Jodi
Wustman was a bright 19 year old college student when she
suffered a devastating brain injury after being hit by a drunk
driver. Finding no programs to support her after hospitalization,
Jodi was placed in Hillside House, a Santa Barbara facility designed
to house cerebral palsy patients. There she continued living,
sinking further and further into a state of isolation for lack
of contact with peers and mentally stimulating activities. This
is a common problem for people recovering from a brain injury.
In
1982, Jodi's parents got together with relatives of other adults
suffering from brain injuries and began mobilizing resources to
create a nurturing and stimulating place for their loved ones.
In 1994, as result of their efforts, Jodi House opened in a building
restored by Kiwanis Club members.
Since
then, Jodi House has become a vibrant activity center and the
main source of support, referrals and information for the local
brain injury community. Jodi House offers day programs designed
to assist individuals in developing coping strategies for living
with the lingering effects of a brain injury through participation
in a supportive and accepting community setting.
In
2006, the organization changed its name to Brain Injury Association
of Santa Barbara (BIASB) and a satellite site, Jodi House II in
Solvang, was created to better serve the North County population.
BIASB's
two sites, Jodi House and Jodi House II, follow the clubhouse
model, where brain injured adults are considered members, not
patients, and are encouraged to get involved to the best of their
ability in all levels of its operations, from janitorial tasks
to program creation. Our members are adults with ages ranging
from 20's to 90's, residing mostly in Santa Barbara County.
Jodi
House provides a safe, accepting, and caring environment where
BIASB's members congregate, share common experiences, problem
solve, socialize and participate on a voluntary basis. Programs
are structured to stimulate learning at various levels of ability,
ranging from simple social exchange and mental stimulation for
severely impaired members to recovering and/or learning skills
for members with higher cognitive levels. Many of the ideas for
our programs--which include adaptive yoga and Reiki meditation,
adaptive computer skills, memory classes, voice retraining, rhythm
workshop, arts and ceramics, peer support groups and family support--
are generated by our brain-injured members. We also provide referrals
and case management as needed.
BIASB maintains cooperative relationships with a variety of organizations,
including:
Coast
Caregiver Resource Center
Easy
Lift
Independent
Living Resource Center of Santa Barbara
National
Multiple Sclerosis Society Channel Islands
Nonprofit
Support Center
People
Helping People
The
Rehabilitation Institute of Santa Barbara
Santa
Barbara Mental Health Association
Santa
Barbara Museum of Art
Santa
Barbara Museum of Natural History
Unity Shoppe
