Resources

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WEBSITES

BC Consensus on Brain Injury

BC Consensus on Brain Injury – Research study on the intersections of Brain Injury, Mental Health, & Addictions (UVic, UBC, CGB Centre Initiative)

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Brain Injury Canada

A national organization focused on education, awareness, and advocacy for the brain injury community.

Go to their website

How a National Brain Injury Strategy Aligns with Party Goals

(Click images to enlarge English & French)

blog posts – brain injury awareness month 2025

The Voices Behind the National Strategy on Brain Injury Act: From Bill C-323 to Bill C-277 to Bill C-206

There are moments in leadership when we are called to inspire. There are moments when we are called to defend. And sometimes—like now—we must do both.

Over the past 3 years, we’ve had 500+ interactions with survivors and families. More than 250 unique voices from across Canada have shaped the movement behind the National Strategy on Brain Injury.

This wasn’t built in a boardroom. It was built in living rooms and kitchens—by people who had everything taken from them and still gave more.

This is your legacy.
You are the authors of this bill.
You are the reason change is possible.

To read the full blog, click here: THE VOICES BEHIND THE NATIONAL STRATEGY ON BRAIN INJURY ACT

What Is the Gold Standard for Brain Injury Care?

The gold standard for brain injury care, as envisioned in Bill C‑206, is not a one-size-fits-all system designed from the top down—it is a people-centered approach built on national guidelines that reflect the best in medical, methodological, and psychosocial practices.

But more than that, the true gold standard is defined by the people who live it—survivors, families, caregivers, and communities. It’s not about what works best for institutions, funders or decision-makers; it’s about what works best for people.

A gold standard in brain injury care must:

Center lived experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of services
Reflect the complex intersections of brain injury with mental health, addiction, housing, justice, and intimate partner violence
Be rooted in dignity, continuity, and compassion, not fragmented systems
Prioritize access, equity, and outcomes over administrative convenience

As we advocate for the national strategy outlined in Bill C‑206, we are not just calling for better systems—we are calling for a reimagined standard of care led by the voices of those who’ve been left navigating it alone for far too long.

That is the gold standard: care that is built with us, not just around us.

A Case for a National Strategy

Blue circle logo with Canada flag in the middle - text national strategy for brain injuries A cross Canada, countless lives are being shaped—and often shattered—by brain injury. Yet this complex, life-altering condition remains systemically neglected in policy and practice. From emergency rooms to shelters, from prisons to long-term care homes, the evidence is clear: brain injury is everywhere. And Canada has no coordinated strategy to deal with it.

The time to act is now. To read the full blog, click here: Case for a National Strategy

Compromising Serves No One: Collaboration is Key

The Crisis We Can’t Afford to Ignore

Brain injury doesn’t just affect individuals—it affects families, communities, and entire systems of care. It’s deeply intertwined with other crises gripping our country: the toxic drug supply, the homelessness emergency, gender-based violence, and the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in the justice system. To read more, click here: Compromising Serves No One

Building Consensus: How Shared Vision Drives Real Change in Brain Injury Support

When it comes to brain injury, the needs are complex, the systems are fragmented, and the silence is deafening. For decades, survivors and families have carried the burden of navigating care that is inconsistent, underfunded, and often invisible within major health and social service systems. That’s why real change won’t come from any one organization, discipline, or level of government. It will come from building consensus—and acting on it.

Consensus is not about everyone agreeing on every detail. It’s about aligning around a shared vision, listening deeply to those with lived experience, and moving forward together with purpose. And in the brain injury community, this work is not only possible—it’s already happening.

The time to act is now. To read the full blog, click here: Building Consensus

Bridging the Gaps: How Provincial Strategies Can Complement a National Vision for Brain Injury

No single policy will solve the challenges faced by people living with brain injury.

But when we link national leadership with provincial innovation, we create a safety net that is stronger, smarter, and more compassionate.

Let’s build a Canada where every person with a brain injury—regardless of where they live—has access to the care, respect, and opportunities they deserve.

It’s time to stop letting geography determine dignity.

Let’s bridge the gaps—together.

To read more, click here: Bridging the Gaps

Beyond Diagnosis: Meet People Where They Are and Provide Care

When someone sustains a brain injury, there’s often a focus on the diagnosis—the CT scan, the medical chart, the list of symptoms. But what happens after that? For too many Canadians, the answer is: not much.

We have built a system that often begins and ends with a diagnosis. But real recovery—and real care—requires more. It requires that we meet people where they are, in every sense: emotionally, physically, spiritually, socially, and economically. A diagnosis is just the beginning of the story.

It’s what comes after that matters most.

To read the full blog, click here: Beyond Diagnosis

From My Experience: Why a National Strategy on Brain Injury Matters to Me

Brain injury doesn’t just affect one person. It reshapes families, futures, and the very fabric of someone’s identity. I watched Gerry struggle to reclaim his sense of self and dignity, all while we scrambled to find services that spoke to his needs—not just as a police officer, but as a human being navigating loss, confusion, and isolation.

There was no roadmap. No central coordination. No national voice to say: You’re not alone, and here’s how we can help.

What we did have was each other—and the resilience to keep going. But it shouldn’t have to be that hard.

To read more, click here: From My Experience

Publications

Ten Priorities for Research Addressing the Intersections of Brain Injury, Mental Health and Addictions

A Stakeholder-Driven Priority-Setting Study. Health Expectations, 27: e14136.

The purpose of this study was to engage key stakeholders in a health research priority-setting process to identify, prioritize and produce a community-driven list of research questions addressing intersectional issues on mental health and addictions (MHA) in acquired brain injury (ABI).

Cole J. Kennedy, Erica Woodin, Julia Schmidt, Janelle Breese Biagioni, Mauricio A. Garcia-Barrera

Read the journal publication

Brain injury after overdose is a hidden epidemic.

Recognizing and treating the survivors of the toxic drug crisis.

Mauricio A. Garcia-Barrera & Cole J. Kennedy discuss the impact of brain injury at BC Consensus Day at the University of Victoria. As many as 600,000 overdose-related brain injuries have occurred in Canada during the toxic drug crisis. (Mauricio A. Garcia-Barrera), Author provided (no reuse)

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Understanding the Barriers and Facilitators of Healthcare Services for Brain Injury and Concurrent Mental Health and Substance Use Issues:

A Qualitative Study Grewal, J., Kennedy C. J., Mamman, R., Biagioni, J. B., Garcia-Barrera, M. A., & Schmidt, J. (In press). BMC Health Services Research.

Read the journal publication