Post by Admin on Dec 8, 2015 17:27:50 GMT -6
Raid Oklahoma is one of the campaigns for my organization, TBI Raiders. It’s a grassroots organization with the hopes to become a non-profit before next August. TBI Raiders is to help see that students and young adults who live with a Traumatic Brain Injury succeed at their dreams in both school and life. The organization has been around since 2002 and is finally starting to grow legs.
December 7th was when there was a meeting between myself, Joyce Montgomery, and Assistant Superintendent, Rene Axtell. This meeting was to discuss all the proposals that had been flowing through my head that I had been sharing with the assistant superintendent. The meeting was able to get off to a good start. I brought up how I had hoped to have been able to do research and have had a study done on how Traumatic Brain Injury has impacted the state of Oklahoma in the last five years. But unfortunately no exists that would enable me to be able to do this study. So I told Rene I had hoped to get some college students to work on this during the spring semester.
Next we talked about the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Margie Luton who is the Regional Education Coordinator for the one in Fort Hood, Texas has said in an email that she would be happy to support TBI Raiders with our events in March and August in terms of materials and resources. Also for veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury who choose to become involved in TBI Raiders would have three levels they could choose to participate in.
One - Stats, Challenges, Stigmas, Perceptions - This way they could fully learn about the disability itself and help provide better awareness trainings.
Two - Legislation, Conferences, Webinars, Workshops, Conventions, Conferences - They could help pull everything together, set it up in an orderly fashion, etc.
Three - Planning events, 501 c 3 status, Networking, Recruitment, Department of Education, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Rehabilitation/Vocational Rehabilitation, State/Congressional Leaders for Oklahoma
I may not have ever served in the Armed Forces but have several family members who either have or still do along with several friends. My respect has only grown for those who enlisted by the way they are able to carry themselves, respond to situations, and the fact that every single one of them I have met has always treated me as a person and I never felt different around them along with the fact basically forgot I had a TBI but just remained a person who loved helping others living with a TBI. Once we get everything going this would be an excellent way to help give back and help others with TBI. Through this they would be able to network out even more.
Next I made mention that TBI Raiders is on Facebook Groups, has a Facebook FanPage, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, LinkedIn along with having a message board. Since I am not always on all of them, I told them both I would like a volunteer to help me moderator some of the groups. Because those who become involved in the organization will need to become active online in one of groups and be part of the message board.
TBI Raiders has two programs: TBI’s Corner and Member of TBI Raiders. TBI’s Corner is to not just help students with TBI and their parents but also serve as a training tool for teacher. The Raid Oklahoma will be the start of hopefully trainings on traumatic brain injury again for teachers. I made mention to Rene while I would love for the Special Ed teachers to come to the convention, I would also like to have webinars for teachers who worked with students who weren’t in special ed so they would know how to work with their students who sustained traumatic brain injuries. Members of TBI Raiders is to help with the re-entry or the entry to the work force for those living with a traumatic brain injury. I would like to have trainings for employers on traumatic brain injury and mentioned Stillwater being the location to start in. Also while being part of the organization, volunteers, whether they have a brain injury or not, would have the opportunity to learn skills that are needed for the workforce.
Next item up was the events for TBI Raiders. We discussed the two events that were held in November, Raiders Explosion and TBI Raiders Awareness Day, and despite everything no one showed up to the first day. But on the second day one student showed up then to the last event the two pet therapists showed up. Both events were catered so we ended up inviting students to come get some of the food if they wanted it. January was discussed about having booths and webinars but after discussing those were decided to put off so more attention could be placed on the events for March. The only event I said that I knew of that goes on in February that I had been invited to was like a career fair for veterans.
March through HR1046 that was passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives in March 2014 when Rep. Virgin authored it and carried it. This was a resolution I had written making the entire month of March TBI Raiders month. This is to raise more awareness about what is being in other states to help those living with a traumatic brain injury so that more can be done here in Oklahoma. The 7-11 will be Registration for 2016 the Raid Oklahoma Convention. I want each day to be something along with having information about TBI Raiders becoming a non-profit organization. The days for the weeks will be
Location: Undecided
Mock debates on Traumatic Brain Injury/Disability issues
Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury empowering movies
Advocating on Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury
Speaking up in an election year
Awareness Walk on Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury
Then this past March through HR1010 that was passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives when Rep. Williams authored it. Like the previous resolution I had written it was passed unanimously. This makes the third week of March TBI Raiders Week. This is to raise more awareness on how someone is able to sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury through commercials/flyers/handouts:
Don’t Drink and Drive
Don’t Text and Drive
Tipsy Tow Call #’s
Then the week following on the 22, 24 will be Raiders Experience. This is to help provide more awareness on both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. This is to be a time for a panel of experts on both subjects to speak about what is being done and what more needs to be done to help those living with PTSD & TBI.
We discussed that it was brought up to us at one of the events for TBI Raiders Awareness Day by one of the pet therapists who also happens to be a special education teacher that during June and July is when they typically have free trainings for teachers to go to. So I brought up having trainings or workshops for teachers on TBI Raiders and the events we have for the school year. This would also provide an opportunity for students to earn money if TBI Raiders, once we are a non-profit, to earn some money to help with their tuition, get a meal card as well as a gas card. But more on that later.
August 11-14 is when the 2016 Raid Oklahoma Convention is slated to happen. This is to:
Build a platform on Traumatic Brain Injury issues
Help disability groups learn how to build a platform on their issues
Address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
There isn’t a location that has been secured for this. But I would like to look at possibly Stillwater with all the hotels going up here in town. Plus the wonderful support I have received in the last five years that I have lived here. Below are some of the activities I have to set to take place at the convention. I look at programs for disability conferences I had attended as well as programs for brain injury conferences I found online.
11th
Registration
Pre-Conference - East Coast, Midwest, West Coast give a state of the state report on what their state is doing to help those living with a Traumatic Brain Injury
Federal Policy on Brain Injury - Gavin Attwood, the Executive Director of Colorado, has volunteered to come give a presentation on this
Open Mic - This would be at the end of the night to give survivors the chance to say what they liked about the day and hoped for the convention
12th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
EHT presentation
Self-Advocate Leadership Training
Breakout Sessions - (12) 6 would be serious and 6 would be therapeutic. The ones that are therapeutic would be a chance for grad students to receive credit. The workshops for this day would be:
Financial Literacy
Voting
Legislation, Policy, and Procedures
Emergency Management
Working with TBI in the workforce
Working with students with TBI
For survivors/grad students
Advocates/Public Speaking/Speech Pathology
Writing/Therapeutic
Drawing/Therapeutic
Dance/Therapeutic
Singing/Therapeutic
Sign Language
Meet and greet with those running for office (either do it one night or break it up to where it is done some each day AND I will have a BIG condition for those wanting to come - leave their platforms at home and just come listen to our issues and what we need to have done)
Speaker and Dinner
Open Mic
13th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
States work on national recommendations for TBI Raiders (to become a program that is part of the Brain Injury Alliance and Brain Injury Association)
Academic Re-entry following TBI
Behavioral challenges following TBI
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
For survivors/grad students
Advocates/Public Speaking/Speech Pathology
Writing/Therapeutic
Drawing/Therapeutic
Dance/Therapeutic
Singing/Therapeutic
Sign Language
Dinner
Entertainment: Fashion Show - Have fashion majors at OSU, UCO, RSC come up with designs that makes clothing and shoes more fashionable for those living with disabilities to essentially “not weird” - that might be the wrong term but I felt weird and out of place wearing splints because I always had to wear tennis shoes and had to wear it on the outside of the pant leg. Then other colleges who wanted to get involved would team up with one of those three schools.
Benefit Concert
14th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
Feedback from states
Workshops - This would be for everyone to go to so that they could see how those living with a Traumatic Brain Injury relax and how to better help them. Then for those living with the disability to be able to learn how to manage their muscle tone, muscle spasms, or stress/anxiety.
Dealing with Stress
Dealing with Anxiety
Meditation
Exercise
Fitness
Group Therapy: Hippotherapy
Campaigns
Raid Oklahoma - This is to help get Traumatic Brain Injury issues heard in an election and make sure that the candidates address the problems facing the community.
Survived to Vote - This to help get Disability issues heard in an election and make sure that the candidates address the problems facing the community.
Target Audiences
United State Brain Injury Alliance and its affiliates/Brain Injury Association of America and its affiliates
Traumatic Brain Injury survivors
Veterans
Athletes
Family/Friends of survivors
Teachers/Health Professionals/Business Leaders/Politicians
Partners
Funding - I have some online stores where we would receive a portion of the profits made and this is to go to create a scholarship for students who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury. Then Obi Muenelo who owns Young Lads, Young Lass has created shirts for the organization that are $15.00 and a portion of what is made will go towards the organization once we reach 501 c 3 status. Then there are other offers coming up from a contact I have on LinkedIn. This wouldn’t be to fund everything but it would start the organization somewhere. We also need sponsors, board of directors, etc. to make all this happen.
Legislation - I have written legislation to help improve how students with traumatic brain injury are helped in school. Essentially it would be to create a statewide online program out of TBI Raiders. I have attached the legislation that Michael Merit took before the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature. I also have attached the original piece I wrote because he took some stuff out. This legislation is based off of fractions of:
California AB 398 Assembly Bill (2009) - “(f) "Community reintegration services" means services as needed by consumers, designed to develop, maintain, increase, or maximize independent functioning, with the goal of living in the community and
participating in community life. These services may include, but are
not limited to, providing, or arranging for access to, housing,
transportation, medical care, rehabilitative therapies, day programs,
chemical dependency recovery programs, personal assistance, and
education.”
Michigan HB 5697 (2012)
Couldn’t remember or find the New York bill
Virginia HB 174 (2010) - has to do with the Wounded Warrior Program
Off Topic - Superbowl Party - to be for recruiting volunteers/members for TBI Raiders and also to be a way to raise more awareness on concussions in sports
Next Meeting - When I meet with Joyce Montgomery at OSU tomorrow we will discuss and plan the meeting dates for January and February to start planning for March. And also there is the TBI Raiders Message Board, tbiraiders.proboards.com that survivors should join to start with helping to get their voice heard.
Then we adjourned after that. Joyce and I decided on the meetings after the meeting we had with Rene. I hope to be able to have others to attend the meetings next year and start with helping take part with everything. In terms of the legislation I made mention of I am hoping that enough funding gets built up to where TBI Raiders can really help support the state out. I don’t know if it would be possible but I also wouldn’t assume that the bill would be enacted till a couple of years down the road. This way funding can be built up with TBI Raiders becoming a 501 c 3 organization and hopefully the outcome will look better financially for the state. I also asked for recommendations for jobs. I really am looking for something that has me working with Traumatic Brain Injury survivors helping them get better and reaching their goals like with what I am trying to do. Also would like some speaking engagements and Rene said she would make mention of my name to one group but it wouldn’t be a paying one. I’ve been doing this (TBI Raiders) for thirteen years and advocating for the sixteen of the eighteen years I have lived with a Left-Right Traumatic Brain Injury. I am not someone who gives up easily and am bound and determined to help others like me get to where they can have better life than the one they’ve been handed.
December 7th was when there was a meeting between myself, Joyce Montgomery, and Assistant Superintendent, Rene Axtell. This meeting was to discuss all the proposals that had been flowing through my head that I had been sharing with the assistant superintendent. The meeting was able to get off to a good start. I brought up how I had hoped to have been able to do research and have had a study done on how Traumatic Brain Injury has impacted the state of Oklahoma in the last five years. But unfortunately no exists that would enable me to be able to do this study. So I told Rene I had hoped to get some college students to work on this during the spring semester.
Next we talked about the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Margie Luton who is the Regional Education Coordinator for the one in Fort Hood, Texas has said in an email that she would be happy to support TBI Raiders with our events in March and August in terms of materials and resources. Also for veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury who choose to become involved in TBI Raiders would have three levels they could choose to participate in.
One - Stats, Challenges, Stigmas, Perceptions - This way they could fully learn about the disability itself and help provide better awareness trainings.
Two - Legislation, Conferences, Webinars, Workshops, Conventions, Conferences - They could help pull everything together, set it up in an orderly fashion, etc.
Three - Planning events, 501 c 3 status, Networking, Recruitment, Department of Education, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Rehabilitation/Vocational Rehabilitation, State/Congressional Leaders for Oklahoma
I may not have ever served in the Armed Forces but have several family members who either have or still do along with several friends. My respect has only grown for those who enlisted by the way they are able to carry themselves, respond to situations, and the fact that every single one of them I have met has always treated me as a person and I never felt different around them along with the fact basically forgot I had a TBI but just remained a person who loved helping others living with a TBI. Once we get everything going this would be an excellent way to help give back and help others with TBI. Through this they would be able to network out even more.
Next I made mention that TBI Raiders is on Facebook Groups, has a Facebook FanPage, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, LinkedIn along with having a message board. Since I am not always on all of them, I told them both I would like a volunteer to help me moderator some of the groups. Because those who become involved in the organization will need to become active online in one of groups and be part of the message board.
TBI Raiders has two programs: TBI’s Corner and Member of TBI Raiders. TBI’s Corner is to not just help students with TBI and their parents but also serve as a training tool for teacher. The Raid Oklahoma will be the start of hopefully trainings on traumatic brain injury again for teachers. I made mention to Rene while I would love for the Special Ed teachers to come to the convention, I would also like to have webinars for teachers who worked with students who weren’t in special ed so they would know how to work with their students who sustained traumatic brain injuries. Members of TBI Raiders is to help with the re-entry or the entry to the work force for those living with a traumatic brain injury. I would like to have trainings for employers on traumatic brain injury and mentioned Stillwater being the location to start in. Also while being part of the organization, volunteers, whether they have a brain injury or not, would have the opportunity to learn skills that are needed for the workforce.
Next item up was the events for TBI Raiders. We discussed the two events that were held in November, Raiders Explosion and TBI Raiders Awareness Day, and despite everything no one showed up to the first day. But on the second day one student showed up then to the last event the two pet therapists showed up. Both events were catered so we ended up inviting students to come get some of the food if they wanted it. January was discussed about having booths and webinars but after discussing those were decided to put off so more attention could be placed on the events for March. The only event I said that I knew of that goes on in February that I had been invited to was like a career fair for veterans.
March through HR1046 that was passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives in March 2014 when Rep. Virgin authored it and carried it. This was a resolution I had written making the entire month of March TBI Raiders month. This is to raise more awareness about what is being in other states to help those living with a traumatic brain injury so that more can be done here in Oklahoma. The 7-11 will be Registration for 2016 the Raid Oklahoma Convention. I want each day to be something along with having information about TBI Raiders becoming a non-profit organization. The days for the weeks will be
Location: Undecided
Mock debates on Traumatic Brain Injury/Disability issues
Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury empowering movies
Advocating on Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury
Speaking up in an election year
Awareness Walk on Disability/Traumatic Brain Injury
Then this past March through HR1010 that was passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives when Rep. Williams authored it. Like the previous resolution I had written it was passed unanimously. This makes the third week of March TBI Raiders Week. This is to raise more awareness on how someone is able to sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury through commercials/flyers/handouts:
Don’t Drink and Drive
Don’t Text and Drive
Tipsy Tow Call #’s
Then the week following on the 22, 24 will be Raiders Experience. This is to help provide more awareness on both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. This is to be a time for a panel of experts on both subjects to speak about what is being done and what more needs to be done to help those living with PTSD & TBI.
We discussed that it was brought up to us at one of the events for TBI Raiders Awareness Day by one of the pet therapists who also happens to be a special education teacher that during June and July is when they typically have free trainings for teachers to go to. So I brought up having trainings or workshops for teachers on TBI Raiders and the events we have for the school year. This would also provide an opportunity for students to earn money if TBI Raiders, once we are a non-profit, to earn some money to help with their tuition, get a meal card as well as a gas card. But more on that later.
August 11-14 is when the 2016 Raid Oklahoma Convention is slated to happen. This is to:
Build a platform on Traumatic Brain Injury issues
Help disability groups learn how to build a platform on their issues
Address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
There isn’t a location that has been secured for this. But I would like to look at possibly Stillwater with all the hotels going up here in town. Plus the wonderful support I have received in the last five years that I have lived here. Below are some of the activities I have to set to take place at the convention. I look at programs for disability conferences I had attended as well as programs for brain injury conferences I found online.
11th
Registration
Pre-Conference - East Coast, Midwest, West Coast give a state of the state report on what their state is doing to help those living with a Traumatic Brain Injury
Federal Policy on Brain Injury - Gavin Attwood, the Executive Director of Colorado, has volunteered to come give a presentation on this
Open Mic - This would be at the end of the night to give survivors the chance to say what they liked about the day and hoped for the convention
12th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
EHT presentation
Self-Advocate Leadership Training
Breakout Sessions - (12) 6 would be serious and 6 would be therapeutic. The ones that are therapeutic would be a chance for grad students to receive credit. The workshops for this day would be:
Financial Literacy
Voting
Legislation, Policy, and Procedures
Emergency Management
Working with TBI in the workforce
Working with students with TBI
For survivors/grad students
Advocates/Public Speaking/Speech Pathology
Writing/Therapeutic
Drawing/Therapeutic
Dance/Therapeutic
Singing/Therapeutic
Sign Language
Meet and greet with those running for office (either do it one night or break it up to where it is done some each day AND I will have a BIG condition for those wanting to come - leave their platforms at home and just come listen to our issues and what we need to have done)
Speaker and Dinner
Open Mic
13th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
States work on national recommendations for TBI Raiders (to become a program that is part of the Brain Injury Alliance and Brain Injury Association)
Academic Re-entry following TBI
Behavioral challenges following TBI
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
For survivors/grad students
Advocates/Public Speaking/Speech Pathology
Writing/Therapeutic
Drawing/Therapeutic
Dance/Therapeutic
Singing/Therapeutic
Sign Language
Dinner
Entertainment: Fashion Show - Have fashion majors at OSU, UCO, RSC come up with designs that makes clothing and shoes more fashionable for those living with disabilities to essentially “not weird” - that might be the wrong term but I felt weird and out of place wearing splints because I always had to wear tennis shoes and had to wear it on the outside of the pant leg. Then other colleges who wanted to get involved would team up with one of those three schools.
Benefit Concert
14th
Registration
Breakfast
Housekeeping Notes
Feedback from states
Workshops - This would be for everyone to go to so that they could see how those living with a Traumatic Brain Injury relax and how to better help them. Then for those living with the disability to be able to learn how to manage their muscle tone, muscle spasms, or stress/anxiety.
Dealing with Stress
Dealing with Anxiety
Meditation
Exercise
Fitness
Group Therapy: Hippotherapy
Campaigns
Raid Oklahoma - This is to help get Traumatic Brain Injury issues heard in an election and make sure that the candidates address the problems facing the community.
Survived to Vote - This to help get Disability issues heard in an election and make sure that the candidates address the problems facing the community.
Target Audiences
United State Brain Injury Alliance and its affiliates/Brain Injury Association of America and its affiliates
Traumatic Brain Injury survivors
Veterans
Athletes
Family/Friends of survivors
Teachers/Health Professionals/Business Leaders/Politicians
Partners
Funding - I have some online stores where we would receive a portion of the profits made and this is to go to create a scholarship for students who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury. Then Obi Muenelo who owns Young Lads, Young Lass has created shirts for the organization that are $15.00 and a portion of what is made will go towards the organization once we reach 501 c 3 status. Then there are other offers coming up from a contact I have on LinkedIn. This wouldn’t be to fund everything but it would start the organization somewhere. We also need sponsors, board of directors, etc. to make all this happen.
Legislation - I have written legislation to help improve how students with traumatic brain injury are helped in school. Essentially it would be to create a statewide online program out of TBI Raiders. I have attached the legislation that Michael Merit took before the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature. I also have attached the original piece I wrote because he took some stuff out. This legislation is based off of fractions of:
California AB 398 Assembly Bill (2009) - “(f) "Community reintegration services" means services as needed by consumers, designed to develop, maintain, increase, or maximize independent functioning, with the goal of living in the community and
participating in community life. These services may include, but are
not limited to, providing, or arranging for access to, housing,
transportation, medical care, rehabilitative therapies, day programs,
chemical dependency recovery programs, personal assistance, and
education.”
Michigan HB 5697 (2012)
Couldn’t remember or find the New York bill
Virginia HB 174 (2010) - has to do with the Wounded Warrior Program
Off Topic - Superbowl Party - to be for recruiting volunteers/members for TBI Raiders and also to be a way to raise more awareness on concussions in sports
Next Meeting - When I meet with Joyce Montgomery at OSU tomorrow we will discuss and plan the meeting dates for January and February to start planning for March. And also there is the TBI Raiders Message Board, tbiraiders.proboards.com that survivors should join to start with helping to get their voice heard.
Then we adjourned after that. Joyce and I decided on the meetings after the meeting we had with Rene. I hope to be able to have others to attend the meetings next year and start with helping take part with everything. In terms of the legislation I made mention of I am hoping that enough funding gets built up to where TBI Raiders can really help support the state out. I don’t know if it would be possible but I also wouldn’t assume that the bill would be enacted till a couple of years down the road. This way funding can be built up with TBI Raiders becoming a 501 c 3 organization and hopefully the outcome will look better financially for the state. I also asked for recommendations for jobs. I really am looking for something that has me working with Traumatic Brain Injury survivors helping them get better and reaching their goals like with what I am trying to do. Also would like some speaking engagements and Rene said she would make mention of my name to one group but it wouldn’t be a paying one. I’ve been doing this (TBI Raiders) for thirteen years and advocating for the sixteen of the eighteen years I have lived with a Left-Right Traumatic Brain Injury. I am not someone who gives up easily and am bound and determined to help others like me get to where they can have better life than the one they’ve been handed.