TBI State Demonstration Grants.

Abstract

In July 1996, the Congress enacted Public Law 104-166, "to provide for the conduct of expanded studies and the establishment of innovative programs with respect to traumatic brain injury" (TBI). Under the Law, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is charged with implementing a State Demonstration Grant Program to improve access to health and other services for individuals with TBI and their families. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also been delegated responsibilities in the areas of research, surveillance and prevention, respectively. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an insult to the brain from some externally inflicted trauma to the head that results in significant impairment to an individual's physical, psychosocial, and/or cognitive functional abilities. Motor vehicle crashes, falls, violence, and sport-related injuries are the major causes of TBI; the number one killer and cause of disability for young people in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified that approximately 5.3 million Americans live with the effects of TBI. About half the estimated 1.9 million Americans who experience traumatic brain injuries each year incur at least short-term disability; 52,000 people die as a result of their injuries; and more than 90,000 people sustain severe brain injuries leading to debilitating loss of function. The direct medical costs for treatment of TBI have been estimated at more than $4 billion annually. There are two program categories in the TBI State Demonstration Grant Program: Planning and Implementation. The planning category provides support to those States that need assistance in developing an infrastructure for individuals with TBI in their families. The implementation category supports the development and expansion of activities that will improve or enhance access to services for individuals with TBI and their families, within the current service delivery system.