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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    ​​​​Traumatic Brain Injury

    The Department of Health is committed to expanding public knowledge regarding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and increasing coordination and integration within existing service delivery systems, thereby enhancing the infrastructure needed for persons with TBI and their Families.

    To learn more about services available for individuals with brain injury and their families, please contact the toll free Brain Injury Help Line at  1-866-412-4755 and speak with a Brain Injury Specialist. Specialists are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

    What is a Concussion?

    A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth.

    Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a "mild" brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be serious.

    Most people with a concussion recover quickly and fully. But for some people, symptoms can last for days, weeks or longer. In general, recovery may be slower among older adults, young children and teens. Those who have had a concussion in the past are also at risk of having another one and may find that it takes longer to recover if they have another concussion.

    Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    • CDC Heads Up: To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, CDC developed the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative to offer information about concussions to coaches, parents and athletes involved in youth sports. The Heads Up initiative provides important information on preventing, recognizing and responding to a concussion.
    • National Federation of State High School Associations: National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have teamed up to provide information and resources to help educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports.
    • ConcussionWise Pennsylvania: ConcussionWise™ is part of a family of online concussion education courses designed to meet the needs of athletic trainers, physicians, coaches, parents, athletes and other health care providers.

    As a high school basketball player, Tracy sustained two concussions within a short period of time. Tracy tells her story and emphasizes that concussions are a serious injury. Check out a two-minute video on Tracy's story.

    The Brain Injury Advisory Board

    The Brain Injury (BI) Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Department of Health was established in August 2001 by the Secretary of Health as a requirement of the Health Resources and Services Administration Federal TBI Planning Grant and Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C.A. 300d - 52 et seq.)​

    The board consists of 26 members. The members of the board include family members of TBI survivors; individuals living with a TBI; representatives from the departments of Aging, Human Services, Labor and Industry, Insurance, Health, Corrections and Education; representatives from the Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Rehabilitation and Communities Providers Association (RCPA), Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA) and community-based organizations in BI service provision and advocacy.

    Appointed members shall serve a four-year term.

    The board provides advice and expertise to the Pennsylvania Department of Health in the determination of service and support needs of individuals with BI and the implementation of services to those individuals and their families. The board plays an integral role in making recommendations regarding future activities to be placed in the BI State Action Plan thereby improving access to BI services in Pennsylvania through information and education.

    Meetings are scheduled quarterly (February, May, August and November) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meeting locations are published in the agenda, which is located under section “Upcoming Meetings" of the website.   A meeting announcement is also published prior to each meeting in the Pennsylvania Bulletin under the requirements outline in the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act (Open Meetings Law​).​

    To be announced.

    Older meeting minutes are available upon request by contacting the Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach at 717-772-2763.

    Annual Reports prior to 2019 are available upon request by contacting the Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach at 717-772-2763.

    For further information regarding the BI Advisory Board, please contact: 

    Bureau of Family Health
    Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach
    Health and Human Services Building
    625 Forster St.
    Harrisburg, PA 17120
    Telephone: 717-772-2763

    Brain STEPS
    Child and Adolescent Brain Injury School Re-entry Program

    Under contract from the Department of Health and with partnership from the Department of Education, the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania developed a Child and Adolescent Brain Injury School Re-entry Program called BrainSTEPS (Strategies, Teaching Educators, Parent and Students).  BrainSTEPS is working to make sure that those who provide educational support to children with brain injury have a good understanding of brain injury, the resulting challenges, and supports and interventions that will assist these students achieve educational success through graduation.

    BrainSTEPS - Brain Injury and Educational Impacts for Students - YouTube

    For further information regarding the School Re-Entry Program, please contact:

    Bureau of Family Health
    Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach
    Health and Human Services Building
    625 Forster St.
    Harrisburg, PA 17120
    Telephone: 717-772-2763

    or

    Brenda Eagan-Johnson ED.D., CBIS
    BrainSTEPS Program Director
    Brain Injury Association of PA
    Telephone: 724-944-6542
    Email: brenda@brainsteps.net
    Website: BrainSTEPS (brainsteps.net)