Brain Injury Education Support Teams (BESTeams)
The Center on Brain Injury Research and Training at the University of Oregon in partnership with Texas A&M San Antonio and University of Texas at Austin, is excited to launch Traumatic Brain Injury- System of Support for Kids (TBI SOS 4 Kids).
Alana Bejarano, Executive Director, Health Services, Austin ISD: In my role as the Executive Director of AISD Health Services and Nursing, I was able to connect with Melaney and her team earlier this school year. It’s not everyday you meet such fantastic people. The resources regarding TBI has been outstanding, from her meeting with athletics and nursing, to the constant support. The Best Team has been an integral part of the school district understanding TBI and their implications. Melaney has worked tirelessly to ensure we had all the support and information we needed. I cannot thank them enough for making us more aware and knowledgeable about TBIs and improving student outcomes.
Our objectives to improve TBI awareness and support in schools and communities include:
1. Training school staff to identify, assist, and prevent injuries.
2. Enhancing community knowledge and supporting families by caring and advocating for children.
3. Linking schools, families, and communities to TBI resources.
Through the development of Brain Injury Education Support Teams, (BESTeams), we are working to create sustainable resources within schools. Each BESTeam will function as
➔ means for communication between educators and families to ensure updated health reports are shared,
➔ facilitator for tracking of the injured child’s progress,
➔ coordinators for professional development for school staff.
Each BESTeam will be individualized for the school or district they are housed in. Members of the BESTeam can involve a multidisciplinary group of invested partners- for example, teachers, directors, special educators, school nurses, mental health counselors, and parents.
➔ BESTeam members will be offered training in various assessments and intervention strategies to support students with TBI.
➔ When a student returns to school post-injury, trained BESTeam consultants are available to support school staff as the student continues to heal.
➔ School staff will also have access to evidence-based TBI training resources and programs that provide strategies to identify, assess, and serve students with TBI.
