Brain Injury and Juvenile Justice: Implications for Pediatric Rehabilitation was presented by MJ Schmidt, MA, CBIS  and  Monica Vacarro, MS, CBIS on April 4th, 2017.

MJ Schmidt is a NeuroResource Facilitator at the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA) where she conducts screenings for brain injury with incarcerated individuals and detained juveniles.  In this role, she assists with appropriate referrals for treatment/resources, offers brain injury counseling and support, and assists with mandated and other correctional programming. MJ is also an educator, providing training and support to staff within the criminal justice system as well as to staff in halfway houses, parole agents, community service providers, schools, and families.

MJ received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond in Psychology and Women’s Studies and her Master of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University in Rehabilitation Administration Services and Rehabilitation Counseling.  She also holds a certification as a Brain Injury Specialist. MJ currently chairs the Board of Directors for the Council on Brain Injury and is a member of the Brain Injury Special Interest Group for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Monica Vaccaro is a Program Manager for the BIAPA. She has over 22 years of experience working with individuals with brain injury, and 10 years of experience working as a teacher in special education prior to that.  In her role as program manager, she provides programmatic leadership to BIAPA programs, including the BrainSTEPS School Re-entry program, NeuroResource Facilitation for Youth with Brain Injury in Juvenile Detention, and the Brain Injury Resource Line, among others.  She also serves as a Research Associate at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in the traumatic brain injury laboratory.  Monica has developed trainings on brain injury and is a community educator as well.  She is active in the development of support groups statewide and represents them in the Pennsylvania Brain Injury Coalition, an advocacy group focused on state policy and legislative issues.

Monica received her Bachelors Degree in Education with a Concentration in Special Education from West Chester University and her Masters Degree in Education from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Monica and MJ are both well published in their field and enjoy speaking professionally.

At the end of the session, each participant will:

• Understand recent literature about the prevalence of brain injury in corrections populations,
• Discuss the impact of acquired brain injury on youth in the Juvenile Justice System,
• Describe a method for identifying youth with brain injury through screening and assessment,
• Implement strategies for family education and prevention of poor decision making in at risk populations,
• Define and explain the process of NeuroResource Facilitation for this population.

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