BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER

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1 July 2009 Issue 1 Spokane Chapter Executive Board ANDREW SCHILLINGER President J.J. THOMPSON Vice President MIKE FELICE Treasurer CARRIE GRETZ Secretary NATALIE CHAPIN SHONTI GANGULI ED KENNEDY SHA PETERSON ASHLEY RICHARDS State Representative Past President SCOTT RICHARDS ROBERT SADLER CRAIG SICILIA DR. KAREN STANEK DR. MICHELLE WHITE BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER Keeping You Informed: A message from our Executive Board. You may be wondering what this letter is about or why you received this in the mail today. Rest assured, you are not alone... For many great reasons, our Spokane Chapter Executive Board voted unanimously to start publishing a biannual newsletter for our members benefit. The primary purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed about the Spokane Chapter and the activities of the Board. We know and understand that the Board exists to serve you as a survivor, family member, friend, and/or caregiver. These biannual newsletters will keep you informed about our Board and your Spokane Chapter s activities. Additionally, continued efforts to educate and increase awareness have led to an abundance of community programs and opportunities for further educating and increasing awareness about brain injuries. It is important to keep you informed of the many great opportunities and events that are taking place in our community. So, be sure to read your newsletters and mark your calendars with the upcoming events and activities. Questions About The Executive Board??? Question: Can any member attend an Executive Board Meeting? Answer: YES! All regular meetings are open to any member who wants to attend. Board meetings are generally held every 3rd Tuesday of the month at St. Luke s Rehabilitation Institute, 7pm to 9pm. Question: What does the Executive Board do for the members of the BIAWA Spokane Chapter? Answer: The Executive Board performs several different functions from obtaining State grants to organizing special brain injury events. A primary function of the Board is to ensure compliance with the requirements imposed by the BIAWA State organization, while ensuring local members are satisfied with their support groups and Spokane Chapter. Attend a regular Board meeting to inquire further!

2 Page 2 BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER Issue 1 A Message from our Board s President. Dear BIAWA, Spokane Chapter Supporters: My name is Andrew Schillinger. I was recently elected as the President of the Board for the Washington State Brain Injury Association, Spokane Chapter. As you may know, the Washington State Brain Injury Association is a state wide organization that provides assistance and various services to survivors of brain injuries, their families and care takers. One service that the state provides is funds to the Spokane Chapter for holding meetings for survivors, caretakers and their families such as the ones some of you attend. Should you wish to learn more about our state organization I am providing you the web address to the state's website ( The Spokane Chapter has been in existence since approximately May of Similarly, I am providing you with the web address to the Spokane Chapter's website ( Ashley Richards has been our Chapter s President since I would like to thank her for her hard work and dedication to this cause. Ashley will remain on the Spokane Chapter Board and she is also our Chapter Representative at the State level. One of our goals as a board is to improve communication with those who attend our support groups, and those who provide assistance to those with brain injuries in our community. The purpose of this goal is to better serve the needs of those who have sustained brain injuries, their families and caretakers. One way we are working to implement this goal is ensuring the facilitators are well trained. On May 3rd, the state completed training for several persons on our Spokane Chapter Board and those who attend the support groups. As we work harder to respond to your needs and the larger brain injury community as a whole, please do not hesitate to contact me about changes you would like to see implemented or any additional thoughts about ways to improve our Spokane Chapter. I can be reached by at: Aschillinger@laymanlawfirm.com or by phone at (509) Thank you for your participation and support. SUMMER + PICNIC = SUCCESS! The BIAWA Spokane Chapter cosponsored the Annual Picnic with People First of Washington. The event took place on May 30th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Mission Park. And, it was a wonderful SUCCESS!!! Several vendors donated and gave discounted prices for the food items, which were being consumed just as fast as they were ready to eat. This was a wonderful event and enjoyed by all who attended. Whether you missed out on the picnic this year or not, you will definitely want to keep your eyes open for next years announcement. A special thanks to those who helped make this years picnic a success. Particularly, Craig Sicilia did an excellent job in taking charge of organizing the event and enlisting the help of several other volunteers (too many to name here). THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HELPED WITH THE PICNIC - YOUR HELP MADE IT A SUCCESS!!!

3 BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER Issue 1 Page 3 NOTICE: TBI Retreat With Free Camping, July 20th - 26th! You won t want to miss this wonderful and informative event with an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Free camping has been arranged, so bring your tent and your own food and drink for however long you plan to stay. Where: North Skookum Lake, When: July 20th to 26th, North Skookum Lake is surrounded by the Colville National Forest and is approximately 18 miles north of Newport. A schedule of the informative workshops and speakers is listed below. Moving ON Introduction (Personal Futures Planning) Penny Condoll Monday July 20 TBA Moving ON (Mapping my Future) Craig Sicilia Tuesday July 21 9:45 AM Moving On My Relationships TBA Wednesday July 22 9:45 AM Support Group (What I really want) Penny Condoll Wednesday July 22 8:00 PM Conflict Resolution Sha Peterson Thursday July 23 9:45 AM 7 Habits of Success Craig Sicilia Friday July 24 9:45 AM Tips for healthy mental well being Q & A Dr. Michelle White Saturday July 25 9:45 AM TBI and Legal Q & A Andrew Schillinger Saturday July 25 1:00 PM Nightly Small Groups of Support (informal and open) Nightly 9:00 PM Dr. Michelle White Recommends Books: Where is the Mango Princess? by Cathy Crimmins Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury by Diane Roberts Stoler Mild Head Injury by Levin, Eisenberg & Benton Brain Repair by Stein, Brailowsky & Will Over My Head by Claudia Osborn Conquering the Darkness by Deborah Quinn I'll Carry the Fork by Kara Swanson ~~~ SHA S CORNER ~~~ It is done! Yes, I am now an MSW (Masters in Social Work). I am grateful to all the survivors (thrivers), families, and caregivers who were always patient during my learning process. I am thankful for the guidance and instruction from Dr. Craig Sicilia, Dr. Karen Stanek, Ashley Richards, and everyone on the BIAWA-Spokane Chapter Board of Directors. One of the most valuable things I learned is that every individual relies on others. If you use electricity (an accommodation) or any form of transportation (assistive devices) you rely on hundreds of other people. We all need a variety of mental and physical supports. The combination of supports we each need is not a measure of strength or weakness, it is merely proof of uniqueness and humanness.

4 BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER Issue 1 Page 4 EXCITING CHANGES TO YOUR SUPPORT GROUP!!! Welcome Melissa Gray at your Support Group! - Melissa recently joined the BIAWA Spokane Chapter and is very excited to participate in assisting facilitators at Support Group meetings. - Be sure to welcome her to our organization at your next meeting! Group Members in Control!!! Congratulations to our new officers! - The Survivor Group recently elected its President and Vice President! > President: Robert Sadler > Vice President: Natalie Chapin Support Groups operating to meet your needs! - Finding the right structure has been a challenge, but we believe we are now on the right track! - By working together, we can continue improving our Support Groups! Your Support Group Needs You! The primary benefit of attending any support group is the support you receive from others who are going through (or went through) similar circumstances. The BIAWA Spokane Chapter provides two support groups that are currently held at St. Luke s: the Survivor Group and the Family, Friends & Caregiver Group. The Survivor Group should be attended by survivors of a Survivors When: 7pm to 9pm, the 2nd Wednesday of every month. Where: St. Luke s Rehabilitation Institute 711 S. Cowley St. #200, Spokane, WA attend a support group to help others realize they are not alone brain injury, while the Family, Friends & Caregiver Group is designated for their loved ones, or those who care for a survivor. Please attend a support group to help others realize they are not alone in recovering from a brain injury or caring for a loved one who has suffered a brain injury. Thank you in advance for your support!!! ATTEND YOUR TBI SUPPORT GROUP MEETING Family, Friends & Caregivers When: 7pm to 9pm, the 4th Wednesday of every month. Where: St. Luke s Rehabilitation Institute 711 S. Cowley St. #200, Spokane, WA 99202

5 Page 5 BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER Issue 1 PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION Your contact information must be current for us to keep you informed and ensure that you receive all future newsletters and notifications. Please take this time to update your contact information by completing this form and returning it to: BIAWA Spokane Chapter, P.O. Box , Spokane, WA NAME: ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: ADDRESS: YES, KEEP ME INFORMED DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN DID YOU KNOW. (DETACH HERE) AMC Theatres Offers Reduced Stimuli Movies! AMC Theatres at River Park Square now offers Reduced Stimuli movies on the 3rd Saturday of every month at 10:00 am. Contact Craig Sicilia (509) two weeks in advance to find out what movie is playing. THANK YOU AMC!!! Your Spokane Chapter Executive Board is All Volunteer!!! The Executive Board is comprised of Survivors, family members, and friends, which also includes some doctors and lawyers. All of these individuals donate their time because they care and want to help in every way that they can. As our Chapter continues to grow and improve, their continued commitment is greatly appreciated.

6 BIAWA SPOKANE CHAPTER A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PO BOX Spokane, WA CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB.. «First Name» «Last Name» «Address Line 1» «City», «State» «ZIP Code» YOU ARE NOT ALONE! UPCOMING TBI RELATED EVENTS!!! July 13-18, 2009: 2009 National Veterans Wheelchair Games is taking place in Spokane. Over 500 athletes and their families will compete in over 40 events. This is the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. If you are not participating, come out to support these athletes! Additional information can be found on the web at: July 20-26, 2009: Free TBI Retreat and Campout at North Skookum Lake with guest speakers and exciting educational workshops. This is a free event and there is no charge to camp, so all you need to bring is your own food, camping gear, and willingness to have fun. This event is being cosponsored by our Spokane Chapter, and you can contact Craig Sicilia for more information. July 30-31: Spokane Community College Gaming Club will host an interactive roll game for youth, Humans vs. Zombies. Students around the globe have made this the most popular event of its type -- for official rules go to This event raises TBI awareness and includes live music, performers from around the country, best skit contest, and much, much more. Where? Spokane Community College Lair. Contact Craig Sicilia for more information. ATTEND YOUR SUPPORT GROUP MEETING TO HEAR THE LATEST UPDATES!!! We will be planning our annual fall event and winter holiday party in the coming months.