On June 24, a virtual gathering hosted jointly by the University of Florida’s Brain Injury, Rehabilitation, and Neuroresilience (BRAIN) Center and Brain Injury Florida drew attendees from across the state to learn about the newly developed Florida Brain Injury Action Plan, a five-year, community-informed roadmap to improve quality of life, expand services, and raise awareness for individuals living with brain injury in Florida.
The Action Plan, created by a statewide advisory board of survivors, caregivers, professionals, and advocates, outlines three strategic priorities:
- Improving Quality of Life
- Creating Education and Awareness
- Developing Service System Enhancements
Why a Florida Brain Injury Action Plan?
The initiative emerged from a federal grant awarded in 2023 through the Administration for Community Living’s Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program. Under the direction of UF BRAIN Center Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Michael Jaffee, the University of Florida now serves as the lead state agency for brain injury, working in partnership with Brain Injury Florida to assess needs, convene stakeholders, and develop sustainable solutions.
As a first step, the team conducted a comprehensive statewide needs assessment to better understand the realities facing Floridians living with brain injury. This assessment—grounded in the voices of more than 380 individuals, including survivors, caregivers, and providers—revealed consistent gaps across the continuum of care. Key challenges included financial strain, limited access to coordinated services, behavioral health concerns, and inadequate long-term supports. Respondents also pointed to social isolation and a lack of awareness about existing resources.
These findings formed the foundation for the Florida Brain Injury Action Plan—a living framework designed to directly respond to the needs identified by those with lived experience.
Strategic Priorities and the Workgroups Behind Them
To bring the Florida Brain Injury Action Plan to life, three workgroups were established—each aligned with one of the plan’s core strategic priorities: Quality of Life, Education and Awareness, and Service System Enhancements. These workgroups are responsible for translating the Action Plan into achievable goals and practical initiatives, informed by both the needs assessment and ongoing feedback from the brain injury community.
The workgroups are composed of advisory board members, professionals, survivors, caregivers, and other stakeholders across Florida. They meet monthly to prioritize action items, explore partnerships, and report progress back to the statewide advisory board.
At the June webinar, co-chairs from each workgroup shared their current focus areas and ongoing initiatives:
- Quality of Life Workgroup: Presented by Denny Armington, President of Brain Injury Florida and Co-Investigator on the ACL grant, this group is addressing social integration, emotional well-being, self-advocacy, and transportation access. Their work includes supporting brain injury clubhouses, increasing peer-led support groups, advocating for improved education and employment outcomes, and working with state agencies to improve transportation systems. Workgroup Chair: Ricke Zeidman
- Education and Awareness Workgroup: Presented by Jessica Kirwan, Assistant Director of Research Administration at the UF BRAIN Center, this group is developing statewide strategies to improve public and professional understanding of brain injury. Initiatives include school-based outreach, professional training, public service campaigns, and the development of an ambassador program to bridge connections between survivors and services. Workgroup Chair: Michael Pizzi
- Service System Enhancements Workgroup: Presented by Dr. Drew Nagele, Vice President of Brain Injury Florida and Co-Investigator on the grant, this group is focused on structural improvements across Florida’s service landscape. Key areas include expanding insurance coverage, improving care navigation, strengthening data systems, leveraging technology, and integrating brain injury screening into behavioral health settings. Workgroup Chair: Jane Johnson
Each workgroup is open to new members, including individuals not currently on the advisory board. The goal is to create inclusive, action-oriented teams that can meaningfully address the plan’s priorities while adapting to new insights along the way.
Watch the Webinar
The full webinar is now available online. Viewers can learn more about the Action Plan, listen to community-informed strategies, and hear directly from those leading the effort:
🎥 Watch the webinar on YouTube
Get Involved
Participation in the workgroups is open to survivors, caregivers, clinicians, service providers, advocates, and community members who want to support efforts around any of the plan’s three strategic areas. Workgroups meet monthly and welcome new members who can help advance the goals laid out in the plan.
To learn more or express interest in joining a workgroup, contact:
📧 info@BrainInjuryFL.org