Advocacy
The Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA) advocates for supports and services for the brain injury community (MRC SHIP budget), safety laws for the public (concussions, seat belts, helmets, distracted driving, hands free cell phone), and legislative bills affecting commercial insurance coverage (Cog-Rehab Bill). Our legislative efforts are enhanced by the hard work of individuals across the state.
BIA-MA currently has 4 major advocacy efforts, click for more information:
- Cognitive Rehabilitation (An Act Improving Lives by Ensuring Access to BI Treatment)
- FY'20 Ask for Statewide Head Injury budget
- Brain Injury Commission - 2019
- Federal Initiatives
The Annual Brain Injury Advocacy Day is Cancelled
The 5th Annual Brain Injury Advocacy Day at the State House on April 8, 2020 has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Speaker Robert DeLeo has announced that the State House is canceling all public events “for the foreseeable future”.
As this month is brain injury awareness month, please take a moment to call your state Senator and Representative to share your personal story and speak about brain injury.
Follow this link to find my legislator.
https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Please stay tuned for other advocacy constant contacts for action needed to advocate for funding for the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP) and the cognitive rehabilitation bill.
Brain Injury Needs Assessment
In July 2016, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission contracted with Public Consulting Group, Inc. to perform a Needs Assessment of the short and long-term service needs of individuals with brain injuries. The goal of the Needs Assessment was to provide MRC with meaningful and actionable recommendations aimed at improving the services and supports for all individuals with a brain injury in Massachusetts. The primary findings of the report:
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-Survivors of brain injury and their families have difficulty in finding services and support due to the complexity of the service system and the scarcity of resources for individuals with brain injuries, particularly acquired brain injury.
-Individuals with brain injury caused by stroke, disease and other non-traumatic causes who are living in the community are not able to access state services other than a very few programs
Click here to view the Needs Assessment
Epidemiology Report
One of the priorities of the Brain Injury Commission was to complete an epidemiological study of ABI in Massachusetts. The findings of the proposed study were judged to be critical to informing the development of long-term community-based support services for both adults and children living with acquired brain injury. Critical gaps in services for survivors of brain injury in Massachusetts were identified in this study.
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services requested that the Department of Public Health, design and complete an epidemiological study of the ABI population in Massachusetts, including an estimate of the magnitude of the population; affected age groups; region of residence; and other pertinent descriptive information for the major subcategories of ABI, including traumatic, neoplastic, infectious, vascular and metabolic causes of brain injury.
Click here to view the Epidemiology Report
BIA-MA's Legislative Successes:
- FY ’20 an additional $3,180,157 (22%) over FY ’19 for the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP), line item 4120-6000.
- FY ’19---an additional $750,000 for the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP), line item #4120-6000.
- Active in obtaining an extra $1 million for MRC, line item # 4120-6000 in FY ’16, to fund a pilot community center to be located in Worcester.
- Re-established the Brain Injury Commission.
- Hutchinson vs Patrick Class Action Settlement.
- Supported passage of Shaken Baby Syndrome Law.
- Instrumental in passage of secondary Seat Belt Law.
- Established HITS, financed by surcharges on drunk driving and speeding.
- Leading in establishment of the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP), which funds community-based and other support services for persons with traumatic brain injury.
- Click here for letter to senators
For more information about Advocacy at BIA-MA, contact Kelly Buttiglieri at 508-475-0032 or kbuttiglieri@biama.org