For Decision Makers

• approximately 230,000 Canadian women suffer from a brain injury as a result of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) (CATT Online 2020)
• approximately  60% of traumatic brain injury survivors engage in dangerous levels of substance use (CGB Video, Ponsford 2017)
• 30 years of recommendations have not been implemented – take action now!

Download our Decision Makers Infographic .

For Care Providers

As a Care Provider, you are aware of the gaps in services and the need for increased funding. Did you also know…

• for every 1 NHL player who suffers a concussion in hockey, 5,500 Canadian women will sustain the same injury from Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), (van Donklaar, Mason 2020)
• overdose survivors are not being tracked or monitored for a brain injury 
• it’s almost impossible to integrate care for people with complex needs if you don’t know who else in  your community is providing service
• we need research to identify best practices in integrated services for brain injury, mental health, and substance issues

Download our Caregivers Infographic for information you can share with your local candidate. 

Survivors & Families

The lived experience of brain injury survivors and family members is as important as stats, if not more so. If you feel compelled to share your story, we have some information to support you. For example, did you know….

• more than 1.5 million Canadians live with a brain injury and need support
• a brain injury impacts the entire family – this means millions more need support
• brain injury can impact a person’s mental health (e.g. anxiety & depression) and can lead to challenging consequences when left unaddressed (i.e. homelessness, addictions, criminality).

Download our Survivors & Families infographic for information to share with your local candidate.

Get to Know Your Candidates

It’s important to remember that your local candidate is a member in your community. Those who have a desire to serve as your government representative come from all walks of life with varied education, work experience, and political views. They may, or may not, know about brain injury and how it overlaps with mental health and addiction. It’s up to all of us to provide them with the awareness on the prevalence and incidence of brain injury and the impact it’s having on our communities.

Share your lived experience to raise awareness.

The Canadian response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been an amazing example of rapid response and cooperation. All levels of government have worked together to address the health, social and economic issues that arose during the pandemic. This demonstrates that intergovernmental cooperation is possible to address the interconnected impacts of health issues on social and economic well-being. We should settle for no less in addressing the current crisis around the intersections of mental health, addiction, and brain injury.

Check out our other blog post about making sure your voices is heard!