On an outreach basis, VCBIS offers individuals with the opportunity to fully participate in their community, by providing support in their own environment. VCBIS encourages clients to establish and direct their own services, with support from fully trained counsellors. Clients receive individualized support to determine their goals in relation to work, education, home and leisure activities. Services include:

• Development of a plan outlining an individual's goals and the steps necessary to accomplish these goals.
• Assistance with planning and learning strategies to increase independence.
• Support to complete daily activities; e.g. budgeting, groceries and meal planning, cooking, home organization.
• Strategies to improve learning, problem solving and memory limitations.
• Maintenance of existing support is encouraged

Eligibility Criteria

• Diagnosis of an Acquired Brain Injury; where an Acquired Brain Injury is defined as damage to the brain which occurs after birth and can result from either a traumatic brain injury (e.g. physical trauma due to accidents, motor vehicles, falls, assaults, neurosurgery etc.) or nontraumatic injury derived from either an internal or external source (e.g. stroke, brain tumours, infection, poisoning, hypoxia, ischemia, encephalopathy or substance abuse). However all definitions of Acquired Brain Injury exclude neurodegenerative disorders.
• Age 18 years and older, with special consideration being given to those individual 16 to 18 years of age.
• Completion of post injury rehabilitation.
• Individuals have the willingness to increase their independence and express interest in participating in a program to accomplish their goals.
• Individual assessments will be completed for persons dealing with addiction issues or experiencing significant behavioural and/or psychiatric challenges,
• Living in, or about to be living in, the city of Ottawa
• An individual assessment, INTER RAI Community Health Assessment, will be completed for all new program applicants.

Cost of Services

Services are offered on a subsidized or fee-for-service basis. Clients with access to rehabilitation funding (third party payers) will be expected to defray the cost of their involvement in our programme, per the government's subrogation position, as required by law.