Day Habilitation

St. Lawrence NYSARC Offers Services to People with Traumatic Brain Injury

St. Lawrence NYSARC, a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to working for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities offers a program devoted to assisting people with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI.) The services, which are standardized by The Brain Injury Association of New York State, help meet the needs of individuals with brain injuries and their families. St. Lawrence NYSARC is a Home and Community Based Waiver Service provider for St. Lawrence County, offering Service Coordination, Independent Living Skills Training, Structured Day Programs, Community Integration Counseling, monthly Support Group Meetings, and Community Education.

In honor of March's National Traumatic Brain Injury Month, St. Lawrence NYSARC recognizes this silent epidemic. TBI is a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The severity of a TBI may range from "mild" to "severe." An estimated 5.3 million Americans currently live with disabilities resulting from a brain injury. Each year, 80,000 Americans experience the onset of long-term disability following a brain injury and more than 50,000 people die annually as a result of their injury. New York State has the third highest rate of occurrences nationally.

The leading causes of TBI in children up to four years old and adults over 75 years old are falls and motor vehicle accidents. Blows to the head and assaults are more common factors for 15 to 19 year olds. TBI is the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, impacting the lives of thousands of New York State's military service members, veterans and their families.

The symptoms of a TBI can be subtle. They may not appear until days following the injury or may be missed as people may look fine even though they may act or feel differently. The impact is emotionally and financially devastating to people who have sustained brain injuries; as well as their families, friends, and the entire community in which they live and work. TBI can cause changes in memory, reasoning, touch, taste, smell, language, and emotion. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

With 10 years of experience, St. Lawrence NYSARC has the training and qualifications suited to assist people with Traumatic Brain Injury. For more information on St. Lawrence NYSARC's TBI Waiver Program, please contact Alexis Gleeson at 315-393-3970 or agleeson@slnysarc.org.