Residential services are provided on a fee for service basis.  For people who do not have support dollars committed, assistance can be provided to apply for funding through appropriate Ministries or through other funders such as ICBC, WCB, private insurance, victims assistance etc.  Cost of residential services vary considerably and is based upon the needs of the individual survivor.

QUINCE STREET GROUP HOME

The PRINCE GEORGE BRAIN INJURED GROUP runs a residential group home for 5 individuals who are profoundly medically affected by their brain injury.  The home is licensed through Community Care Licensing.  The home is funded by the Northern Health Authority, BC Housing Management Commission and an indexed user fee.

Quince Street Group Home

Like all of our programs the focus of the group home is "Making Participation Possible".  In addition to receiving excellent personal, physical & medical care, tenants are supported in the re-learning of old skills and the acquisition of new skills.  They are assisted to engage in personally rewarding activities, to live their lives in their own way, to develop relationships with others both inside and outside of their home and to have as much fun as possible.  

The home is run as much like a typical home as possible given the high degree of medical issues and the disruptions caused by addressing these issues. 

ONE TO ONE RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

One to one residential programs established to serve the needs of specific individuals.  They are typically created as a joint effort between the survivor and their families in cooperation with the funding agency and associated professionals.  They can be created as either long term or short term solutions to specific issues.  The service can be offered in the individuals own home or in accommodations which PG BIG would arrange.

PG BIG provides one to one residential programs for a number of individuals and it is the ideal model of care for many.  It is however a very expensive solution requiring a considerable commitment by the funding agent.  It is only considered after more generic options have been explored and have not been successful. 

As with all of our services we follow our "Making Participation Possible" philosophy in the provision of one to one residential services.  Rehabilitation, personal responsibility and personal choice are stressed. Semi-independent living requires cooperation between the client and family, the funding agent and PG BIG. The individual receiving the service does not have complete autonomy in program decisions.

Note that the one to one residential service model is sometimes adapted to provide service to more than one individual at one site.

SHORT TERM COMMUNITY REHABILITATION

The focus of our Community Rehab Program is to assist survivors in goal-directed rehabilitation to overcome cognitive deficits by teaching compensatory strategies.  The goals are set out by the survivors in consultation with the Case Manager and/or Community Program Director, O.T., General Practitioner, Neuropsychologist, or Psychologist.  The survivor works one to one with our Community Rehab Assistants, under the direction of the program director, within the confines of short term contracts with various funders.  Community Rehabilitation is provided on a fee for service basis. The BRAIN INJURED GROUP SOCIETY reserves some of its own funds to provide this service in emergency situations.

LONG TERM COMMUNITY REHABILITATION

Survivors of brain injury frequently require life skills re-training.  Prior to service provision an assessment will be conducted either through by our Community Program Director or independently by an Occupational Therapist, a Neuropsychologist or a Psychologist.  Areas of need may be:

• areas of daily living such as cooking, cleaning, etc.
  
• assistance with community re-entry
  
• social skills development
  
• the development of compensatory strategies
  
• anger management
  
• budgeting and money management

In some situations an individual may have adequate support at home or may even be quite independent in his/her own environment but may have difficulty in getting out and "making a life" for himself.  In such instances support can be provided to access community recreation activities and perform volunteer work.   Life Skills retraining and community access support is provided on a fee for service basis. The BRAIN INJURED GROUP SOCIETY reserves some of its own funds to provide some services in emergency situations.

Our Case Management service provides “whatever it takes” to assist survivors to live successfully in the community:

• All BIG services are education based. We provide brain injury specific education for the survivor, family, friends and professionals regarding brain injury in general and this survivors brain injury in particular. All assistance focuses on helping the individual to develop skills to manage independently.
• Many survivors choose to work on goal based individual plans with their case manager. Plans and strategies are developed and amended as required and focus on activities of daily living (money management is the most frequent need), self-care, relationship building & social skills.
• We provide assistance & support in liaising with other, appropriate community professionals and services
• When requested, we attend meetings with doctors, RCMP etc to act in the role of “interpreter”, note taker etc.
• We act for the survivor as service co-coordinators when a number of services or individuals are involved with the individuals care
• We provide informal, practical support & counseling
• We are available for emergency assistance in the event of a crisis
• We complete applications for pensions, rehabilitation centers, substance abuse treatment etc. as required
• We assist in finding suitable accommodation etc.
• Other supports as needed

When third party or government funding might be available and regular support is recommended we advocate for funded one to one service.

INTRODUCTION TO BRAIN INJURY:

• This class is held ‘as needed’, usually 4 times a year, according to need.
• This educational class consists of a six hours session (3 days @ 2 hours).
• The target audience consists of survivors (new and old), family members, staff members (new and old), and community members looking to learn more about the brain and brain injury.
• The topics covered include basic information about the brain function, what happens after brain injury and how to cope with the effects of injury.
• Survivors, family members and staff sharing their stories and perspectives enhance the classroom style teaching of information and helps people to feel more comfortable in joining BIG for rehabilitative support.

COPING STRATEGIES COURSE: 

• This thirty two hour training course helps survivors learn different coping strategies for activities of daily living, memory enhancement, social issues etc.
• The course is facilitated in 2, two-hour sessions a week over 8 weeks or in a single session a week for 16 weeks.

PROBLEM SOLVING CLASSES:

• This is an open, cognitive based class that focuses on individual issues, validation, sharing, group problem solving and resolution.
• Survivors must be able to work at a cognitive level, although some behavioral issues are addressed to facilitate the group process.
• Individual problem solving offered 1:1 basis when needed. most learning from each other.

ANGER MANAGEMENT: 

• This is an 8-week program that combines weekly group work with one to one counseling for both the survivor and close family members.
• This internally developed program was initially funded through a grant from the Rick Hansen Foundation.
• Evaluations conducted by the University of Northern British Columbia found that participants experienced a statistically significant reduction of target (problem) behaviors even 6 months after participation in the program.

PEER GROUP:

• This is an extremely popular and dynamic group which meets every Thursday afternoon.
• Survivors attending this group must have some insight, be capable of sitting quietly while others speak and be working toward their own rehabilitation.
• Members choose the session focus and make the primary decisions affecting the group.
• Guests are invited to address particular issues & concerns.
• Time is spent at each session just visiting.  Group members provide a good deal of personal support to one another both within the group setting and after hours.
• Many long-term friendships evolve among group members.

WEEKLY / MONTHLY ACTIVITIES:

• Members get together for fun activities such as movies, dances, games, parties, outings, crib tournaments and special projects.
• The majority of the events are held at our own office

FAMILY EDUCATION:

• Family members are considered to be clients of the agency and access one to one services through our Case Managers.
• A group education series is scheduled on an as needed basis.
• Family members are educated on brain injury and its possible deficits as well as new strategies. Guest speakers, video's and written material are the basis of this training.
• Facilitated discussions focus on issues relevant to families of survivors.
• This program allows family members to support and be supported by others who are in similar situations.
• Family members are encouraged to attend the “Introduction to Brain Injury” classes.

Special Events

• Parties: Members of our groups are all invited to participate in parties for nearly every "celebration" such as Canada Day, Halloween etc. Our Christmas Party is an annual highlight which gets better every year!
• Camping: Our annual 3 day camping trip at Ness Lake is looked forward to by all survivors.
• Mock Casino: Our annual “mock casino” is a very, very popular event.
• “Special, special events”: Day and overnight hikes, fishing trips or attendance at events in other communities are occasional “perks” to belonging and participating at BIG. These “very special” special events are allocated carefully based on abilities, interests, friendships (and the opposite!) with other members and fairness to ensure that some survivors are not favored over others.
• Community Education events always include survivors talking about their own experiences with brain injury. This includes presentations to schools, college & university classes, community displays, conferences, prevention activities etc