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What's Next?

“Therapy Without Borders"

September 22nd at 12pm

“Home Modification"

December 15th at 12pm

What to Expect

WEBINAR BASICS

Audio

Questions in the "chat" box

Certificates

Surveys

Email: webinar@bianc.net

Poll

• An individual living with a brain injury

• A family member/friend/ally

• Provider/professional

I would describe myself as:

Your Speaker

LAUREN COSTELLO, MS

CRC CBIST

Statewide Training

Brain Injury Association of NC

LYNN MAKOR, MA, CAGS

Consultant

Department of Public Instruction –

Exceptional Children Division

Concussion (mTBI) Management and MonitoringSupporting Students in NC Public Schools

Brain Injury Association of North Carolina

2020 Webinar Series – Achieve Together

April 21, 2020

Presenter Information:

Lynn Makor, M.A., CAGS Consultant for School Psychology

NC Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional Children Division

lynn.makor@dpi.nc.gov

School Psychology Website: https://ncschoolpsychology.med.unc.edu/

@ncschoolpsyNCDPI School Psychology

Appointed Member:

NC Brain Injury Advisory

Council

Former Chair:

Children and Youth Committee

Learning Objectives:

• Review concussion information, prevalence data, and sports/non-sports injuries

• Analyze essential components of education policy related to supporting school-age children and youth who sustain a concussion

• Consider the necessity of effective communication between health care providers, caregivers and school staff in ensuring adequate recovery and prevention efforts

NC’s Important “Who”Over 1.5 Million Students

2018-2019 Data:• 100 Counties• 115 LEAs• 185 Charter Schools • Total Student Population: 1,530,853

Wake County (160,471 students)

Hyde County (580 students)

Concussion Defined:

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Preventionhttps://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html

Care ApproachMost symptoms will resolve within a few weeks• However, may get worse before they

get better

Individualized approach

Cognitive rest• Difficult to ‘rest’ your brain – more

intentional awareness needed

Presence of pre-existing mental/behavioral health conditions is more likely to extend symptoms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Pediatric mTBI Guideline

Provides essential recommendations for healthcare providers

NC’s Compelling “Why”

A public health & educational concern:

• Concussion prevalence

• Impact of symptoms on school functioning

• Lacking a system of monitoring/management for all students

NC’s Why: Concussion Prevalence

• More than 3 million (known) cases a year in the United States

• Most common type of mild brain injury

• Can lead to other, temporary cognitive symptoms

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.

NC’s Why: Concussions are Serious

• Medical providers may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening

• Even so, the effects of a concussion can be serious

http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html

The Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness

Act was drafted and implemented to

protect the safety of student-athletes in North Carolina and

was signed into law on June 16, 2011

NC’s Why: Protections Existed for Student-Athletes Only

Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act

NC’s “What”: Education Policy to Support ALL Students

Item Description

Policy Title Return-to-Learn After Concussion

Policy Category Student Health Issues (SHLT)

Policy ID SHLT-001

Policy Date 2015-09-01

Statutory Reference GS 115C-12(12)

SHLT-001 – Key Components:

NC Public Schools must:A. Develop a plan, to include four main requirements

B. Identify a team responsible for identifying and monitoring students who sustain concussion

C. Provide relevant staff development on concussion and district/schoolprocedures (annually)

D. Include a system of surveillance (question about head injury) collectedannually

A) Develop a plan

All schools must develop a plan for addressing needs, which must include:

1) Guidelines for removal

2) Notification procedure

3) Medical care plan/school accommodations

4) Delineation of return to learn or play requirements

B) Identify Team of Professionals

Each school must appoint a team of people responsible for identifying the return-to-learn or play needs of a student who has suffered a concussion. This team may include the student, student’s parent, the principal, school nurse, school counselor, school psychologist, or other appropriate designated professional.

C) Provide Annual Staff Education

Each LEA and charter school must provide information and staff development on an annual basis to all teachers and other school personnel in order to support and assist students who have sustained a concussion in accordance with their learning and behavioral needs. This annual training should include information on concussion and other brain injuries, with a particular focus on return-to-learn issues and concerns.

D) Collect Concussion Information Annually

Each LEA and charter school will include in its annual student health history and emergency medical information update a question related to any head injury/concussion the student may have incurred during the past year.

Develop a Plan Identify a Team

Provide Annual Staff Education

Collect Annual Data

SHLT-001

Information/Resources

Return-to-Learn Implementation Guide

This resource was developed to support teams of professionals in establishing and delivering their response, support and monitoring protocol to ensure a

student’s healthy and safe return to the school environment after sustaining a

concussion.

Information/Resources

• Access the Slides

• Notetaking Handout

OUTCOME DATA:

Return-to-Learn Policy

SHLT-001

https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4536303/School-Health-Services-Resource

93%

412

819

1865

684

1190

2542

794

1592

3282

795

1394

3339

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Elem Mid High

NC Public Schools Concussion Data

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

93%

94%

76%

2016-2018

2016-2018

2016-2018

Concussion Information/Resources

NC DPI School PsychologyConcussion Webpage

Developed to support effective concussion management and

monitoring for ALL NC public school students who sustain a concussion, in accordance with State Board of

Education Policy SHLT-001.

Increase Communication and Raise Awareness

Request (24x36) Poster

Concussion Information Brochures (English and Spanish)

Request Brochures

These educational resources were developed for distribution through a partnership between the NC Brain Injury Advisory Council, Children and Youth Committee and NC Department of Health and Human Services TBI Team.

Thank you!