TBI Program, Study, or Pilot
Type: Pilot 1
Agency Providing the Funding: Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
Year Provided/Duration: 2009-2013
Funding Given To: Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Corrections
Population (Juvenile Justice, Criminal Justice, Parole, Probation, Jail, Prison, etc.,)
System Group
Adult Prisons: Males and Females
Location
Unknown
Purpose/Goal
To provide brain injury training to corrections staff and screening of offenders who are entering state correctional facilities. The goal of the screenings is to help understand the prevalence of TBI in Iowa’s prison population.
Screening Tool Used
What tool was used?
Iowa Head Injury Screening Instrument
When is screening done?
TBI screenings are completed with offenders who have screened positively for substance abuse.
Screenings done at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center
What happens after screening?
N/A
Who Conducted Screening?
Staff from Iowa Department of Corrections
Data Collection
Tracking
Unknown
Findings
Total of 8,928 completed screenings.
1,258 Females
7,7670 Males
37% Positive for Males
35% Positive for Females
(Iowa Department of Public Health)
Report findings were extensive and cannot be added as PDF’s to our site. Please submit a request at the link above and we will send the report(s) via email within 24-48 business hours.
Community Resources
Information and Referrals
N/A
Trainings
Staff was trained on how to complete the screenings via a “train the trainer” method. Staff from the Iowa Association of Community Providers trained IDOC staff at the beginning of the grant period. As there has been staff changeover at the IDOC, training of new staff members has been incorporated; technical assistance is provided on an as needed basis.
Agency Contact Information
Name
Iowa Department of Public Health – Brain Injury Services
Jim Pender
Website
https://idph.iowa.gov/brain-injuries
Phone Number
Sustainability
This pilot served as the basis for which future pilots in the state built from.
Advisory Board
Unknown
How was this information acquired?
Information was acquired through speaking Iowa Department of Public Health and reviewing report: Traumatic Brain Injury in Iowa Offenders: Screening data from July 2009 to December 2012
References: For more information on this states work, please see references
Iowa Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Traumatic brain injury in Iowa offenders: Screening data from July 2009 to December 2012. Des Moines: Iowa Department of Public Health.
Notes: Additional mentions from state leads/representatives
This pilot focused on screening and brain injury identification. As part of its conclusion, it was recommended that: ‘If individuals are known to have screened positively for TBI, strategies can be implemented throughout their incarceration to help manage challenging situations or behavior. Compensatory strategies can be developed with the incarcerated individual, allowing that person the opportunity to practice compensatory strategies while incarcerated. It is hoped that by knowing how to utilize these strategies, a person would be less likely to re-offend. A study to determine the outcome of developing and practicing compensatory strategies could help identify if this type of program truly is effective in helping to lower the recidivism rate of offenders with TBI in Iowa. Identifying incarcerated individuals with co-occurring substance abuse and TBI can help IDOC staff to develop strategies to work more effectively with individuals of this population. At the very least it is recommended that the current screening program be continued, and results published on an annual basis.’ (Iowa Department of Public Health)