MNRF’s Day Treatment Program provides intensive, outpatient-based neurorehabilitation. Patients in the Day Treatment Program attend therapy each weekday from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. They receive multiple hours of individual therapeutic intervention each day, participate in group sessions, and engage in functional community re-entry activities.

MNRF’s Day Treatment program is based on a team approach. Patients and their families work together with the rehabilitation staff to help the patients achieve their goals and gradually return to activities they enjoy. A team of specialists in occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychology, and social work combine to provide comprehensive patient support. Patient care is supervised by a group of specialists that includes the patient’s physician, our medical director, a program manager who specializes in neurorehabilitation, and a clinical coordinator who is a certified brain injury specialist.

Each patient’s program, goals, and estimated length of treatment are reviewed continuously, with the rehab team meeting every two weeks to assess goals and progress. In addition, a team of therapists meets periodically with the patient and family to review progress and discuss any questions or concerns. Family education teaches caregivers how to best assist the patient.

Before leaving the program, patients and their families receive information on community resources that may be of help once the program has been completed. Staff contact patients periodically after discharge to see how they are doing.

Brain Injury or Life Skills Track

MNRF’s Day Treatment Program has two distinct treatment tracks based on a patient’s clinical needs: brain injury or life skills.

The structure, intensity, and supports (such as transportation) are the same for day program participants regardless of the clinical focus (brain injury versus life skills). The main difference in the two tracks is the inclusion of cognitive rehabilitation and speech therapy for clients in the brain injury track. Clients in the life skills track do not receive cognitive or speech therapy. Their focus is on motor recovery and functional living skills, with an intensive focus on occupational and physical therapy.

Activities

There are unique benefits to be gained from both one-on-one sessions and participation in group activities, so each patient’s schedule generally reflects a combination of group and individual sessions. Some examples of group activities include the following:

In the MNRF program, many functional skills are addressed to assist you in reaching the greatest possible level of independence in your daily activities. Grocery shopping, meal planning, money management, and basic daily care skills are among the skills addressed. Community re-entry activities are planned weekly to address safety awareness, social skills, and carryover of skills learned in clinic to a community setting. Compensatory strategies for cognitive impairments (for example, memory and attention) are covered for those who have cognitive needs. For those with goals of returning to work or school, MNRF staff will work closely with schools or employers to assist in developing a plan and tailoring the program to meet the patient’s specific needs.

MNRF Staff

MNRF staff have extensive training and expertise in brain injury, and we are dedicated to giving our patients the best quality care with the latest clinical techniques and interventions. Many members of our staff have received national certification as brain injury specialists (CBIS).

In 2006, the Brain Injury Association of Maryland invited MNRF staff to their annual conference to speak about building a model brain injury program.

Staff have also had formal training in rehabilitation for spinal cord injury.

Transportation
Arrangements for van transportation are discussed during the first day of the program, with transportation available beginning the second week.

Admission
To be approved for MNRF, individuals must

Setting
Activities take place in our Robinwood Professional Center location. Our facility has a warm, homelike setting, which includes private treatment rooms, a comfortable lounge, bright gyms, a heated pool, and an apartment for practicing activities of daily living.

MNRF Outpatient Program
Total Rehab Care at Robinwood Professional Center also offers an MNRF outpatient program for those who would benefit from neurorehabilitative intervention at a less intensive level (two-three times a week), or intervention limited to one or two therapeutic disciplines (occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy).

About Traumatic Injuries

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from “mild,” (a brief change in mental status or consciousness) to “severe,” (an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury). A TBI can result in short-term or long-term problems with independent function.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function, such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) and disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich’s Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact. SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks, spinal stenosis, or pinched nerves.