Environmental Validity

Reintegrating into the community can be a challenge for those who have experienced a brain injury. At CNS, we help patients regain their highest level of independence and prepare for life after therapy by providing neurorehabilitation in real-world settings. From therapy groups to CNS residences and weekend outings, a broad array of environmentally valid settings maximizes treatment effect, learning generalization, and outcome stability. Patients relearn social skills and their normal rhythm of living in these kinds of environments, where actual settings, conditions, times and responsibilities are contextually appropriate to the neurorehabilitation taking place.

Clinical Setting

In CNS’ clinical settings, patients participate in neurorehabilitation that is tailored to the individual needs of each patient. Our group therapy is designed to offer all the distractions of daily life, such as music, talking, or noises, as in a real-world environment. Additionally, group therapy helps patients to relearn problem-solving and social skills with one another. As a result, patients learn to overcome attentional issues that may stem from their brain injury, which is vital for reintegrating into their home and communities. Other benefits of group therapy include:

Socialization
Peer support
Shared purpose
Information Sharing
Demonstrations
Increased empathy

Residential Setting

With Structure Comes Freedom
CNS believes that skills should be practiced within the context of the real-world. Rehabilitation does not only occur in clinical settings, but also in our residential facilities deliberately located in neighborhoods offsite from our clinics. Patients live in apartments or homes and continue practicing skills that would naturally occur in these environments. By following a sleep schedule, morning routine, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), patients practice real-world home skills and become better prepared for life after rehabilitation. The residential environment ultimately allows for structure and consistency, as patients build a routine and regain their natural rhythm of living. Some of these activities include:

Cooking
Packing lunch
Home cleaning
Getting dressed
Self-hygiene
Sharing communal space
Laundry

In the Community

Patient treatment extends beyond our clinical and residential settings into the community where day-to-day skills are honed. Our Residential Treatment Coordinators organize weekend activities and group outings for patients, who take part in real-world scenarios as part of their rehabilitation. Through weekly grocery shopping trips, patients use money management skills learned in the clinic to buy their groceries and manage nutrition. This community immersion empowers patients to make decisions and become self-sufficient easing the transition after rehabilitation for patients and their families.

Weekend activities include:

Grocery shopping
Pharmacy pickup
Movie
Game night
Swimming
Rock climbing
Volunteering
Driving