We have long recognized the need for a program dedicated to the unique needs of children returning to school in the aftermath of a brain injury. We are proud to announce that an educational consultant was recently hired to help families identify the optimal educational setting and to work with the school to put the necessary accommodations in place to ensure the child's success. Shani Ehrenpreis, PhD, director of the new Educational Advocacy initiative, has extensive experience and expertise in the field of special education. Dr. Ehrenpreis has already successfully guided several families through the critical and complex return-to-school process.

BINA has created a new department to assist patients and families with rehabilitation for spinal injuries, including SCI (spinal cord injury), and spinal surgeries and cancers. Referrals and guidance are also provided for a range of related diagnoses treated on spinal units such as Guillain Barre Syndrome and transverse myelitis. This initiative will expand the reach of our services beyond the core focus on acquired brain injury (including stroke and traumatic brain injury). We have hired Channa Leibowitz, a speech therapist with expertise in medical rehabilitation, to run the program. She has made great strides in researching and networking with nationally renowned facilities and providers, and has assisted a number of patients, both children and adults, with their rehabilitation needs.

A powerful new video was created for BINA by Mint Media to illustrate the frightening reality of brain injury. Every day, people go about their day-to-day routines and are thankfully spared from injury without ever realizing what "could have" happened. Unfortunately, as illustrated in this gripping reenactment, serious injuries do occur, and when they do, BINA is there.

BINA continues to expand support group opportunities for brain injury survivors and caregivers. Groups are held both in-person and via Zoom and are a valuable source of professional counseling, peer support and information-sharing. Participants report that they have benefited immensely and feel greatly supported and heard by both the facilitators and fellow group members. Please contact BINA by email or at 718-645-6400 to learn more about current and planned support groups.

A series of webinars has been hosted by BINA for the community at large, presented by leading specialists in a variety of fields. The topic of the inaugural webinar was "COVID-19 Long Term Recovery", a timely issue of great issue to the many participants. Subsequent webinars covered topics such as Integrative Rehab, Coping with Change Following a Brain Injury, Cognition in Pediatric Brain Injury, Pediatric Therapy Methods and Estate Planning. The most recent presentation was "An Overview of Brain Injury Rehabilitation" by distinguished brain injury specialist Dr. Brian Greenwald of the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Center for Brain Injuries. Recordings of all webinars are available here. Please send us an email to be notified of future webinars and other BINA news.