The Mountain Plains and Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) are proud to partner with the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) to present seven virtual trainings focused on the significant intersection between brain injury and addiction. The trainings consist of an introductory session followed by six special topic webinars. Special topics will include the intersection of brain injury with addictions, intimate partner violence, suicide, as well as special considerations for individual and group therapy. The final session will be focused on the introduction of a Brain Injury and Addictions Toolkit.
Domestic violence is a complex public health issue with a widespread impact on individuals, communities, and society. Many survivors of abuse also struggle with substances. This presentation will introduce the role of domestic violence and other abusive tactics—specifically mental health and substance use coercion--as additional drivers of substance misuse and addiction. To add another layer of complexity, a critically important consequence of domestic violence has been hidden in plain sight for decades—brain injury. This webinar will share what we have learned from groundbreaking research in Ohio on the intersection of brain injury and domestic violence, as well as a service provision framework called CARE (Connect, Acknowledge, Respond, Evaluate). You will leave with tools to assist you in raising awareness and addressing partner-inflicted brain injury in your services and help you better support the unique needs of people impacted by domestic violence, brain injury, and addiction.
Presenter: Rachel Ramirez, MA, MSW, LISW-S, RA
Rachel Ramirez is the Founder and Director of The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury, a project of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN). Rachel is currently directing the Center’s first federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women to increase collaboration and develop training and services for the brain injury, domestic violence, and sexual assault fields. Over the past 13 years at ODVN, Rachel has led multiple statewide initiatives on trauma-informed approaches as well as other topics. She has trained hundreds of audiences and co-authored Trauma-Informed Approaches: Promising Practices and Protocols for Ohio’s Domestic Violence Programs, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles in the Journal of Family Violence and the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. Rachel is a bilingual licensed independent social worker and a registered advocate with senior standing in Ohio.
