SW 644: Issues in Developmental Disabilities Traumatic Brain Injury: Policy Issues, Advocacy and Practice Implications Charles Degeneffe, Ph.D., CRC, ACSW Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling San Diego State University Interviewed by: Don Anderson, MSSW University of Wisconsin, Madison & Eau Claire School of Social Work

Challenges of Service Delivery  Differential diagnosis  Lack of clear consensus regarding TBI  Differential service eligibility criteria State defines

Advocacy Efforts  TBI Medicaid waiver programs  Brain Injury Association of America

Issues:  Fragmented long-term community support systems  Differential statutes and rules between States

Prevention  TBI Act Funding available through CDC to provide training programs and other prevention efforts  Programmatic approaches: San Diego Brain Injury Foundation  Challenge of different societal attitudes and culture

Prevention and Creating Awareness  Role of education  Role of media  Iraq and Afghanistan wars  Public figures

Research and TBI  Iraq and Afghanistan Neuropsychological assessment and injury identification

Research & Practice  What is lacking? Vocational implications Employment re-integration Educational re-integration and support  Transition to adult services

(Conclusion)