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Northeast Center for Special Care Advances Traumatic Brain Injury Education with its 2nd Annual Mid-Hudson Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference

Northeast Center for Special Care, the largest brain injury rehabilitation program in the United States, demonstrated its commitment to sharing expertise with clinical professionals and specialists from the northeastern states on Thursday October 19th, 2006 by presenting it's 2nd Annual Mid-Hudson Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Kingston, NY, USA.

October 19, 2006 - Lake Katrine, N.Y.

A packed conference hall marked a keen regional interest in hearing new and innovative approaches to assisting individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) through the steps of rehabilitation toward a return to their homes and communities. Over one hundred professionals from the fields of nursing, social work, neurosurgery, service coordination, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, psychology, medicine, and brain injury advocacy participated in the 2nd Annual Mid-Hudson Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Kingston, NY, USA. Also in attendance were survivors of brain injury and family members of survivors of brain injury. A total of 186 continuing educational credits (CEUs) were awarded to qualified attendees.

The conference was presented by Northeast Center for Special Care in Lake Katrine, NY USA, a world-renowned, state-of-art brain injury rehabilitation program with a long history of successful outcomes and community placement for individuals with traumatic brain injury. The conference is part of an ongoing commitment to continuing education for clinicians and specialists who work with in brain injury rehabilitation.

Ann Belcher, CEO of Northeast Center for Special Care noted: "The staff at Northeast Center for Special Care is proud to be a resource for our professional community by sharing proven, clinical, evidence-based rehabilitation methods that lead to successful community re-entry for traumatic brain injury (TBI) consumers."

The educational agenda included the following presentations: The Public Perception of Brain Injury by Michael Kaplen Esq., President of the Brain Injury Association of New York State; Community Integration in New York State: The New York State Department of Health Bureau of Long-Term Care Traumatic Brain Injury Program by Patricia R. Greene-Gumson, New York State Department of Health, Margaret Nunziato, Regional Resource Development Specialist; Chronic Sorrow and Brain Injury by George Zitnay, PH.D., World Health Organization Director General’s Panel of Experts in Neurotrauma; Sleep Disturbances and TBI by Alicia Fredella, RRT, CBIS, Risk Management, Northeast Center for Special Care; Therapeutic Management of the Coma Emergent Patient by Bill Shashaty, OTR, Northeast Center for Special Care; Overcoming Barriers to Independence Through Supportive and Assistive Technology by Paul Scarpati, MS, OTR/L, Director of Supportive and Assistive Technology, Northeast Center for Special Care; Panel Program: Therapeutic Engagement of TBI Survivors in the Fine Arts by Susan Togut, MFA, Director of Fine and Performing Arts, Northeast Center for Special Care; Rick Soshensky, MA, CMY, NRMT, Music Therapist, Northeast Center for Special Care; Carolyn Corbett, MA, Facilitator Poetry and Creative Writing Groups, Northeast Center for Special Care; Treatment Approaches to Behavior Challenges of Survivors of ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) by Gerry Brooks, MA, CCC, CBIT, Brain Injury Program Director, Northeast Center for Special Care; The Frontal Lobes: Their Function, Symptoms and Treatment by Victor Zelek, Ph.D., Director of Neuropsychology Services, Northeast Center for Special Care.

Anthony Salerno, President of Northeast Center for Special Care, in his welcoming remarks thanked the attendees for the difference they make every day in the lives of the consumers we serve. He noted: "Our task in rehabilitation at the Northeast Center is to enable people with brain injuries to surmount the barriers to their independence and return to the community on the own terms to the least restrictive environment."

Many of the attendees had the opportunity to be transported to Northeast Center for Special Care for tours of its state-of-art rehabilitation center and campus. Carolyn Corbett, MA using original poems written by Resident-Neighbors in the brain injury rehabilitation program at Northeast Center for Special Care, performed a poetry reading. A gift book of the original poetry read by Ms. Corbett was presented to the attendees. A CD-ROM of New York State Traumatic Brain Injury resources, generously provided to the conference by the Brain Injury Association of New York State was presented to attendees. Northeast Center for Special Care sponsored the gift of brain injury awareness bracelets with the inscription, “Mind Matters” available from the Brain Injury Association of America for each attendee. A gallery of original artworks created by Resident-Neighbors with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a part of the Fine and Performing Arts Program, adorned the conference areas.

The mission of Northeast Center for Special Care is the rehabilitation, recovery and community reentry for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since its inception, hundreds of individuals have "graduated" from its programs and have moved on to integrated settings in their communities and upholding the spirit of Olmstead vs. L.C.

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Northeast Center for Special Care is a state-of-art rehabilitation program for individuals with brain injury, neurobehavioral disorders, spinal cord injury, and ventilator dependency.  Established in 1999, it is located on a lovely thirty-nine acre campus in Lake Katrine, NY.  The mission of Northeast Center for Special Care is rehabilitation, recovery and community reentry for individuals with disabilities.  Since its inception, hundreds of individuals have "graduated" from its programs and have moved on to integrated settings in their communities.  Among its many accomplishments, the ventilator weaning program has earned great distinction for the Center's success in weaning individuals off of mechanical ventilators.

Web Site:  braininjury.northeastcenter.com

Media contact: Northeast Center for Special Care, Beth Faichney, Director of Community Relations  845-336-3500