Brain Injury Awareness Week | Brain Injury Association of Tasmania

Brain Injury Awareness Week 2024: Strength In Stories

The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania (BIAT) is excited to announce the launch event for National Brain Injury Awareness Week 2024, with our theme this year being "Strength in Stories."

This year, we will highlight the benefits sharing personal narratives [or stories] provide in raising awareness as well as fostering a greater understanding of brain injury within the Tasmanian community.

The event will feature a special gallery exhibition and a short film, providing a platform for individuals to share their experiences and insights.

Launch Event Details:

Theme: Strength in Stories
Date: Monday, 19 August 2024
Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm
Location: Moonah Arts Centre, 23-27 Albert Rd, Moonah
RSVP: Please confirm your attendance by Monday, 12 August 2024 by using this link to RSVP

Gallery Exhibition: “A one-off display of works from the first issue of the Hear My Voice Zine.”

As part of the Tasmanian National Brain Injury Awareness Week 2024 launch event, BIAT are thrilled to present our inaugural ZINE, capturing the lived experiences of individuals with brain injury or cognitive impairment.

This initiative, funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (ILC grant), features a gallery style exhibition showcasing personal stories and artwork, empowering participants to express their experiences and journeys. The Zine’s lived experience stories are complemented by additional artworks by graphic artist, Josh Santospirito. Josh was commissioned to create these illustrations to support the stories of people who chose not to complete artworks.

The first issue of the ZINE focuses on the criminal justice system, with a diverse collection of artworks and narratives reflecting the personal stories and perspectives of its creators.

BIAT’s Justice Programs’ Manager Marie-Clare shared, "We set out to build a platform to promote the voice of people with lived experience, and in this first issue we have captured the experiences of people with brain injury or cognitive impairment involved with the criminal justice system."

She continues, "We loved the idea of including artwork because we know some people prefer that format and it brings stories to life. We are immensely proud of having this as our first issue and are excited that this will be an ongoing product for BIAT."

Video Screenings: New short videos showcasing people's lived experiences of brain injury were created in collaboration with the University of Tasmania.

In addition to the gallery exhibition, the event will include a screening of new short videos of people living with brain injury in Tasmania. The footage was produced in collaboration with the University of Tasmania as a part of their Understanding TBI Massive Open Online Course (or MOOC), with BIAT editing some of the footage to offer a glimpse into the lives of people with lived experience and a family members/carer, who share their challenges, triumphs, and the everyday realities they face.

You can learn more about the collaboration at our dedicated news story on working with UTAS.

BIAT have worked with UTAS on video content for the MOOC.

Employ Me Project video interview

The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania’s Employ Me Project supports people living with brain injury in their employment journey. The 2024 Brain Injury Awareness week will feature the release of an interview with Employ Me participants Andy and Cam, who openly discuss their experience with Employ Me including the benefits and outcomes they’ve gained as well as their honest advice to anyone looking to participate.

More information on the Employ Me Project can be found at https://www.employmeplus.com.au/

The full interview with Cameron and Andy is now available in the video player below.

Brain Injury Q and A session with Lex Bull

A special meeting for National Brain Injury Awareness Week 2024.

About the Guest Speaker: Lex Bull has 15 years experience in the neurosurgical space in a variety of roles from Junior Nurse to Nurse Unit Manager. He has managed the inpatient rehabilitation unit, coordinated the Outpatient Rehabilitation services in Hobart, worked as an educator and currently coordinates rehabilitation services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. His clinical passion lies in Mild TBI where he set up and operated the Concussion Clinic for a number of years.

Come along with your questions, or you can submit them in advance here: Submit your questions here

Event details

Date: Wednesday the 21st of August 2024
Time:  11.30am - 12.30pm
Guest speaker: Lex Bull
Register for the event here

Ulverstone/Burnie Coffee Catch Up!

We have some great news – as the Ulverstone/Burnie Coffee Catch Up is landing in Brain Injury Awareness Week we have connected with @Europe Café who have kindly offered our Peer Support Group Members a free coffee* for the Catch Up on Monday the 19th August 2024.

If you would like to come along, have a chat and connect with the Group register below!

Meeting Details:
Monday, 19th August 2024
11.00 -12.30pm
Europa Café 1/23 Cattley Street, Burnie
Register for the event here
*Free Coffee to the value of $4.00

Previous Campaigns For Brain Injury Awareness Week

2023 Campaign: The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania (BIAT) conclude our campaign for 2023 National Brain Injury Awareness Week.

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illustrated graphic showing people with brain activities

BIAT hosted the Tasmanian launch of National Brain Injury Awareness Week at the ABC Building in Liverpool Street, HOBART at 9:30 am on Monday, 21st August.

Watch the WIN News Tasmania segment at https://fb.watch/mIb17Yz8pV/

The event was launched by the Honourable Jo Palmer MLC, and included:

a premiere video screening on the Peer Support Program
National Assistance Card update
Hear My Voice campaign launch
Celebration of BIAT's 25th Anniversary
Morning Tea

BIAT wishes to thank the Hon. Jo Palmer MLC, local radio and television services who supported the event, and everyone who attended for helping to raise awareness of brain injury.

Peer Support Program Coffee Catchup‍

The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania is pleased to share a small insight into the Peer Support Coffee Catchups Program through a new feature video - premiered at the launch event and available to watch by scrolling down to the player below.

Hear from Brain Injury Peer Support Program Manager Sienna Tilley, as well as program members Paul and Michael, who share their story of becoming involved in the Coffee Catchups as well as the benefits each experience.

"A lot of our members had said that they would like an opportunity that's a little less formal than our regular meetings to catch up with the people that they might not always get to see," Sienna says.

"The feedback from our members has been that they really enjoy that opportunity and I've heard some really great stories of people developing friendships and have been able to catch up with people outside of our program as well."

We thank Paul and Michael and all the Peer Support Coffee Catchup members for their involvement in the video.

National Assistance Card Update

Along with other programs facilitated by BIAT, the National Assistance Card is a valuable tool to raise awareness of brain injury in the wider community.

As a part of the Tasmanian Brain Injury Awareness Week (BIAW) launch for 2023, we heard an update from National Assistance Card Service Program Manager Rosie Mooney regarding recent initiatives and feedback from Cardholders. Find out more about how cardholders are using their National Assistance Card on the Testimonials page at https://www.nationalassistancecard.com.au/testimonials

The National Assistance Card hosted their own BIAW campaign in 2023, including updating the helpful links area on the website and promoting brain injury related events and resources from organisations across Australia. More information is available at https://www.nationalassistancecard.com.au/brain-injury-awareness-week.

Hear My Voice Campaign

As a part of celebrating the future of the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania, we are pleased to launch a new campaign, with the preliminary title of 'Hear My Voice'. The campaign will focus on sharing a variety of insights across the brain injury community in Tasmania, through a range of formats.

The first Hear My Voice story is showcased by the Peer Support Coffee Catchup feature video (see below), with the second celebrating BIAT's 25th Anniversary in 2023 through a podcast episode, in conjunction with local audio production business Production Farm.

The first podcast episode (launching soon) acts as a timestamp for the past, present and future of BIAT - with previous Executive Officer Sue Hodgson sitting down with current Executive Officer Deborah Byrne to discuss the journey of the Brain Injury Association within Tasmania.

More information on the Hear My Voice campaign will be made available soon.

Brain Injury Awareness Week 2022

Join the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania over the week as we share different aspects of brain injury in the Tasmanian community - follow BIAT on Facebook to get daily updates on what's coming up.

Monday, 15 August – Connection and Brain Injury

Brain injury can change a person’s sense of connection to the people around them and the general community. Many people report a change in their social life, and relationships with friends and family following a brain injury.

This can result in a general feeling of disconnection. Everyone’s experience of brain injury is different, but it is common for a person to have big changes in how they live their day-to-day life.

The focus of this day is on rebuilding connections with friends, family or your local community. We will highlight some of the supports available to help with feeling/finding connected.

How to engage on this day: Visit BIAT's Facebook page, hear from Peer Support Group member Bridget in the audio video below, and learn more about the BIAT Brain Injury Peer Support Program.

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Tuesday, 16 August – Justice and Brain Injury

People with brain injury are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The reasons for this are complex but, often relate to the person’s brain injury related behaviour changes not being recognised or responded to appropriately.

Because of this, people with "invisible disabilities" are more likely to fall through the cracks, and cycle through the justice system unrecognised, and without the appropriate supports they need to live safe and meaningful lives in the community. For Brain Injury Awareness Week we will focus on the issues of Justice and Brain Injury.

How to engage on this day: Visit the BIAT website news page to read our article 'The hidden face of brain injury in Tasmania's criminal justice system' and learn more about relevant programs the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania are involved in, including the JustACE Program and Custody For Life.

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Wednesday, 17 August – Carers and Brain Injury

Becoming a carer for a person with a brain injury often happens suddenly and leads to significant changes to the carer’s life as well as the person with the brain injury.

On Wednesday we want to acknowledge the role of carers in supporting people with brain injury and the supports that are available to them.

How to engage on this day: Visit BIAT's Facebook page and read David and Alex's story on caring for someone with a brain injury. Support is available for carers in Tasmania through Care2Serve, find out more and complete our Carers Retreat Expression of Interest here.

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Thursday, 18 August – Community and Brain Injury

Spending time in your local community is an important part of a full life, and includes activities like shopping, attending appointments, socialising with family and friends and going to work.

Following brain injury some people can find these activities challenging and can become disconnected from their community. The impacts of brain injury are often misunderstood due to a lack of awareness and understanding of brain injury in the community.

As part of the 2022 Awareness Week campaign, we will showcase some of the resources and tools that are available to increase community understanding of brain injury and support positive community interaction and engagement for people with brain injury.

How to engage on this day: Visit BIAT's Facebook page to learn about resources that can help people with brain injury in the community. You can also read Belinda's story about the difference having a National Assistance Card has made to her life. For more information about the National Assistance Card, click here.

Friday, 19 August – Young People and Brain Injury

Young people are at high risk of brain injury. There’s nothing like face-to-face programs that engage young people to see first-hand the effects brain injury can have on individuals, families, friends and the community.

Brain Injury Awareness Week 2022 coincides with the last week of Rotary’s annual RYDA driver awareness program in the South of Tasmania. BIAT presents the Crash Investigators sessions.

And there’s no better time than now to get involved and work alongside BIAT to reimagine and co-design our new 2023 Heads Up 2 Brain Injury (HU2BI) schools program.

How to engage on this day: View testimonials on BIAT's Facebook page from students and teachers about their experience of the 2022 RYDA program. Help us reimagine Heads Up 2 Brain Injury in 2023 by filling in an expression of interest through the form on the HU2BI page.

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Saturday, 20th August – Employment and Brain Injury

Employment plays a large role in everyone's lives, it can boost your confidence, increase your community engagement as well as help in developing skills.

As part of Brain Injury Awareness Week in 2022, we are launching our Employ Me website. A range of resources have been developed to help people increase their capacity to discuss their employment interests, skills and experience, as well as discovering their strengths and set employment goals.

How to engage on this day: Visit the Employ Me website to learn more about the program and view the program resources. Get in touch with the program to get involved.

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Sunday, 21 August – Sport and Brain Injury

Concussion and sports related head injuries are increasingly prevalent in today's media.

For Brain Injury Awareness Week in 2022, BIAT talked with a handful of local Tasmanian sports people, from a range of sports, who have experienced concussion. Through their testimonials, hear from a range of stories, impacts and personal experiences about their...

How to engage on this day: Read short versions of the stories via the BIAT Facebook page and stay tuned for the upcoming news item with the full story via the BIAT News Page.

For more information regarding Brain Injury Awareness Week, click the links below:

Like/Follow BIAT's Facebook Page
Subscribe to the BIAT Newsletter‍

BIA Week 2021

Welcome to Brain Injury Awareness Week - we're proud to launch our expression of interest campaign regarding our National Assistance Card.

The National Assistance Card will be available to all people in Australia living with brain injury later this year. The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania hopes that, in the future, the National Assistance Card will be available to all Australians living with disability and/or health conditions.

Supported by a comprehensive education campaign, the National Assistance Card will help people with brain injury to be more independent and to feel more confident in the community.

Each National Assistance Card is personalised and supports cardholders to communicate the impacts of their brain injury and/or any assistance they may require.

People will also have the option of including a QR (quick response) code on their Card which, when scanned, allows the person scanning the card to view additional written and/or visual information.

WATCH: 2021 Brain Injury Awareness Week Tasmania - Launch Video

You can view BIAT's video below to hear from BIAT EO Deborah Byrne, Tasmania Police Inspector John Toohey and Cate Curwood, who lives with brain injury, who launch National Brain Injury Awareness Week 2021 in Tasmania.

People who are interested in applying for a National Assistance Card and/or would like more information can fill in an Expression of Interest Form on the National Assistance Card website: https://bit.ly/3AM1vYk

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BIA Week 2020

In 2020 BIAT highlighted the reach and impact of brain injury across the community. Events spanned from Ulverstone to Huonville and focused on a range of issues including family support and female concussion. With an estimated 2.2% of Tasmanians living with brain injury the week served to remind people that brain injury can, and does, happen to Anyone, Anywhere at Any time.

The 2020 launch video featured:

BIAT Project Officer, Robyn McWaldron launching BIAT’s Brain Injury Peer Support Program Resources, including a screening of the Peer Support Program video. These resources form part of BIAT’s recently completed NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Project: Rethinking Brain Injury;
BIAT Executive Officer, Deborah Byrne detailing BIAT’s Brain Injury Awareness Week 2020 program of events including: an online Q and A session with retired clinical neuropsychologist, Mark Lamont; the lived experience of sporting concussion from the perspective of two young Tasmanian women; the BIAT brain injury prevention component of the 2020 Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program; and an 11 year old Tasmanian’s ongoing fundraising efforts for BIAT in the community.

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2020 Online Video Premiere | 'Holly's Story' | Find out more here

2020 Online Video Premiere | 'Izzy and the real life impacts of concussion' | Find out more here

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2020 Online article | Raising brain injury awareness and funds for BIAT with Izzy from Scrunch_Iz | Read here

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2020 Online Event | Q & A session with Mark Lamont
Mark has over 25 years’ experience in working with people impacted by brain injury and answered questions and shared his insights into supporting people to move forward. With a focus on: neuroplasticity – retraining the brain to learn, concentration/motivation, and behavioural management.
You can watch the video below and read the Q&A response notes here

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Previously for Brain Injury Awareness Week

BIA Week 2018

In 2018, BIAT worked with local video creator Domin8 Media Videography Hobart to develop "Nick's Story". A short movie hearing from 2018 BIAT life member Nick Baily, where he shares his life with brain injury and his involvement with BIAT.

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BIA Week 2017

During Brain Injury Awareness Week 2017 we introduced you to Ella, a young Tasmanian who has been impacted by brain injury. ‘Ella’s Story’ features sixteen year old Ella and her mum Traci-Jean who talk about their lives after Ella sustained a brain injury playing hockey in 2016.

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