The PATBI program was created in 2002 to provide Protection and Advocacy services to individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. Although P&As previously served individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injuries under the PAIR, CAP, or PABSS grants, the PATBI grant provides more resources specifically to address the unique needs of this population. PATBI is a federally funded program authorized by the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996, amended in the TBI Act Amendments of 2000 (as part of Title XIII of the Children’s Health Act of 2000) and reauthorized by the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008. The Act provides grants to P&A’s to ensure that individuals with traumatic brain injuries and their families have access to:
- Information, referrals and advice
- Individual and family advocacy
- Legal Representation; and
- Support and assistance with self-advocacy
Anyone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury, defined as an injury to the brain caused by a blow to the head with a blunt object, striking the head against an object, or something passing through the skull and piercing the brain, is eligible for PATBI services.
DRA’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) advocacy work focuses on:
- Educational issues for children who have sustained a TBI, including access to inclusive school settings, positive behavioral supports and individualized education programs.
- Appropriate treatment for persons who have sustained a TBI living in state-operated institutions, juvenile detention facilities and community settings, free from abuse, neglect, restraint and seclusion.
- Reasonable accommodations by employers for individuals who have sustained a TBI.
- Access to appropriate medical and mental health treatment in prisons and jails, and access to family services, opportunities and programs
- Accessibility to public and private facilities, programs and services without barriers, including the right to utilize service animals and interpreters.
Funding is provided through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL). For more information about PATBI, visit ACL’s traumatic brain injury page at: http://www.acl.gov/Programs/AoD/TBI/Index.aspx