Brain Injury Association of Tennessee

The mission of the BIAT is to improve the quality of life for persons with brain injuries and their Families and to reduce the incidence of brain injury.
This is to be accomplished by striving for excellence in providing statewide leadership, advocating for needed resources, delivering quality resources and information to any person, and developing self-advocacy skills within persons with brain injury and their Families. For more information, visit http://www.braininjurytn.org or contact Angela Webster, TBI Coordinator, or call the Family Support Line at 1-877-757-2428.

The TBI Resource Guide publishes a free, monthly electronic newsletter summarizing the latest additions to the web site, current TBI research, press releases, news, literature, educational material and other valuable information and products.

Army's Hot Line Aids Soldiers & Families
The Army's "Wounded Soldier and Family Hot Line" provides a more direct way for wounded Soldiers and their Families to obtain information for medical issues. Since March, 2007, the hotline has fielded more than 5,000 calls, involving more than 1,300 issues. Callers' issues are distributed to subject-matter experts for resolution. The hotline staff later contacts callers to ensure they have been helped. The hot line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Army's Wounded Soldier and Family Hot Line can be accessed at 1-800-984-8523. Overseas customers can call the hotline via the Defense Switched Network, or DSN, at 312-328-0002.

State-by-State Guide to Disability Resources
Visitors to the www.DisabilityInfo.gov website can locate disability programs and information for their state. To browse through state information, select one of the nine subject tabs at the top of any DisabilityInfo.gov page. Then click on the State and Local Resources map on the right-hand side bar to find information on that subject in your state. You can also subscribe to receive e-mail updates on information and resources in your state.

Project Victory: Rehabilitation Services for Veterans
Project Victory will provide rehabilitation services, without cost, to veterans across the country who suffer from a moderate to severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) sustained in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Endurance Freedom in Afghanistan (OEF). The program is funded by a three-year grant from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund of the California Community Foundation. Project Victory will serve 65 Soldiers annually. Applicants must meet the criteria for care. Rehabilitation and housing costs will be covered for the Soldier and their designated Family member. Project Victory is an outpatient rehabilitation/community re-integration program that will help combat veterans achieve the greatest degree of independence in their daily lives. A designated Family member or care giver will participate as an integral part of the rehabilitation team. Together, Project Victory staff and the Soldier’s caregiver will assess progress and revise goals based on the patient’s changing life situation. This will ensure a more successful transition from rehabilitation back into the home and community environment. For more information go to: http://www.tirrfoundation.org/victory.asp or contact Shawn Brossart, Project Victory Coordinator, at (713) 383-5604 shawnbrossart@memorialhermann.org.

DFAS Publishes a Wounded Warrior Entitlements Handbook
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has published a Wounded Warrior Entitlements Handbook. The handbook provides an explanation of pay and entitlements for Soldiers injured while serving in a combat zone, and receiving medical treatment at military facilities. Items detailed in the handbook are: Hazardous Duty Pay Location (HDP-L); Hostile Fire Pay and Imminent Danger Pay (HFP/IDP); Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE); Family Separation Allowance (FSA); Combat-Related Injury & Rehabilitation Pay (CIP); Savings Deposit Program (SDP); Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (TSGLI); Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS); Casual Pay; Travel and Travel Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ); Invitational Travel Order (ITO). The DFAS handbook can be obtained by calling 1-800-332-7411, or through the DFAS website at: http://www.dfas.mil/army2/woundedinaction/WWEHandbook_Web_062607.pdf.

VA’s Suicide Hot Line in Operation
The Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a national suicide prevention hot line for veterans. The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA's hot line will be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua, N.Y. They will take toll-free calls, from across the country 24 hours a day, seven days a week and work closely with local VA mental-health providers to help callers. To operate the national hot line, VA is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/.

Group's Horses Benefit Wounded Troops
The nonprofit organization Back in the Saddle Bit by Bit (BITS) helps wounded military heroes and their Families regain physical and mental fitness by riding and working with horses. BITS operates as a clearinghouse that identifies qualified programs around the country so wounded warriors can participate in these programs close to home. The Colorado-based group also works to help veterans in its program find employment. The group's officials hope to expand its program to reach as many servicemembers as possible through fundraising efforts. For more information, visit the BITS website at http://www.bitsbybit.org/.

Coming Home Project
The San Francisco-based "Coming Home Project" is devoted to providing compassionate care and support for veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The organization is made up of veterans, psychotherapists, and interfaith leaders. These individuals offer workshops and retreats as well as psychological counseling by licensed therapists for veterans and Family members. The group also offers training and advice for caregivers. All programs are free and confidential. For more information, visit the Coming Home Project website at: http://www.cominghomeproject.net/ComingHome/.