National Conference is Building Bridges beyond Brain Injury

The 4th annual National Brain Injury Employment Conference, Building Bridges, will bring together all the stakeholders in the brain injury and employment fields—survivors, veterans, military personnel, family members and professionals. The two-day conference will feature nationally recognized military and civilian experts, as well as inspirational speakers.

Craig F. Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, will be at the conference with his award winning photos. His series, "Ian Fisher: American Soldier" won the Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize in May of 2010. The Denver Post photographer said the commitment from his paper made the difference. They provided him the needed resources to make the project possible. The project chronicles 27 months of Ian Fisher’s life as a soldier, and his parents and friends are featured in many shots. The compelling story of Ian’s recruitment, induction, training and deployment are captured in the photos, and Walker is able to tell the story of Ian’s return from combat back to his life in the States.

National disability experts Dinah F. B. Cohen and Dr. Janet Niemeier are also featured speakers. Cohen is the Director for the Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program. Dr. Niemeier is the Director of Inpatient Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System and the author of several books focusing on brain injury, including Choosing, Finding and Keeping a Job after Brain Injury. Cohen, Dr. Niemeier and numerous other speakers will offer their expert advice and insights to those attending.

Job seekers with brain injury will learn useful tips on accessing effective tools for employment and strategies for getting through school, job searching and building experience. The conference also offers a special track for veterans with brain injury to provide military and veteran specific information and resources. “Many returning military personnel need help transferring military expertise onto job skills. Once they do that, they identify new employment opportunities,” noted Conference Chair and Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer Nancy Freeman. Professionals will gain insight into cutting-edge brain injury research and innovative employment strategies and have the opportunity to network with professionals from various fields.

Sponsors of this year’s conference include the National MS Society, Craig Hospital, the Colorado TBI Trust Fund, Lash Publishing and Jobing.com. “The MS Society is pleased to collaborate and sponsor the National Brain Injury Employment Conference. This conference is a great opportunity to provide valuable knowledge and resources to people whose employment opportunities have been impacted by a brain injury or chronic illness and are seeking to remain in or re-enter the workforce,” a National MS Society spokesperson stated.

This year’s conference will take place June 16-17, 2010, at the Red Lion Hotel in Aurora, Colorado. The conference is hosted by Denver Options and their national training program, the Center for Technical Assistance and Training (CTAT). To register or learn more about the conference, visit http://ctat-training.com/National_BI_Employment Conference.

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About the Conference Hosts
The National Brain Injury Employment Conference is hosted by Denver Options and Center for Technical Assistance and Training (CTAT). CTAT is a nationally recognized program of Denver Options, specializing in disability related trainings for individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. Denver Options is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that provides flexible, personalized services to help people with intellectual disabilities live active and purposeful lives.

Operation TBI Freedom is a statewide program in Colorado operated by Denver Options.