BISA Connect Student Clinic offering free services for people with ABI

Brain Injury SA together with Flinders University launches new clinic addressing service delivery gaps for people with ABI, offering free allied health support – whilst enabling improved work ready skills for allied health graduates.

This week, Brain Injury SA, in partnership with Flinders University, is pleased to announce  the launch of BISA Connect, a student led interdisciplinary allied health service offering a  time-limited block of therapy to adults with an ABI, who are without a source of funding or experiencing a funding shortfall for particular supports.  

BISA Connect provides a simulated work environment for allied health placement students to  grow their skills in a supervised and supportive workplace, preparing them for the start of  their careers in the industry. Each clinic within BISA Connect will run across an 8-week  period, with students from different disciplines coming together to support clients with a brain  injury with their short-term goals, and undertaking suitable goal orientated assessments that  may also be used to support in accessing and connecting with future funding options.  

Kathryn Ayles, Manager Allied Health Operations for Brain Injury SA says of the program, that is in its pilot phase, “BISA Connect helps us to address a service gap that has become  evident in the areas we work, and also serves as a way to support the development of up and-coming professionals in the field by connecting them with real life experiences.  

“The BISA Connect clinic will offer free allied health services to people with an ABI, including  those that are impacted by a serious concussion, that either have limited or no current  funding to access any support. 

“This means that someone who has experienced a brain injury will be able to access more  timely intervention after their injury without the worry of waiting for funding to be approved first, as well as the provision of uninterrupted support in between approved plans for current  clients. 

“Additionally, the BISA Connect Clinic will also be able to assist in gathering evidence to  support people with an ABI, potentially also those with a concussion that is creating long  term impacts on their lives, to access funding sources that may be available as well as  providing valuable therapeutic support when they might otherwise miss out,” says Kathryn.  

The first cohort of students forming this interdisciplinary team expect to see their first clients this week and will work together, under the supervision of senior Brain Injury SA therapists across the next 8-week period on a variety of projects to support in building the clinic resources and establishing the foundations of future clinic intakes. So far more than 20 clients have been referred to the student clinic from internal channels, representing a small proportion of the expected wider demand.

Professor Alison Kitson, Vice President and Executive Dean, Flinders University College of  Nursing and Health Sciences says of the start of the new clinic, “The College of Nursing and  Health Sciences is thrilled to be partnering with Brain Injury SA to create a new approach to  service delivery with allied health students studying at Flinders University. This direction  aligns with our work to create job ready graduates for the health, care and disability sector  who can work in strong interprofessional teams. Our students can provide services that meet  a need in the community for people who otherwise are unable to access services in the  community. As a university, we are committed to developing partnerships with industry that  not only provide services but drive change across the health care system.” 

Liz Forsyth, CEO of Brain Injury SA says “We are excited to launch BISA Connect this week,  driving a new approach in placement experience for the students from Flinders University.  This includes strengthening their exposure to interdisciplinary problem solving and working  with real workplace scenarios that will help equip them with the skills they need for starting their careers in their chosen Allied Health field. This initiative further builds our collaboration  with Flinders University in preparing Allied Health students for the needs of the Health and  Disability workforces. We are particularly pleased that working with students in this way also  enables us to offer a supporting service to a group of potentially vulnerable people that they  may not otherwise be able to have.” 

Referrals into the clinic are currently sourced from the parent organisation, Brain Injury SA,  with each new referral to the organisation considered and a place in the free clinic offered  when the need is identified. After the conclusion of the pilot 8 weeks, the organisation hopes  to open referral channels more widely to meet the growing needs in the adult brain injury  community, especially as the prominence of the effects of long-term head trauma from  concussions become more apparent.  

The pilot program is currently available from the Southern and Northern Brain Injury SA  Hubs, with expansion to the city on the horizon.  

To find out more about BISA Connect, or to enquire about accessing support via the clinic,  please reach out to Brain Injury SA via phone 8217 7600 or email  [email protected].