Meeting Minutes Details
Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative
March 14, 2008 DRAFT Meeting Minutes
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Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund
Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2008-DRAFT
Members Present
Richard Bendall, Jr., M.D. Monelison Family Physician, Lynchburg
Gregory Helm, M.D., Ph.D. University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
Terry Glenn Department of Corrections, Richmond
Doug Harris, J.D. State Health Commissioner Designee, Richmond
Teresa Poole Lakeview Blue Ridge, Blacksburg
David Reid, Psy.D., Chair Comprehensive Health Systems, Fishersville
*Via teleconference as an accommodation
Jim Rothrock Department of Rehabilitative Services, Richmond
(Ex-officio)
Staff
Kristie Chamberlain Department of Rehabilitative Services, CNI Program Administrator
Patti Goodall Department of Rehabilitative Services, Manager, BI/SCI Services
Guests
Janet Niemeier, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
Shy DeGrace Virginia Commonwealth University
The Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Advisory Board met for a regular quarterly business meeting in the Lobby Conference Room at DRS Central Office, 8004 Franklin Farms Drive in Richmond, Virginia 23229. Commissioner Rothrock, as acting Chair, convened the meeting at 10:04 a.m. with introductions of meeting guests and board members.
Public Comment Period
A public comment period was held. There was no public comment.
Approval of December 14, 2007 Minutes
Teresa Poole made a motion to approve the minutes; motion passed unanimously.
Approval of March 14, 2008 Agenda
The agenda was adopted as distributed.
________________________________________
Presentation from Janet Niemeier, Ph.D.-Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Dr. Janet Niemeier and a research assistant, Shy DeGrace came to the meeting to update the Board on the progress of their CNI Grant #07-060, Virginia Clubhouse Vocational Transition Program. The grant is finishing up its second of three years of funding working with brain injury clubhouses across the Commonwealth. The purpose of the grant is to implement a curriculum that will assist members to improve social and vocational skills and to train staff at each clubhouse to become VCTVTP trainers. As a result of the grant initiatives thus far, volunteering in the community has increased substantially at each clubhouse and the vocational transition model has been recognized nationally and picked up for publishing.
Comments from the Commissioner of DRS
Commissioner Rothrock gave a brief update on the status of the General Assembly.
• Following the adjournment of the General Assembly, the Department of Rehabilitative Services learned that it will receive $200,000 in FY’09 allocated specifically for brain injury service dollars. The FY’09 $200,000 will be disseminated using the recommendations of the Virginia Brain Injury Council to the DRS Commissioner as a guideline.
• Funds from the Virginia Trauma Fund (similar to CNI Trust Fund, with money going to the State’s Level I Trauma Centers), managed by the Virginia Department of Health, were “raided” by the General Assembly and the Governor to address the budget shortfall during FY ’08.
• Legislation passed which ended the DRS-managed Central Registry for Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. Hospitals will no longer be required to report instances of brain injury or spinal cord injury to the DRS Registry, but will continue to report to the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry (VSTR). The legislation also requires VDH to share all of its information with DRS so that outreach and information and referral activities can continue as needed. The Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) is currently using CNI Trust Fund dollars to study other effective methods of outreach to survivors and family members.
• The General Assembly approved changing the legislative requirement for an annual CNI Trust Fund report to a triennial report, effective July 1, 2008.
• The Virginia Department of Veterans Services is developing an initiative using approximately $4.5-4.9 million to respond to the needs of returning veterans who have problems with post-traumatic stress syndrome, brain injury, and mental health issues including depression and substance abuse. Five new staff will be allocated around the state to work with community service boards (CSBs), and the Brain Injury Services (BIS) network providers should be ready to respond to the needs of returning veterans with brain injury and their family members. Staff will receive referrals, complaints and purchase services from a brain injury service provider or the CSB to procure necessary services required to address these problems.
• Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services is now the Department of Mental Health, Intellectual Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. The name change goes into effect July 2009.
Smart Home for Individuals with Cognitive Impairment
Commissioner Rothrock recently received a written proposal from Tony Gentry, Ph.D., OTR/L, Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Occupational Therapy for $22,756 to be used over a one year period (April 2008-March 2009). The proposal was submitted in accordance with the legal authority of the Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services to reallocate CNI Trust Fund dollars for research grants, per budget language as follows:
Page 311, after line 54:
“2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Commissioner may reallocate up to $500,000 from unexpended balances in the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund to fund new grant awards for research on traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries."
The proposal submitted by Dr. Gentry is to establish a “Smart Home” which would feature home accommodation hardware and software designed to improve the safety and accessibility of the home environment for individuals with cognitive impairments. Currently, rehabilitation practitioners do not typically use “smart home” technologies with this population, so it is anticipated that the research study will result in the replication of similar “smart homes” that will improve independence and safety for people with cognitive impairments..
Researchers will assess the cognitive function of participants using the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test – Extended (RBMT-E) and the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA), both ecologically valid instruments. They will test the functional independence of participants utilizing the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Functional Assessment Tool for Cognitive Assistive Technology (FATCAT) prior to the intervention and at the conclusion of the intervention. Additionally, participants will be interviewed for qualitative information regarding the usefulness of this technology in their lives. This project will involve the Department of Occupational Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University, rehabilitation therapists at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, rehabilitation engineers employed by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, as partners in execution and dissemination activities.
The grant award includes moneys for the training of rehabilitation providers and engineers in the utilization of “smart home” technologies with individuals who have cognitive impairments. This training will include face-to-face workshops, an informational website maintained at VCU and a catalog of sm
Return to Main Listing Details:
Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund
Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2008-DRAFT
Members Present
Richard Bendall, Jr., M.D. Monelison Family Physician, Lynchburg
Gregory Helm, M.D., Ph.D. University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
Terry Glenn Department of Corrections, Richmond
Doug Harris, J.D. State Health Commissioner Designee, Richmond
Teresa Poole Lakeview Blue Ridge, Blacksburg
David Reid, Psy.D., Chair Comprehensive Health Systems, Fishersville
*Via teleconference as an accommodation
Jim Rothrock Department of Rehabilitative Services, Richmond
(Ex-officio)
Staff
Kristie Chamberlain Department of Rehabilitative Services, CNI Program Administrator
Patti Goodall Department of Rehabilitative Services, Manager, BI/SCI Services
Guests
Janet Niemeier, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
Shy DeGrace Virginia Commonwealth University
The Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Advisory Board met for a regular quarterly business meeting in the Lobby Conference Room at DRS Central Office, 8004 Franklin Farms Drive in Richmond, Virginia 23229. Commissioner Rothrock, as acting Chair, convened the meeting at 10:04 a.m. with introductions of meeting guests and board members.
Public Comment Period
A public comment period was held. There was no public comment.
Approval of December 14, 2007 Minutes
Teresa Poole made a motion to approve the minutes; motion passed unanimously.
Approval of March 14, 2008 Agenda
The agenda was adopted as distributed.
________________________________________
Presentation from Janet Niemeier, Ph.D.-Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Dr. Janet Niemeier and a research assistant, Shy DeGrace came to the meeting to update the Board on the progress of their CNI Grant #07-060, Virginia Clubhouse Vocational Transition Program. The grant is finishing up its second of three years of funding working with brain injury clubhouses across the Commonwealth. The purpose of the grant is to implement a curriculum that will assist members to improve social and vocational skills and to train staff at each clubhouse to become VCTVTP trainers. As a result of the grant initiatives thus far, volunteering in the community has increased substantially at each clubhouse and the vocational transition model has been recognized nationally and picked up for publishing.
Comments from the Commissioner of DRS
Commissioner Rothrock gave a brief update on the status of the General Assembly.
• Following the adjournment of the General Assembly, the Department of Rehabilitative Services learned that it will receive $200,000 in FY’09 allocated specifically for brain injury service dollars. The FY’09 $200,000 will be disseminated using the recommendations of the Virginia Brain Injury Council to the DRS Commissioner as a guideline.
• Funds from the Virginia Trauma Fund (similar to CNI Trust Fund, with money going to the State’s Level I Trauma Centers), managed by the Virginia Department of Health, were “raided” by the General Assembly and the Governor to address the budget shortfall during FY ’08.
• Legislation passed which ended the DRS-managed Central Registry for Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury. Hospitals will no longer be required to report instances of brain injury or spinal cord injury to the DRS Registry, but will continue to report to the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Statewide Trauma Registry (VSTR). The legislation also requires VDH to share all of its information with DRS so that outreach and information and referral activities can continue as needed. The Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) is currently using CNI Trust Fund dollars to study other effective methods of outreach to survivors and family members.
• The General Assembly approved changing the legislative requirement for an annual CNI Trust Fund report to a triennial report, effective July 1, 2008.
• The Virginia Department of Veterans Services is developing an initiative using approximately $4.5-4.9 million to respond to the needs of returning veterans who have problems with post-traumatic stress syndrome, brain injury, and mental health issues including depression and substance abuse. Five new staff will be allocated around the state to work with community service boards (CSBs), and the Brain Injury Services (BIS) network providers should be ready to respond to the needs of returning veterans with brain injury and their family members. Staff will receive referrals, complaints and purchase services from a brain injury service provider or the CSB to procure necessary services required to address these problems.
• Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services is now the Department of Mental Health, Intellectual Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. The name change goes into effect July 2009.
Smart Home for Individuals with Cognitive Impairment
Commissioner Rothrock recently received a written proposal from Tony Gentry, Ph.D., OTR/L, Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Occupational Therapy for $22,756 to be used over a one year period (April 2008-March 2009). The proposal was submitted in accordance with the legal authority of the Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services to reallocate CNI Trust Fund dollars for research grants, per budget language as follows:
Page 311, after line 54:
“2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Commissioner may reallocate up to $500,000 from unexpended balances in the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund to fund new grant awards for research on traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries."
The proposal submitted by Dr. Gentry is to establish a “Smart Home” which would feature home accommodation hardware and software designed to improve the safety and accessibility of the home environment for individuals with cognitive impairments. Currently, rehabilitation practitioners do not typically use “smart home” technologies with this population, so it is anticipated that the research study will result in the replication of similar “smart homes” that will improve independence and safety for people with cognitive impairments..
Researchers will assess the cognitive function of participants using the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test – Extended (RBMT-E) and the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA), both ecologically valid instruments. They will test the functional independence of participants utilizing the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Functional Assessment Tool for Cognitive Assistive Technology (FATCAT) prior to the intervention and at the conclusion of the intervention. Additionally, participants will be interviewed for qualitative information regarding the usefulness of this technology in their lives. This project will involve the Department of Occupational Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University, rehabilitation therapists at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, rehabilitation engineers employed by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, as partners in execution and dissemination activities.
The grant award includes moneys for the training of rehabilitation providers and engineers in the utilization of “smart home” technologies with individuals who have cognitive impairments. This training will include face-to-face workshops, an informational website maintained at VCU and a catalog of sm
This File Was Last Modified: 7/8/2010 11:00:33 AM