Brain Injury

Disability Rights Maine's Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury program is a federally funded initiative.  DRM works to protect and enforce the rights of people with brain injuries and to improve access to health, employment, education, and other services for people with brain injury in Maine.  

 Resources

National TBI Justice Database

Disability Rights North Carolina recently compiled a national database on Traumatic Brain Injury screenings in Criminal Legal systems. Visit the database to learn more.

Supported Decision-Making Basics

Supported Decision-Making (SDM), often used as an alternative to guardianship, recognizes that people with decision-making challenges can retain their decision-making capacity by using supports to help them make choices.

Learn how SDM can be used to help preserve a person's autonomy and independence, while still providing the person with support from family, friends, and community. Additionally, this training will provide a brief history of SDM and include information about exciting changes to Maine's guardianship law, which now requires SDM and other less restrictive alternatives to be considered prior to ordering guardianship.

Co-presenters: Kile Pelletier, Program Associate, Speaking Up for Us & Staci Converse, Managing Attorney, Disability Rights Maine

Resource:

Supported Decision-Making Handbook

HCBS Settings Rule: Basics & Advocacy

The Complete Guide to Social Security Disability Benefits

From the website: "Developing a disability can be frustrating for many reasons, and the inability to work is one of the hardest things to deal with. In the U.S., 12.8% of people are disabled, and more than half of them (51%) are within the prime working ages of 18-54, according to an annual report funded by the NIDILRR, and the employment rate of disabled individuals ranges from 27.4% to 54% between the states. This leaves many unemployed, and not being able to work leads to depression and the feeling of being a burden on your family and loved ones.

Fortunately, disability benefits provided by the Social Security Administration can offer relief, giving a disabled person back their agency and dignity, though many are unaware of the rules and qualifications regarding the available benefits.

That’s why we’ve compiled this guide: to provide everything you need to know on the topic in a clear, concise manner. We’ll cover the available benefits, necessary qualifications for different age groups, how benefits are paid out, alternative sources of benefits, and more. After reading, acquiring the benefits that you deserve will be a whole lot easier."

This guide was developed by, and is available at, backgroundchecks.org

Brain Injury Association of America, Maine Chapter

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1980. BIAA's mission is to advance brain injury prevention, research, treatment and education and to improve the quality of life for all people affected by brain injury. BIAA established its Maine Chapter in 2013 to address the needs of individuals with brain injury and their families who live in Maine.

The BIAA - Maine Chapter works to increase awareness of brain injury, provide information, resources and support, and advocate for prevention and improved funding and services across Maine.

For more information, visit the BIAA - Maine Chapter website: http://www.biausa.org/Maine

A Basic Guide to Self-Advocacy

This manual is intended to provide a simple yet informative overview of how to be a self-advocate. This manual is not a substitute for legal advice. If you have specific questions or need assistance with a particular issue, please contact Disability Rights Maine.

 News