Community Support Network

The strength of the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) lies within its Community Associations who provide support, information, education, and advocacy programs and services to those affected by acquired brain injury in local communities. The effective operation of these associations across the province lends strength and credibility to the brain injury movement. This partnership provides greater legitimacy, credibility, economies of scale, development and training opportunities, an opportunity to contribute local expertise to provincial efforts, ability to avoid isolation and an opportunity for the sharing of ideas, successes and frustrations through an established network.

The BIAWE is formally linked with OBIA and many participating community brain injury associations to group their organizations to become the Community Support Network. (noted by the CSN logo)

CSN’s main purposes are to provide a stronger voice for people living with acquired brain injury and to develop and produce province-wide programs. To date, those programs include: Peer Support Mentoring Program for People Living With ABI; ABI Directory of Services; Biennial Provincial Conference (October 2009); Dual Membership.

All of these initiatives are developed by committees of the OBIA Advisory Council, which is made up of representatives from regional brain injury associations and OBIA.

The BIAWE, OBIA and its affiliates feel strongly that together we can work more effectively in improving the quality of life for those affected by acquired brain injury, and that we can only be as strong as our affiliates.