Center for Rural Health and NDBIN celebrate Governor’s Proclamation and 2025 Mind Matters Conference
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – March 2025 is officially Brain Injury Awareness Month in North Dakota, according to a new proclamation from Governor Kelly Armstrong. The Governor is making this proclamation in conjunction with the North Dakota Brain Injury Network's (NDBIN) annual Mind Matters Conference, which focuses on new research, trends, practice strategies, and collaborative models of care in the area of brain injury.
The Mind Matters Conference will be held on March 20-21 in Mandan, N.D. During the two-day conference, speakers will present innovative approaches and new systems of care for individuals living with brain injury. The conference brings together a multidisciplinary audience of survivors, family members, caregivers, and providers to discuss diverse topics and support for individuals after obtaining a brain injury. The conference is hosted by the NDBIN, located at the Center for Rural Health within the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
This year, Mind Matters is highlighting the Intersection of interpersonal violence and brain injury. Rachel Ramirez, the director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, will be a featured speaker on this topic. Ramirez will give two presentations: "Invisible Impact: Domestic Violence and Brain Injury" and "Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury: Strangulation, Concussions, and Trauma."
According to NDBIN, 50-90% of individuals with a history of domestic violence have symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.
"Every year we look forward to connecting with brain injury stakeholders from all over North Dakota and beyond," Carly Endres, senior project coordinator with NDBIN, said. "March is always a bittersweet time of the year for us at NDBIN, we get to celebrate and acknowledge not only the hard work of survivors in their recovery journey, but also the professionals that help them get there."
The conference will be held at the Baymont by Wyndham in Mandan. Participants can choose to register for the full conference or only attend one day. Registration is available online or in-person at the conference. Continuing education units will be offered in the fields of addiction counseling, audiology and speech language pathology, counseling, nursing, occupational therapy/occupational therapy assistant, psychology, and social work. A general certificate will also be available.
Learn more and register for Mind Matters Conference online.
About Brain Injury Awareness Month
Every March, NDBIN recognizes Brain Injury Awareness Month as a time to acknowledge
and support the millions of Americans affected by brain injury. Hosting the Mind Matters
conference allows education, resources, and training to be shared with survivors of
a brain injury, family and caregivers, and practitioners who work with survivors and
caregivers. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, every year, at least
2.8 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury. While many people go on to
make a full recovery, there are more than 5 million people in the U.S. (one in 60
Americans) living with a permanent brain injury-related disability.
On March 19, advocates for brain injury awareness will meet at the state capitol to share stories with state legislators and others about how brain injury has affected themselves or their families. A panel of speakers will be part of the day, along with an Unmasking Brain Injury project. More information can be found at ndbin.org.
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Jena Pierce
Communications Manager | Center for Rural Health
University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
1301 North Columbia Road, Stop 9037 | Room E248 | Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
701.777.4205 direct | 701.777.3848 main
jena.pierce@UND.edu | ruralhealth.und.edu