ABOUT THIS WEBINAR:
Traumatic brain injury is a significant health issue that affects service members and veterans during times of both peace and war. The high rate of TBI and blast-related concussion events resulting from current combat operations directly impacts the health and safety of individual service members as well as unit readiness and troop retention. The impacts of TBI are felt within each branch of the service.
This webinar examines the VA and Military Health System (MHS) TBI pathway of care, current DoD understanding of concussion and symptom clusters, and provides resources for the management of concussion.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize what is new in our understanding of concussion/mTBI
- Learn about advances in concussion management and resources for the management of concussion
- Learn the definition of TBI and current understanding of concussion (including causes, signs, and symptoms) and the impact of concussion on service members, the unit, and the mission
- Gain awareness of symptom clusters, risk factors, and targeted treatment
- Learn about the VA PolyTrauma System of Care and TBI Care in the Military Health System and understand the concussion recovery trajectory
This webinar is Part 1 of 2 webinars on Traumatic Brain Injury. RSVP for Part 2, “Support for Reintegration after TBI: Strategies For Advocates, Care Coordinators and Case Managers” on the event page here!
PRESENTERS
Kristen Benson is the Regional Education Coordinator for the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBICoE) of the Defense Health Agency. She is a licensed social worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia and earned her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. As a UPENN Stephen A. Cohen Veteran’s Network Scholar, she specialized in military and veteran behavioral health and completed her advanced year internship with the Poly Trauma team at the Philadelphia VAMC.
In addition to her work with the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, she is a supervisee in psychotherapy for private practice and is completing a Master of Business Administration degree with Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business.
Courtney Piccolo (Sadler) is a Regional Education Coordinator with the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBICoE) of the Defense Health Agency, located in Richmond, VA. She is a passionate Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS).
She graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in Health, Fitness & Recreational Resources and was awarded the Thomas L. Goodale award for outstanding student in Therapeutic Recreation. She graduated magna cum laude from George Washington University with a Master of Public Health and focus on social, behavioral & community health. Her areas of interest include the use of holistic care in the treatment of brain injury, examining TBI co-morbidities, and improving quality of life for veterans & service members with TBI.
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