Webinars

March 3, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
  Registration Form

Community integration is a person centered process that empowers individuals to take charge of their recovery, become self-advocates and lead more autonomous and fulfilling lives. This session will highlight how engaging with others and participating in meaningful activities can support recovery, enhance mental health, and improve overall quality of life.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define community in BI recovery continuum
2. Identify key contacts for access to community connections
3. Explore several recognized community engagement resources

Speakers:

Elizabeth Louie, CTRS – Liz Louie has spent most of her career providing recreation-based services to individuals within the acute rehab setting – with a focus on providing education and reconnecting individuals to the activities to provide meaning and joy through therapeutic recreation interventions at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Marlton, NJ. She serves as an integral member of the BI and stroke support group team, offering ongoing education and strategies for integration to individuals with disabilities and their loved ones. In addition to specializing in acute rehab she has a passion for aquatics.

Amy Heeter, Ed. M., CTRS, CYLY, CDP – Amy Heeter is a graduate from Temple University – working in the health care field for nearly 20 years – providing services to a variety of populations ranging from mental health to brain injury in a variety of settings. She currently is employed as Case Manager as Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation focusing on connecting patients to community based services upon discharge.

March 18, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
  Registration Form

Recovery from a brain injury is more than just a clinical process; it is a social and emotional rebuilding. For young adults, this journey often intersects with a critical developmental stage focused on identity, independence, and the formation of social bonds. This presentation explores these unique psychosocial aspects and examines how brain injury can disrupt relationships, leading to feelings of isolation. Drawing on survivor Jake Wilson’s journey and a nurse educator’s clinical expertise, we will share practical strategies to overcome the social and emotional challenges of brain injury during young adulthood. From navigating digital communication and social media to finding purpose, this session provides tools for rebuilding a meaningful life. The presentation includes a live Q&A session with Jake, offering a rare first-person perspective on the resilience and creativity required to “Get Out There” and thrive.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the Psychosocial Impact: Identify the specific developmental challenges faced by young adults after a brain injury.
2. Implement Social Reconnection Strategies: Evaluate and apply practical tips for building new social connections.
3. Identify Pathways to Community Integration: Explore the role of community involvement for long-term emotional resilience during recovery.

Speakers:

Jake Wilson: At 17 years old, Jake Wilson survived a massive hemorrhagic stroke. Now 23, the former high school lifeguard has channeled his lifelong commitment to service into co-founding Get Out There with Acquired Brain Injury (GOT ABI), a nonprofit dedicated to helping young adults across South/Central New Jersey rebuild their lives. Jake provides essential support for young adults navigating recovery after brain injuries. Jake is the 2025 recipient of the Mimi Goldman Award for positive achievement in the brain injury community.

Kristen Wilson is a holistic nurse, educator, and former transition case manager for the IDD population. Her career spans years in home care, rehabilitation, and special education. This diverse expertise helped navigate her 17-year-old son’s brain injury recovery. Today, she translates her professional and personal experience into the mission of GOT ABI.

April 14, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
  Registration Form

The collaboration between a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) is more than just an evaluation of swallowing ability.  In this webinar, the roles of each of these important health professionals will be described along with how their collaboration can improve the care of an individual with a brain injury. Using a case study and panel discussion, participants will leave with key points on how cognitive and swallowing function can impact nutritional health.   

Learning Objectives: 

1. Describe the role of the SLP and the RDN in the assessment of an individual with a brain injury. 
2. Understand the value of collaborative practice between the SLP and RDN in the care of an individual with a brain injury using examples from a case presentation. 
3. Identify opportunities when seeking either the SLP or RDN is necessary.  
4. Identify strategies to improve the health of an individual with a brain injury by addressing nutrition needs, cognitive and swallowing functions.  

Speakers: 

Jennifer Bridenbaugh, DCN, RDN, CNSC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers School of Health Professions. She has been a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist for over 30 years. Jennifer began her career in the Neuro and Surgical-Trauma Intensive Care Units and continued working in acute care settings, maintaining her expertise as a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician. Throughout her career, she has provided medical nutrition therapy to individuals with a wide range of needs, including chronic disease management, malnutrition, and acute or long-term nutrition support. With more than 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring students in clinical nutrition and other health professions, Jennifer currently teaches advanced clinical and medical nutrition therapy to graduate nutrition students. She is passionate about interprofessional education and representing the nutrition profession in collaborative healthcare practice. 

Kelly Ann Peña, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIST is an Assistant Professor of Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh and a bilingual speech-language pathologist specializing in brain injury, disability navigation, and migrant health. Her work bridges clinical practice, education, and mixed-methods research to examine how trauma, TBI, and executive functioning are misrecognized across educational, medical, and legal systems. A former Assistant Clinic Director at Rutgers University, Kelly is committed to culturally responsive, trauma-informed care and to expanding access for bilingual and immigrant families. She brings a systems-level lens to clinical education and advocates for equity-centered approaches to assessment, rehabilitation, and care coordination. 

April 28, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
  Registration Form

The nutritional health of an individual with a brain injury can impact overall health outcomes.  Achieving adequate nutritional health is challenging.  Individuals are faced with making wise food choices, managing barriers to intake such as dysphagia, rehabilitation, and working towards independence and more. This webinar will provide an overview of how medical nutrition therapy can fuel recovery but also provide strategies in managing challenges commonly found in individuals with a brain injury. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Define Medical Nutrition Therapy and how it can provide a framework for adequate nutritional health in individuals with brain injury 
2. Identify common challenges that impact the adequacy of oral intake in individuals with brain injury. 
3. Discuss strategies for how to overcome common challenges that impact nutritional health. 
4. Recognize the benefits of positive nutritional health outcomes using a case study. 

Speaker: 

Jennifer Bridenbaugh, DCN, RDN, CNSC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers School of Health Professions. She has been a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist for over 30 years. Jennifer began her career in the Neuro and Surgical-Trauma Intensive Care Units and continued working in acute care settings, maintaining her expertise as a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician. Throughout her career, she has provided medical nutrition therapy to individuals with a wide range of needs, including chronic disease management, malnutrition, and acute or long-term nutrition support. With more than 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring students in clinical nutrition and other health professions, Jennifer currently teaches advanced clinical and medical nutrition therapy to graduate nutrition students. She is passionate about interprofessional education and representing the nutrition profession in collaborative healthcare practice.