Affiliations

Ontario Brain Injury Association
(Mail) PO Box 2338 St. Catherines ON L2R 7R9
(Courier) 3550 Schmon Parkway 2nd Floor
Thorold ON L2V 4Y6
Phone: 905-641-8877 or toll free: 1-800-263-5404
Fax: 905-641-0323
Email: obia@obia.on.ca
click here to listen to OBIA Executive Director, John Kumpf's podcast about the Peer Mentor Program on the Health Council of Canada website

New Provincial ABI Survey

The Ontario Brain Injury Association has developed a New Provincial survey to gather data on the status of people living with a Brain Injury. This survey replaces the CISL survey that OBIA used for 15 years and which many survivors and family members completed annually. The development of the new survey was funded by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, which hosted a two-day Think Tank comprised of representatives of survivors, caregivers, researchers, insurers, and the Ministry of Health. After it was determined what kind of data would likely be useful to researchers, funders, and policy makers, a professional survey writer from the University of Toronto was hired to create both an Adult version and a Child and Youth version. Both versions include a piece that will reflect the effect of the Brain Injury on Caregivers. Several drafts were run by the participants in the Think Tank, and then 30 of each form were piloted with both former respondents and new respondents along with a Feedback sheet. The result is that we now have a survey that I think will effectively gather information on the effects of Brain Injury over the life span which will be of use to researchers, funders, and policymakers. Of course all information is kept in the strictest confidence and each year statistical reports will be published.

This survey is available via the OBIA website or by calling the OBIA office at 905 641-8877 or toll free at 1-800-263-5404.

Please note: You may also call the BIALR office at 519 642-4539 and we will be pleased to send out a Survey Release of Information form to you. We ask that you then return the signed form to our office, and we will forward to the OBIA office. The OBIA support staff will contact you regarding completing the survey over the phone and/or send you a copy of the survey for completion.

Community Support Network

For people living with Acquired Brain Injury

The Ontario Brain Injury Association and participating community brain injury associations have formally linked their organizations to become the Community Support Network.

CSN's main purposes are to provide a stronger voice for people living with acquired brain injury and to develop and produce province-wide programs. To date, those programs include: Peer Support Mentoring Program for People Living With ABI; ABI Directory of Services; Biennial Provincial Conference (October 2009); Dual Membership.

All of these initiatives are developed by committees of the OBIA Advisory Council, which is made up of representatives from regional brain injury associations and OBIA

Across the Province

OBIA Advisory Council (OAC)

Review of 2009
On November 13, the OAC held its final meeting of 2009. Representatives from across the province spent some time revieweing the role and purpose of the OAC and talked about how they can strengthen the communication and flow of information from you, the members of our associations, with the leadership of their local association, with the OAC and with the Ontario Brain Injury Association. Looking ahead to 2010, we will be introducing some new standards for how we work in an effort to offer better service to you. We will be introducing a Code of Ethics for staff, volunteers and consultants, and ensuring that all associations have policies about confidentiality that will better protect your privacy.

Over the past year,OAC representatives have increased their knowledge through workshops on:

Fund development
Legal aid services
Income maintenance programs (i.e. ODSP, CPP, Long Term Disability, Ontario Works)

Participation in these workshops helps increase the knowledge of community resources so that your association is better able to share information with you.

In 2009, we worked together on the Provincial Conference, Peer Support and the Dual Membership progam. We had greater collaboration than ever before. Seventeen associations participated in the provincial conference hosted by the Brain Injury Association of Niagara (BIAN) and OBIA. Local associations contributed volunteers and door prizes and their presence was felt by those in attendance. Our collective efforts to promote the conference resulted in a sell-out crowd of 566 delegates.
In Peer Mentoring, we were happy to add the Brain Injury Association of Thunder Bay to the participating associations. There are now fifteen associations offering Peer Mentoring. In 2009, we hosted Mentor training sessions in Peterborough, London, Belleville, Mississauga, and we will finish the year with a Mentor training session in Toronto. With our collective efforts, we have been able to train 134 Mentors and support 132 Partners through this program. In 2010, we plan to increase our marketing efforts and extend our reach.

On behalf of OAC, we wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season and look forward to even greater success in 2010!

Community Associations

Belleville
Brain Injury Association of Quinte District
281 Front Street, Belleville
Belleville, ON K8N 2Z6
Phone: 613-967-2756 or toll free: 1-866-896-8884
Fax: 613-967-1108
E-mail:biaqd@bellnet.ca
Contact: Pam Ferrill

Chatham
Brain Injury Association of Chatham Kent
9 Maple Leaf Drive
Chatam ON N7M 6H2
Phone: 519-351-0297
Fax: 519-351-7600
Email: biack@ciaccess.com
Contact: Michelle Suitor

Durham Region
Head Injury Association of Durham Region
24-850 King Street West
Oshawa ON L1J 8N5
Phone: 905-723-2732 or toll free: 1-866-354-4464
Fax: 905-723-4936
Email: headinjuryassoc@rogers.com
Contact: Frank Murphy, Exec Dir.

Fort Erie
Head Injury Association of Fort Erie and District
649 Niagara Boulevard
Fort Erie ON L2A 3H7
Phone: 905-871-7789
Fax: 905-871-7832
Email: hiafeadmin@bellnet.ca
Contact: Donna Summerville

Grey Bruce Area
Brain Injury Association of Grey Bruce
P.O Box 481
Owen Sound ON N4K 5P7
Phone: 519-373-8555
Email: biagrey-bruce@hotmail.com
Contact: Chris Farrell

Hamilton-Wentworth
Hamilton Brain Injury Association
PO Box 57603 Jackson Station
Hamilton ON L8P 4X2
Phone: 905-521-2100 Ext. 74632
Fax: 905-521-7297
Contact: Milinda Alexander

Kingston
Brain Injury Associatoin of Southeastern Ontario
c/o Epilepsy Kingston
100 Stuart St.
Kingston ON K7L 2V6
Phone: 613-536-1555
Fax: 613-358-4162
Email: BIASEO@epilepsykingston.org

Niagara Area
Brain Injury Association of Niagara
111 Church Street
St. Catherines ON L2R 3C9
Phone: 905-984-5058
Fax: 905-984-5354
Email: bianstaf@niagara.com
Contact: Pat Dracup

North Bay Area
Brain Injury Association of North Bay and Area
280 Oakwood Ave.
North Bay ON P1B 9G2
Phone: 705-840-8882
Email: contact@bianba.ca
Contact: Katy Snodden

Ottawa Area
Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley
Brain Injury Association of Ottawa Valley
212-211 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa ON K1R 6H5
Phone: 613-233-8303
Fax: 613-233-8422
Contact: Wendy Charbonneau

Peel-Halton
Brain Injury Association of Peel and Halton
2155 Leanne Boulevard.
Mississauga ON L5K 2K8
Phone: 905-823-2221 or toll free: 1-800-565-8594
Fax: 905-823-9960
Email: biaph@biaph.com
Contact: Jorun(Jo) Rucels

Peterborough Area
Four Counties Brain Injury Association
160 Charlotte St. Unit 100
Peterborough ON K9J 2T8
Phone: 705-741-1172 or toll free: 1-800-854-9738
Fax: 705-741-5129
Email: fcbia@nexicom.net
Contact:Cheryl Ann Hassan

Sarnia-Lambton
Brain Injury Association of Sarnia-Lambton
B1705 London Line
Sarnia ON N7W 1B2
Phone: 519-337-5657
Fax: 519-337-1024
Email: braininjuryassoc@cogeco.net
Contact: Susan St. Pierre, Director
or Paul Wooley, President

Sault Ste. Marie
Brain Injury Association of Sault Ste. Marie & District
127-31 Old Garden River Rd.
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6B 5Y7
Phone: 705-946-0172
Fax: 705-946-0594
Email: biassmd@shaw.ca
Contact: Frank Halford, Board Chair

Sudbury and District
Brain Injury Association of Sudbury &District Branch
576 A Haig Street
Sudbury ON P3C 5P8
Phone: 705-670 0200
Fax: 705-670-1462
Email: info@biasd.com
Contact: Rebecca Thibodeau

Thunder Bay
Brain Injury Association of Thunder Bay & Area
217-100 Memorial Ave.
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3
Phone: (807) 624-4164

Timmins
Seizure Brain Injury Centre
Seizure and brain injury Centre
60 Wilson Avenue
Timmins ON P4N 2S7
Phone: 705-264-2933
Fax: 705-264-0350
Contact: Rhonda Latendresse

Toronto (GTA)
Brain Injury Society of Toronto
Box 49999, 660 Eglinton Ave East,
Toronto, ON M4G 4G1
Phone:416-830-1485
Email:info@bist.ca

Waterloo-Wellington
Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington
607 King Street West, Unit 5A Opportunity Centre
Kitchener ON N2G 1C7
Phone: 519-579-5300
Fax: 519-579-0118
Email: biaww@bellnet.ca
Contact: Patti Lehman, Exec Dir.

Windsor/Essex
Brain Injury Association of Windsor and Essex County
201 West Grand Boulevard, Unit 200
Windsor ON N9E 3W7
Phone: 519-733-4900
Contact: Nancy Nicholson or Tammy Filiault

York Region
York Region Head Injury Support Group
11181 Yonge Street, 3rd floor
Richmond Hill ON L4S 1L2
Phone: 905-780-1236
Fax: 905-780-1524
Email: daveblakemore@rogers.com
Website: www.yorkabi.ca
Contact: Dave Blakemore, President