The service exists to help provide for the information and specific training needs of any staff who work or have contact with people who have acquired brain injury (ABI) or who work with the families of people with ABI. Staff may work in a variety of settings (e.g. health, community, legal etc).

The service can assist with information and advice about what sort of assistance may be helpful for the particular circumstances and where and how to obtain help and assistance for clients or family members. While the service is primarily aimed at staff, it is able to field queries from people with ABI and families (for example a family friend rang the service concerned about a number of changes to the personality of a friends son following an ABI and the impact on family life).

The service also supports the ‘Barwon Acquired Brain Injury Network / Interest Group’ – a group made up of local / regional staff / clinicians who meet monthly to share information and work to improve services for people with ABI/ families (details of Network meetings are available on the Network website –see below).

Scheduled staff training is available and some training for groups may be available on request.

The Barwon South West ABI Interest Network Website has a list of useful links and service directories (e.g. a Regional Service Directory and a State-wide Service Directory). It also has a list of meeting dates and meeting minutes. It can be found at www.vicnet.net.au/~brain (or punch ‘Barwon South West ABI Interest Network’ into your internet search engine).

The service is funded by the Department of Human Services and operates two days a week. Email or phone messages can be left on other days.