Brain Injury Services, a nonprofit leader offering community-based services for children, adults, and veterans with brain injuries, is taking action head-on to meet a major public health challenge in Virginia.
Facing The Challenge
Concussion affects millions of people each year, but many don’t recognize the signs of a concussion or choose to ignore them. A recent survey defined the scale of the challenge facing Virginians.
Concussion Awareness + Support Can Prevent Setbacks in Education + Employment
- Troubling symptoms and impacts of concussion are often made worse, or prolonged, by missing the signs, minimizing the injury, and failing to receive timely treatment.
- Reluctance to report a brain injury, and lack of knowledge about best recovery practices, can delay one’s ability to learn, earn, and enjoy a full life.
- Even when a concussion is diagnosed as mild, recovery should be the top Yet many people don’t know how best to recover or where to turn for support.
Catalyzing Collective Action
Brain Injury Services is bringing together Virginia community organizations, families, health care providers, workers, employers, educators, sports groups, technology providers, and state and local leaders to address this challenge as part of our new Concussion Recovery Campaign. The campaign will get underway this summer in preparation for Concussion Awareness Month in September and will drive awareness and actions to improve concussion recovery across Virginia.
Public Opinion Research Finds Stigma + Lack of Knowledge Exacerbate Problem
- Nearly half of Northern Virginians don’t know how to protect a loved one after an injury.
- Two-thirds believe sports culture makes it acceptable to ignore concussions.
- More than three-fourths would hesitate to tell employers about a concussion.
- A vast majority are unaware of free local services that can aid in recovery.
Brain Injury Services Survey conducted in Northern Virginia, February 2024
Concussion Recovery Campaign
From this summer through next spring, our campaign will employ three major tactics.
- LEARNING: Identification of underutilized, but high-quality, recovery assets, and gaps which must be filled. Understanding weak links in information distribution and service penetration among high-risk populations. Defining the role of stigma in impeding concussion recovery. Interviews with key stakeholders.
- CONVENING: A Concussion Recovery Summit in September (Concussion Awareness Month) with stakeholders and thought leaders in Virginia’s government, education, workplace, research, tech, and health care sectors to discuss and concrete steps for leveraging participants’ and community leaders’ platforms, networks, and assets.
- SHARING: Development and release of a Concussion Recovery Report to widely disseminate findings and recommendations, serve as a blueprint for community action, and secure cross-sector commitments to work together.
We Need Your Help
Be a Concussion Recovery Champion
We’re recruiting Concussion Recovery Champions to stand with us to support this public health improvement effort and help fund the following key initiatives:
- The Concussion Recovery Summit in September, with champion cobranding, recognition, and participation.
- Campaign Resources and Outreach, through March ’25, including roundtable discussions with experts and stakeholders, toolkits, website resources, and social and earned media, with champion recognition.
- The Concussion Recovery Report’s development and release in Fall 2024, with cobranding and champion recognition.
- A Brain Injury Awareness Month culminating event in March 2025, with recognition as a Concussion Recovery Champion.
Ways to Support the Campaign
$500 – Recovery Ally: Listing in the Concussion Recovery Guide.
$1,000 – Supportive Advocate: Listing in email blasts and the Concussion Recovery Guide.
$2,500 – Resilience Champion: Listing in email blasts, social media, website, and the Concussion Recovery Guide; mention in press release during Brain Injury Awareness Month.
$5,000 – Concussion Recovery Leader: Prominent placement in all emails, social media, and website; special recognition in the Concussion Recovery Guide and press release during Brain Injury Awareness Month, including any interviews.
To get involved, contact:
Donna Meltzer: dmeltzer@braininjurysvcs.org
Andrew Wilinski: awilinski@braininjurysvcs.org