with acquired brain injury who are not able to access services directly through The Department of Ageing, Disability and Homecare or who have not received a compensation payout. This service has been funded for a period of 4 years.

Mentoring program

The Links 2 Support mentoring program is a one-to-one peer support program for carers who care for a person with acquired brain injury. The Mentor Program matches trained carer volunteers (mentors) with individuals new to the caring role (partners).  Every effort is made to match partners with mentors based on their preferences and compatibility.  The mentoring relationship takes place via the telephone and/or e-mail. Mentors provide emotional support, information about acquired brain injury and available resources, and have the ability to understand since they have dealt with similar issues. A review of this program to being conducted and we anticipate to run this program again this year. 

Speakers Bureau

The BIA NSW Speaker’s Bureau was established in 2006. Devised in response to growing interest from a number of community groups and organisations, the bureau was set up to educate the community about road safety. Traumatic brain injury survivors are invited to speak about their experiences living with an ABI and to share their stories with an interested audience. This program gives people living with an ABI the opportunity to educate others about the injuries associated with road trauma, and to send a message of prevention. The program is also a great way for participants to build their confidence in front of an audience. If you are interested in this program, please contact the BIA NSW to receive a Speakers Bureau information pack.

Training

The BIA NSW provides relevant and ongoing education and training for our members, staff and service providers. Our training programs can be delivered in a number of ways and are customised to suit different needs. We can provide seminars and workshops, guest speakers or telephone conferencing, and our training materials can be made available by post. This training can benefit a wide range of interested parties including brain injury survivors and their families, as well as support workers, employment agencies and carers. Our training topics include understating ABI, managing challenging behaviour, community linking and managing carer stress.