By Barbara Bennet

The Hope Project launched to serve disabled veterans with traumatic brain injury and their families

Recently, a dedicated group of elected officials, educators, and health and human services agency representatives from the national capital region gathered at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church, Virginia, to kick off The Hope Project. This project will serve disabled veterans with traumatic brain injury and their families. The project is a result of the unwavering efforts of Marianne Talbot, Ph.D., a recent graduate of Virginia Tech's Human Development program and president of the National Rehabilitation and Rediscovery Foundation, Inc., (NRRF), the lead agency for The Hope Project.

Virginia Tech's Outreach Program Development is a proud partner in the team of organizations supporting this pilot program based in the national capital region. This region is especially impacted by the many injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Hope Project is a pilot program designed to provide a comprehensive, community-integrated, peer-supported curriculum to increase independence and self-sufficiency. The broader goal is to develop a curriculum that would serve larger numbers of individuals with brain injuries. Topics include self-care and self -reliance, compensatory strategy development, daily routine development, health and leisure education, meaningful and productive focus, support team development, and practicum and mentoring opportunities.

Classes will be held at Virginia Tech's NVC in Falls Church and will follow the 2007-2008 academic year. Dr. Talbot explained the importance of placing this program in an academic setting: "This program is unique in its educational focus. By creating a learning community, the project will support an individual's transition from post-acute rehabilitation to long-term community living. Participants will have the opportunity to work with and amongst the many Virginia Tech faculty, staff and students, to compliment the course content and inspire participants to learn new skills, re-build a sense of community, and rediscover themselves through the process of these courses."

Participants will be Virginia residents who are medically stable with a documented primary diagnosis of TBI. Preference will be given to disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who meet the eligibility criteria necessary to successfully participate in the program.

Funding is being provided by the Virginia General Assembly, the Warren G. Stambaugh Memorial Foundation, and the Arlington Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund. Delegate Vince Callahan, Jr. of the 34th District (Fairfax County), retiring this year from the Virginia General Assembly after 40+ years, received special thanks for his support in securing funding for this program. Delegate Callahan noted: "The Hope Project is revolutionizing in that it is a private organization assisting the rehabilitator of those who have served in the armed forces, filling a void that needs to be addressed."

In-kind support is being provided by Arlington and Fairfax Counties' Therapeutic Recreation Departments which will assist with developing and facilitating the leisure education curriculum.

In-kind support is also being provided by many parts of Virginia Tech:

• Virginia Tech's Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Program will conduct a weekly support group for participants and interested family members, and provide individual and family counseling sessions as adjunct services to the project.

• Virginia Tech's Graduate School and Northern Virginia Center Management will provide facility use including classroom space, use of the library, computer lab, and equipment.

• Virginia Tech's Outreach Program Development coordinated the kick-off, and will do the same for mid-point, and ending receptions. Outreach will also create informational materials about the program and provide project management and on-site assistance.
• Virginia Tech's Human Development Department (consisting of the ALHRD and MFT programs) will collaborate with NRRF to conduct a feasibility study and provide consultation regarding the program evaluation process.

Posted September 16, 2007