NJ Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fund

NJ Division of Disability Services

The TBI Fund provides New Jersey residents of any age, who have survived a Traumatic Brain Injury, the opportunity to access the brain injury related services and supports they need to live in the community. The Fund purchases supports and services to foster independence and maximize quality of life when insurance, personal resources and/or public programs are unavailable to meet those needs. A portion of the Fund also is used to support public education, outreach and prevention activities related to TBI.

Eligibility:

Fund recipients must:

*Provide medical documentation of brain injury
*Have liquid assets of less than $100,000
*Be a resident of New Jersey for at least 90 consecutive days

Definitions:

Traumatic Brain Injury: To qualify for the Fund, an individual must have an acquired brain injury; defined as an injury to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal brain function, where continued impairment can be demonstrated.

Fund Facts:

*Motor Vehicle collisions and falls are among the top causes for TBI in New Jersey.
*The most requested service of the Fund is Cognitive Therapy.
*Every approved applicant is assigned a TBI Fund case manager, who works with the applicant to create a service support plan to be heard by the Fund Committee.
*The average award amount for Fund requests is approximately $8,200.
*The individual lifetime cap is $100,000.
*The Fund currently serves over 2,500 New Jersey residents with TBI.

This definition does not include dysfunction caused by congenital or degenerative disorders, birth trauma or injuries caused by other circumstances. (See: http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/basis.html)

Liquid Assets:

Liquid Assets include checking accounts, savings, accounts, CD’s, stocks and bonds. The Fund does not consider your primary home or your primary vehicle as “liquid assets,” nor do we consider your IRA or 401K, unless you are of retirement age.

Services and Supports:

The Fund will consider supports and services that are related to your brain injury. These may include but are not limited to:

*Home modifications
*Assistive technology
*Neuropsychological services
*Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies
*Service coordination
*Cognitive therapy
*Pharmaceuticals

How to Apply to the TBI Fund: Request a TBI Fund application by calling: 1-888-285-3036.

Disclaimer: this information is taken from the pamphlet from NJ Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fund. I have not used the service so I have no opinion yes or no to the service. Please call the above number or email them for more information.