Survive & Thrive event assists OIF/OEF service members with traumatic brain injury

As part of its innovative rehabilitation efforts to assist Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) military personnel (active duty and non-active) with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their families, Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation is hosting the second session of Survive & Thrive at The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang, CA. The event takes place from April 4 through April 8, 2011.

“We're proud to sponsor this important project and give veterans and their families a chance to reconnect and learn how to re-establish their lives”

This unique five-day opportunity will bring together twelve families from around the country - OIF/OEF Service members with TBI, their spouses, and children. Survive & Thrive has four goals. The first goal is to help the participants gain new strategies that address the issues that brain injury brings into living as a family. The second goal is to build networks that can function beyond the Survive & Thrive experience, an element that is necessary for the long-term success of community living. The third goal is to give families an opportunity to reconnect and enjoy being together again. The fourth goal is for the families to develop hope for their future. Casa Colina's specialists will identify problems and provide tested solutions that families can use to positively affect change in their lives.

Survive & Thrive is funded by a major grant from Welcome Back Veterans, an initiative of the McCormick Foundation and Major League Baseball. Additional funding has been provided by the Pomona Rotary; the Majestic Realty Foundation; the Timothy C. McWilliams, Jr. Foundation; IBEW Local 47; the Rehabilitation Nurses Association and many other business and individual donors.

Thanks to grant funding, Survive & Thrive is free to the first 12 families who meet selection criteria. It includes transportation, meals, lodging and child care, in addition to the experiential therapeutic program provided by Casa Colina's professional staff.

"We're proud to sponsor this important project and give veterans and their families a chance to reconnect and learn how to re-establish their lives," said David Hiller, President and CEO of the McCormick Foundation. "Our veterans have given so much to this country. Returning home with a traumatic brain injury is devastating not only to the veteran, but also to spouses, children, parents and friends. With Casa Colina's expertise, we can help these families cope and return to fulfilling and meaningful lives. We see these camps as an incredible opportunity to rehabilitate the whole family, not just the individual."