Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia is piloting a program using telehealth technology to create an online support group for people with brain injuries. For many people, getting out of the house and meeting people is difficult after a brain injury. The new program, Community Living Connection, or CLiC, aims to eliminate those barriers, especially for people who live in rural areas.

The group began as a 10-week program in August 2011. Fifteen people with brain damage participated. The program was such a success that 26 people signed up for the second session. There are already 30 participants for the third session, which will begin in January 2012.

A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services says the program is working wonders to address one of the most significant problems people with a disability face -- loneliness and isolation.

A trained moderator, who works for Brain Injury Services in Roanoke, Va., leads the group sessions. The 26 participants are divided into three groups, each with its own moderator. Each group meets twice a week using teleconferencing technology.

The sessions tend to be part support group and part therapy. In addition to talking about the problems members face because of their brain injury, the moderators have them work on brain teasers and puzzles to encourage higher-level thinking.

The group has addressed coping with unwelcome changes, handling financial issues like credit scores and learning to talk again after a brain injury. Many of the participants are beginning to use social media like Facebook to interact with each other outside of the formal therapy sessions.

While Brain Injury Services employees are encouraged by the program's initial success, funding is an issue. Participants are not charged for the program, and insurance does not cover it. A grant provided money to start the program and additional grants are paying the staff involved in the project.

Source: The Roanoke Times, "Creating connections to help those with brain injuries in Southwest Virginia," Sarah Bruyn Jones, Dec. 18, 2011.