Kessler Foundation, headquartered in West Orange, reports that it will be sponsoring the upcoming “Brain Injury: From Research to Rebuilding Lives,” September 27 to September 28. The two-day conference is slated to be held at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ and will explore advances in care, research, and strategies to overcome barriers to recovery. The conference is also funded by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System (NNJTBIS), according to the Foundation.

The Foundation notes that the first day of conference, is designated for medical professionals, while its second day is geared toward individuals with brain injury (BI) and their families. Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of NNJTBIS, explains that, “Through this conference, we can all learn new ways to better the lives of individuals with brain injury.”

Accord to the release, Richard Pimentel, is scheduled as keynote speaker on both days of the conference. Pimentel is one of the reported founding fathers of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and expert on employment for individuals with disabilities.

Chiaravalloti will also provide attendees with an update on traumatic brain injury (TBI) research at Kessler Foundation during the conference and a panel of BI patients and their families, moderated by Betty Collins, Kessler’s TBI support group director, will discuss coping with the effects of brain injury.

The conference’s “Professional Day,” will be held September 27, featuring a discussion by Steven Benvenesti, Esq, partner of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, PC, who represents individuals with disabling injuries. Benvenesti will discuss the lifelong impact on a brain injury professional. The next scheduled speaker, the release reports, is David Scarisbrick, PhD, vice president of clinical services at the Progressive Health of PA, Inc, who will address how and why intimate relationships change following TBI. The Foundation notes that continuing education credits are also available to qualifying nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers through the Kessler Institute. 

During “Consumer Day,” September 28, Michael Greenwald, EdM, will provide attendees with an audience participation session in which he will take questions from the audience regarding a key topic about living with BI, and presents the audience’s questions to an expert panel, adding his own insights as TBI survivor.

The conference is free, however space is limited and registration is required, the Foundation notes.

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Source: Kessler Foundation