TCARE & NASHIA Training Series on Brain Injury
Understanding Brain Injury: Signs, Strategies, and Support for Caregivers
Date/Time: November 13, 2025 | 10:00 AM CT
Length: 30 minutes (20 min presentation + 10 min Q&A)
Overview: This session builds awareness of brain injury in older adults and individuals with disabilities. Caregivers will learn to recognize signs and symptoms, apply practical strategies for everyday challenges, and know when to seek professional help.
Integrating Brain Injury Awareness into Care Management
Date/Time: November 14, 2025 | 12:00 PM CT
Length: 60 minutes (40 min presentation + 20 min Q&A)
Overview: Designed for Care Managers, this session provides tools to recognize and screen for brain injury, differentiate TBI from other conditions, and integrate strategies into care planning. Attendees will gain insights into chronic symptoms, functional impacts, and referral pathways.
Caring for Veterans with Brain Injury: Practical Approaches for Families
Date/Time: December 4, 2025 | 12:30 PM CT
Length: 30 minutes (20 min presentation + 10 min Q&A)
Overview: This session addresses the unique aspects of brain injury among veterans, including overlap with PTSD. Caregivers will learn targeted strategies to support veterans at home, create low-stimulation environments, and recognize red flags that require professional referral.
Presenters
Jill Ferrington, MS, CRC, CBIS
NASHIA Director of Community Integration
Jill Ferrington brings a 30-year history working on disability initiatives and grants in the areas of brain injury, competitive integrated employment (including self-employment) for people with disabilities, Home and Community-Based Services, and Medicaid Buy-In. Jill currently serves as a project manager for NASHIA’s Leading Practices Academy on Criminal and Juvenile Justice aimed at implementation of brain injury identification and support approaches within adult and youth settings. In addition to training and resource development on a variety of brain injury topics, she supports states in their efforts to prioritize needs and engage stakeholders in the development of actionable State Plans, conceptualize and plan tailored resource facilitation and peer support models, and enhance or expand service delivery for people with brain injury.
Judy Dettmer, BSW
NASHIA Director of Technical Assistance and Special Projects
Judy Dettmer has been working in the field of brain injury for 30 years. Ms. Dettmer serves as NASHIA’s Director of Technical Assistance and Special Projects and a Technical Assistance Lead for the Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center at the Administration for Community Living.
Ms. Dettmer has worked extensively with adults, children and family members of individuals with brain injury. She has provided direct and systems consultation to improve the lives of individuals with brain injury. Judy has also assisted with research efforts related to brain injury and has conducted countless presentations, classes and seminars on brain injury both in the state of Colorado and nationally.
Ms. Dettmer has provided technical assistance to numerous states on topics including but not limited to; screening on brain injury; developing infrastructure within state systems; interagency partnership development; and creation and management of advisory boards and councils.
Judy has become a national leader in the field of criminal justice and brain injury, developing screening, identification and accommodations protocols in Colorado that have been routinely modeled by states.