School Re-entry: BrainSTEPS

The BrainSTEPS Program was created by the PA Department of Health in 2007, and is implemented by the Brain Injury Association of PA. The program is currently funded by the PA Department of Health and the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education through the PaTTAN network.

BrainSTEPS teams exist in all areas of Pennsylvania and can provide:

• Accurate identification and intervention by personnel already employed in the school system
• Coordinated training and consultation regarding identification, school re-entry planning, IEP development, intervention selection and implementation, long-term monitoring of students, and other concerns professionals face in supporting students with traumatic brain injury
• Consistent and familiar contacts for hospitals and rehabilitation personnel working to successfully transition children back into school

More information about the program, including how to make referral can be found on the BrainSTEPS website.

Concussion Management Teams

BrainSTEPS created the Return to Learn Concussion Management Team (CMT) training to teach school staff to manage student concussions for the initial 4-6 weeks post concussion. CMT members learn how concussion affects learning and strategies they can employ to help students remain in school throughout the recovery process. They are trained to monitor a student’s academics and physical symptoms while gathering appropriate data to justify educational decisions and promote recovery.

If your local school has not yet joined the hundreds of Return to Learn CMTs in PA, we encourage you to contact your school superintendent and principal to share information about this program. Details, including how to form a CMT and access the training, can be found on the BrainSTEPS website.

Brain Injury Resource Line 1-800-444-6443