North Valley
    Support Group

Group Mission

The North Valley Brain Injury Support Group's mission is to promote undertanding and prevention of TBI through advocacy, research, grants, support groups, lectures that integrate into more community awareness and help.

North Valley Support Group Wants You to Know:

• You are not alone.
• We know what you've been going through.
• There is help and information available.
• We will do our best to see that you get it.

The signs and symptoms of a brain injury can be subtle. These may not appear until days or weeks following the injury or may be missed as people may look fine even though they may act or feel differently. No one can predict how much someone will recover from brain injury. Although science still has much to learn about how to reverse damage from head injuries, today more than ever therapies are available. Prevention is the only cure!

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. The impact on a person and his or her family can be devastating. A blow or jolt to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can disrupt the function of the brain. The seriousness of such an injury may range from mild to severe.

Brain Injury Awareness

What causes TBI?
The leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle traffic, falls and assaults.

There are more annual incidences of brain injury than multiple sclerosis, spinal chord injuries, HIV/Aids, and breast cancer put together. Currently 5.3 million americans live with brain injuries.
Montana is currently second in the nation per capita incidence of Brain Injury, from mild (concussion) to severe (traumatic). Brain Injury is the "Silent Epedemic" and Prevention the only cure!

Upcoming Events

For information regarding any of these events, please feel free to contact us!

January 2012
18th: Troy Meeting
19th: Libby Meeting
February 2012
No Meetings...
March 2012
15th: Libby Meeting
21st: Troy Meeting
April 2012
18th: Troy TBI Support Group Meeting
19th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby
May 2012
16th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Troy
17th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby
June 2012
20th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Troy
21st: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby

July 2012
18th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Troy
19th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby

August 2012
15th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Troy
16th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby

September 2012
19th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Troy
20th: TBI Support Group Meeting in Libby

2012 NVSG Specialty Calendars for Sale

2012 NVSG Specialty Calendars for sale by donation of $10 or more for each. Made by volunteers and members of NVSG. Seasonal Calendar, meeting dates marked, art, photos by members and activity photos, awareness tips, prevention tips, listed symptoms of possible brain injury for recognition, and more information. What a great gift and support for a local non-profit organization that helps persons in Lincoln County. Thank you ahead of time for your purchase.

Urgent Need for Brain Injured Research Patients

Oculearn, LLC needs research patients for a study to determine the efficacy of using Oculearn's on-line TBI screening and therapy. The research study is being funded by the US Army in hopes of aiding brain injured war fighters recover lost cognitive ability due to a TBI. In return the research patients will receive free in-home therapy.

Go to http://www.oculearntbi.com/OculearnTBIScreening/ResearchInterestLandingPage.aspx
Oculearn is on on-line suite of cognitive screening and therapy products that has been used for treating cognitive deficits in brain injured patients and is currently being research verified using funding from a grant from the US Army.

We have priced Oculearn therapy such that, when used at it's recommended frequency (5 hours per week), the cost works out to about $20 per patient per month.

Oculearn is unique in that the therapy provided through Oculearn is customized. Each patient takes our patented Cognitive Screening which takes about 20 minutes and can be done at any internet-connected computer. The screening sets the stage for each persons therapeutic start point. Once begun, the therapy modules continually adapt in difficulty based on each patients success or failure rate to allow them to have success without making it too easy. We also have several ways to optionally personalize the delivery of the therapeutic modules so that they can incorporate familiar sights and sounds that might enhance the patients ability to improve cognitive function. These include:
a) Pictures of loved ones or cherished items to be used in therapy modules that involve memory.
b) Maps of neighborhoods, roads or floor plans that might be familiar to a patient in therapy modules that involve problem solving by giving or taking directions.
c) Video or audio of encouraging words from a friend or loved one to help motivate and reward each patient through positive reinforcement.

The NVSG thanks all who donate.

The money raised sponsors awareness programs through Lincoln County. Also helps to;

• Supply paper, stamps, copies, and other office items.
• Three support group meetings a month.
• Media and other advertising
• Annual attendance to BIAM state conferences.
• NVSG Annual retreat.
• Purchase of education materials.
• This web site at NVSG.ORG
• And much more.