BIRP services essential functions
The essential functions for comprehensive brain injury specialist rehabilitation services include:
- case management
- brain injury rehabilitation specialist clinics (rehabilitation medicine)
- neuropsychology
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy or exercise physiology
- psychology or clinical psychology (with expertise in behaviour therapy)
- social work
- speech-language pathology.
Each brain injury rehabilitation service or team must be able to provide or support others to carry out these three essential functions. For example, the adult inpatient rehabilitation service will offer all core activities, whereas a case management only service will work with clients to coordinate providers of the other functions.
These essential functions can be made accessible through a variety of mechanisms including:
- employment of staff
- access to staff in other parts of the local health district
- access to staff in the statewide BIRP network
- partnerships with private providers
- purchasing services.
Other staff roles
In addition to staff that provide the essential functions mentioned above, other staff roles may include:
- brain injury rehabilitation specialist physician or neuropsychiatrist
- dietitian
- diversional or play therapist
- recreational therapist
- rehabilitation support personnel, including educators, life coaches
- drug and alcohol clinicians
- vocational providers
- mental health clinicians.
The roles actually required in each situation are dependent on the needs of the clients in the brain injury rehabilitation program. Between all the members of the team there must be sufficient skills to carry out all of the core activities. See the full list in Rehabilitation core activities wrapping around the person.