BrainSTEPS Brain Injury School Consulting Program in Pennsylvania
The BrainSTEPS Program was created in 2007 to build a bridge connecting the medical, rehabilitation, education sectors and families following student (K-12) acquired brain injury (ABI). BrainSTEPS provides brain injury-related consultation & training to school staff, students, & parents.
ABOUT US
Who We Are
Brain injuries can cause cognitive, physical, socio-emotional, and behavioral impairments that impact classroom performance and learning. Pennsylvania's BrainSTEPS (Strategies Teaching Educators, Parents, and Students) Brain Injury School Consulting Program is in its 15th year of assisting school districts. BrainSTEPS was created by the PA Department of Health and is jointly funded by the PA Department of Health and Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education via the PaTTAN network. BrainSTEPS is directed by the Brain Injury Association of PA and implemented by Pennsylvania's educational Intermediate Units that cover all public schools. In 2016, the Colorado Department of Education adopted the BrainSTEPS model for statewide implementation.
What BrainSTEPS Does
BrainSTEPS is comprised of over 230+ brain injury educational consultants serving on regional teams based out of the educational Intermediate Units. BrainSTEPS teams cover all Pennsylvania public schools and provide brain injury consultation and training to their school districts when a child has been identified as having experienced an acquired brain injury. An acquired brain injury includes traumatic brain injuries of all severities, concussions, and non-traumatic brain injuries.
BrainSTEPS Supports the Following Types of Acquired Brain Injuries in Students Click the below to see many causes of brain injury that BrainSTEPS supports!
Concussions/Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries
Moderate & Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries
Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries
Learn All About BrainSTEPS
Who can make a referral to BrainSTEPS for a Pennsylvania student who experiences a brain injury? Anyone! Make a referral directly to BrainSTEPS for any student with a brain injury that occurred at any point after birth. This includes both Traumatic Brain Injuries (& concussion) and Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Check Out Our Ancillary Model for Just Concussion Support! BrainSTEPS Created Pennsylvania's Official School District Return to Learn Concussion Management Team (RTL CMT) Model
For Concussions Only: BrainSTEPS works with school districts across the state to prepare their staff to not only understand concussion and symptom-based academic supports, but to provide two layers of academic support for any student who does not recover by 4 weeks post-concussion. At 4 weeks post-concussion, the school-based RTL CMT will refer any student not recovered to their regional Intermediate Unit BrainSTEPS team for higher-level consultation, training, and monitoring.
The BrainSTEPS concussion team training model offers Pennsylvania schools for FREE:
- 5 hours of online, on demand training in concussion academic management
- Ongoing BrainSTEPS support for your school district teams
- Return to Learn Concussion Monitoring Toolkit which includes:
- Official BrainSTEPS & PA Department of Education created Return to Learn Protocol
- Return to Learn Fidelity of Implementation Checklist
- Academic Monitoring Tools
- Symptom Monitoring Tool Elementary
- Symptom Monitoring Tool Middle/High
- A series of individualizable teacher academic adjustment support letters depending on the phase of recovery
- Parent letter (individualizable)
- School cumulative file letter (individualizable)
- And more!
Consultation and training available for all severities of student acquired brain injuries (TBIs and nonTBIs) including concussions.
Consultation and training available for all severities of student acquired brain injuries (TBIs and nonTBIs) including concussions.
Consultation and training available for all severities of student acquired brain injuries (TBIs and nonTBIs) including concussions.
Contact BrainSTEPS
Get In Touch
- Enter Your Contact Information Below to be Placed on our Brain Injury Training Notification Email List!
In 2007, the BrainSTEPS Brain Injury School Consulting Program was established in Pennsylvania (PA) by the PA Department of Health and is jointly funded by the PA Department of Health and Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education via the PaTTAN network.
BrainSTEPS is implemented by the educational Intermediate Units across the Commonwealth and is overseen by the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania.
