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Join us for this presentation from an expert with the Children’s Law Center!
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health issue affecting diverse populations including individuals engaged with legal systems, people of color, those experiencing housing instability, and those managing mental health challenges or substance use conditions. TBI can result in cognitive and behavioral challenges that may impact a person’s ability to engage with services. When working with young people with dependency and youth justice system involvement, identifying brain injury provides a key opportunity to support affected individuals, improve outcomes, and help families thrive within system settings. A brain trauma-informed approach in courts helps prevent assumptions and stigmatization by recognizing that behaviors such as missing appointments, failing to meet goals, or displaying anti-social tendencies may be symptoms of brain injury, not intentional noncompliance. Working through case examples, this presentation demonstrates that recognizing TBI in dependency and youth justice settings fosters inclusion, provides equitable access, promotes collaboration and improves advocacy for children, transitional age youth, and their families.