INTRODUCTION

This presentation is made up of
three elements:



What was available to survivors before
the Clubhouse
What the Clubhouse is/does
How people’s lives are improved by
participating in the Clubhouse
Brain injury
Hospital
Rehabilitation Services
?
What Happened to My Life?




The survivor has very structured, intensive
care, then services end. The survivor
sometimes experiences this as an abrupt
ending to their recovery.
There is often intensive support from family
and friends, but the survivor can return to the
role of child in the family, impeding moving on
to next steps.
The survivor can lose important markers of
identity – worker, friend, partner, parent.
Eventually, the role of “patient” also ends,
leaving another hole in the survivor’s identity.
Progress can slow, and the survivor can
become isolated.
Social
Services
not geared for
TBI Survivors
Rehabilitation
Hospitals
Western
State
Hospital
Supportive
Services for
TBI Survivors
BIAWA
TBI
Support
Groups
Private
Rehabilitation
Services
TBI Council
and
TBI Fund
Employment
Services
Not Geared
for TBI
Survivors
Resource
Management
Services
TBI
Resource
Line
Seattle
BrainWorks
How Seattle BrainWorks Began


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Advocacy addressing the gap in
community-based services for
TBI survivors
TBI Clubhouse pilot contract
was awarded to PROVAIL in
November, 2009
Seattle BrainWorks opened
March 1, 2010.
THE CLUBHOUSE MODEL

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Based on a model started in 1948 for
people with psychiatric disabilities
Follows International Brain Injury
Clubhouse Association (IBICA) Standards
- Member-driven
- Productivity focus
- Breaking down tasks into manageable
parts
Only 16 IBICA brain injury clubhouses in
the world
SCHEDULE
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
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9:00am – 3:00pm, Tuesday-Friday
Each member commits to a
schedule to participate in the
Clubhouse
Structured, day-long, work-related
activities — the Clubhouse is a
member-driven place of work
GOAL-SETTING WITH
INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE PLANS
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Initial assessment
Individualized Service Plan (ISP)
that can include family, friends, and
service providers
Goal-setting around increasing
productivity and work skills, home
and community support, and
socialization
Ongoing progress check-ins
KITCHEN UNIT
BUSINESS UNIT
LUNCH AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
ADVOCACY AND TUESDAY
WEEKLY MEETING
Supporting SHB 1614 at the State Capitol in 2011
Tuesday Weekly Meeting
WHO MEMBERS ARE

Gender
o Age
70% male
30% female
18-24 – 10%
25-44 – 38%
45-64 – 49%
65+ – 3%
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon
member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.
WHO MEMBERS ARE

Ethnicity
84% White
5% Mixed or more than one identified
2.6% Hispanic
2.6% Asian
2.6% Filipino

Education
Grade School – 2.5%
High School Graduation or GED – 22.5%
Some College – 5%
Technical Training – 27.5%
Associates Degree – 10%
Bachelors Degree – 17.5%
Masters Degree – 7.5%
Doctorate or Professional Degree – 2.5%
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon
member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members with 2
members not indicating their ethnicity or education.
TYPE OF BRAIN INJURY
Type of Brain Injury
35
30
Causes of Traumatic
Brain Injury
20
18
15
10
5
0
16
14
# of Members
# of Members
25
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon
member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.
PHYSICAL/COMMUNICATION
CHALLENGES
# of Members
Physical Challenges
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Walking
Balance
Paralysis or
Weakness
Poor
Endurance
Difficulty with Vision
Trouble with
Daily Living
Skills
Tremors or Limitations in No Challenges
Plasticity
Lifting
Difficulty with Language and Speech
30
20
18
16
20
# of Members
# of Members
25
15
10
14
12
10
8
6
4
5
2
0
0
Seeing
Clearly
Double
Vision
Problems
with Bright
Light
Wear
Glasses
Other
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon
member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.
No
Challenges
Speaking
Following
Conversations
or Directions
Writing
Reading
Word Finding No Challenges
Problems
THINKING/BEHAVIORAL
CHALLENGES
Challenges with Thinking
35
# of Members
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Difficulty with Emotions or Behavior
30
# of Members
25
20
15
10
5
0
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon
member’s entry to program – sample size 40 members.
PARTICIPATION
# of Members
Reason for Coming to the
Clubhouse
20
15
10
5
0
Demographic data collected by self/caregiver report upon member’s entry
to program and member satisfaction survey- sample size 26 members.
CHALLENGES
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
Funding
Difficulty for TBI survivors to break
out of isolation and seek support
Emotional dysregulation sometimes
makes for challenging group
dynamics
Groups, bright lights, and noise can
be overstimulating for survivors
THINKING AND SOCIALIZATION
SKILLS
SUCCESSES
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Our members are making progress!

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More time spent in the program, reducing isolation:
 Members now spend 93% more hours at the Clubhouse than
they did 1 year ago.
 A year ago, we had an average of 6.5 members per day; now
see an average of 11 per day.
Being involved: 58% surveyed feel “very much so” or “completely”
involved in decision-making at the Clubhouse. Another 26% feel
“somewhat involved.”
Social skills: 50% surveyed feel that the program has helped them
“a lot” in increasing socialization skills, (interacting with peers,
making friends).
Thinking skills: 42% surveyed fell that the program has helped
them “a lot” in increasing skills in thinking (attention, problemsolving).
SUPPORT
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The TBI Community has supported the
Clubhouse

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Strong, dedicated Advisory Board
Generous, growing donor support
Collaboration with BIAWA and others in brain
injury community
Mentoring from IBICA Clubhouse network and
local Clubhouse supporting people in recovery
from mental health issues
A committed, supportive home at PROVAIL
TELL ME ABOUT THE STAFF!
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
Erin Rants, Program Director – Background in direct
service with families experiencing homelessness.
Has a sibling with a TBI. Master of Social Work from
University of Washington.
Jamie Johnson, Floor Coordinator – Completed ninemonth internship in TBI Clubhouse in Virginia.
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Christopher
Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Website:
seattlebrainworks.org
Contact: Erin Rants
(206) 826-1072
erinr@provail.org