Brain injury is often a catastrophic, life-changing event for individuals and their families.  Many Brain Injury survivors experience dramatic and permanent changes in work status, role, income, family life, support network, and quality of life. This may predispose them to depression and feelings of social isolation, helplessness and hopelessness.

Charity founder, Angela Kalantzis knows the loneliness and helplessness all to well. It began as Angela K, Brain Injury Support and Education but it was soon acknowledged that there is so much more that can be done as a Not for Profit and so many more people that can be helped.

The Brain Injury Community was founded to assist in alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation, and provide guidance to improving social engagement, community involvement and a much-improved quality of life for those living with a brain injury*.

Angela Kalantzis, provides a depth of life experience and understanding in delivering peer support programs to assist others living with a brain injury in living a better standard of life.

The Brain Injury Community is a peer lead charity that will offer true lived experience and understanding.

Thank you for believing in us.  Your kind and generous offer will make a huge difference and change lives.

HOW YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP:

One-on-One Peer Support Program (5 Meetings in Total) $750

Initial meeting to understand current life challenges including but not limited to their physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing; and how their quality of life can be improved through connecting them with various groups in the community. Connections to online or face to face support groups, Service Providers and activities in their local area to begin the journey of living as a valued, contributing member of society.

Reconnect Group Meeting $500

Reconnect those who are feeling socially isolated with fellow Brain Injury survivor(s) they met during Rehabilitation or at Hospital stay, or online to begin the process of alleviating feelings of loneliness, helplessness and inspire them to integrate further into their community.

* Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are very common after brain injury, with some studies estimating rates for co-morbid psychiatric disorders in ABI as high as 44% (Hibbard et al., 1998; Scholten et al., 2016). Factors that may adversely influence the mental health of a person with brain injury can be seen at a number of levels:

• Direct effects of brain injuries (eg. cognitive and motor disturbances, emotional disorders, increased impulsivity, depression, rigidity, hyperactivity) may precipitate mental health difficulties.

• Longer-term implications of the effects of brain injury may result in profound personality changes, which might adversely influence mental health.

• Changes in capabilities and competencies post injury may increase the likelihood of depression for people with ABI. Suicide rates are higher among people with brain injuries than the general population.

Brain injury is often a catastrophic, life-changing event for individuals and their families. Many ABI survivors experience dramatic and permanent changes in work status, role, income, family life, support network, and quality of life. This may predispose them to significant depressive reactions and feelings of social isolation, helplessness and hopelessness.

Pre-injury social functioning, alcohol use, previous psychiatric problems and family history, all influence mental health.
Given the multiple risk factors for people with brain injury, the provision of appropriately targeted and tailored mental health strategies is vital. However access to specialist psychiatric assessment and treatment is very difficult especially for people with traumatic brain injury.

Thank you for your support!