Support staff working directly with people with TBI need to:

• Understand the uniqueness each individual they work with
• Be aware of the connections between the injury - the effects on the brain - the subsequent effects on behaviour and appropriate behaviour management strategies
• Understand the typical stages for progress of a TBI - rehabilitation, moving to the community, ongoing support and development, etc
• Understand they are part of a team that can include other support workers, clinical staff, case managers, family, friends and community.

Support staff may also need specific knowledge and skills in relation to areas such as:

• Communication
• Promoting skills for independence
• Understanding and managing cognitive changes
• Understanding and managing behaviour changes following a TBI
• Sexuality after a TBI : issues and strategies.

Self Study Module 1 essential background knowledge

Support workers new to working with people with TBI will find the first self study module Introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) essential background knowledge.

Self Modules 2 to 6 and 9 provide more in depth material on:

   2: Communication
   3: Promoting skills for independence
   4: Understanding and managing cognitive changes following a TBI
   5: Understanding and managing behaviour Changes following a TBI
   6: Sexuality after TBI : issues and strategies
   9. Mobility

Toolkits A and B for practical tools and tips

Workers working with young people transitioning from children’s services to adult services will find useful information in Toolkit A The Next Step.

Workers wanting practical tips and strategies for people with TBI will find the strategies in Toolkit B Promoting Independence very useful.

 

Team leaders need to know what support workers need to know.

In addition team leaders and managers supervising support workers need to know:

• How to manage and supervise staff
• What are the stressors for support workers working with people with TBI and how to deal with them
• What are some of the typical phases support workers can go through - e.g. disillusionment
• How to support workers in managing their stress

Team leaders and managers also need:

• Knowledge of the services network
• Knowledge of resources they can recommend to their staff

In addition to being familiar with Modules 1 to 6 Team Leaders and Managers may find useful:

• Module 8 Supervising staff who work with a person with a TBI

Some resources with tools, tips and strategies that team leaders and mangers may find useful for themselves and their staff are:

Toolkit A The Next Step - this would be useful for workers working with young people transitioning from children’s services to adult services.

Toolkit B Promoting Independence - this includes practical tips and strategies for people with TBI that support workers may find very useful

Case managers need to know much of what support workers need to know.

They need to know about case management.

They especially need to:

• Understand what skills have been altered by the TBI for the person with the TBI
• Understand that in many situations the case manager is a proxy for the frontal lobe for the person with the TBI - the case manager has an executive function
• Understand that Case management for people with TBI is often for life - it is not a time limited
• Recognise that the family, community and support staff are where change happens
• Be aware of the process of grief, loss and re-discovery.

Case managers also need knowledge of

• The services network
• Services eligibilities and entitlements
• Resources they can recommend for people with TBI and support staff working with people with TBI

In addition to being familiar with Modules 1 to 6 Case managers may find useful:

• Module 7 Case management

Some resources with tools, tips and strategies that case managers will find useful for themselves, their clients and support workers are:

Toolkit A - The Next Step - A core idea in the kit is The Transition Wheel. The Transition Wheel allows the young person, with the assistance of their case manager, to concentrate on the areas of their life that are currently the most important to them. It initiates realistic goal setting and forms part of the young person’s rehabilitation plan.

Toolkit B - Promoting Independence - this Kit contains practical information and tools the worker can use to assist an individual with a brain injury to

• Identify issues and set priorities
• Set goals
• Develop strategies to achieve the goals
• Monitor progress.

People running training workshops for staff and others working with people with TBI need to:

A. Get the content of the workshop right
B. Get the process of the workshop right - use adult learning principles.
C. Have suitable materials they can give to participants as workshop handouts, case studies, etc.

This site contains much content that can be used in workshops.

It also includes Staff Workshop outlines and presenter materials for the following 8 workshops.

1: Introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
2: Communication
3: Promoting skills for independence
4: Understanding and managing cognitive changes following a TBI
5: Understanding and managing behaviour Changes following a TBI
6: Sexuality after TBI : issues and strategies
7: Effective case management
8: Supervising staff work with a person with TBI

These Presenter materials include downloadable: Presenter notes, Overheads, Handouts and Worksheets for use by workshop presenters who are presenting face to face workshop sessions for staff working with people with TBI.