Since 1980, there has been rapid growth in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. Driven by increased demand and aided by advances in medical and rehabilitative sciences, hundreds of facilities and a variety of program designs have been started in a short period of time. Not all of these facilities have been successful. Recently, many facilities have closed or have had to make significant changes in their programs.

Because choosing the right the facility is critical, the family must be educated regarding the intricacies of programs which can have either a beneficial or detrimental impact on client outcome. This guide provides a structure from which the user can ask pertinent questions of each facility being considered--questions which will assist in helping families choose a quality post-acute head injury rehabilitation program.

The guide includes sections on:

• Documentation
• Peer Review
• Service Review
• Patient Evaluation Criteria
• Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Staff Review

This guide can be used either to solicit information about a program or analyze information collected over a period of time. A high number of "yes" responses in each section means a higher probability that the program will be of good quality, provide cost effective services, and help the brain injured individual achieve a higher level of functional independence.

©1992, Centre for Neuro Skills