Frequently Asked Questions

An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that occurs after birth and is not degenerative. Acquired brain injuries can be traumatic or non-traumatic.

A traumatic brain injury has an external cause. This means that a force outside of your body contributed to the injury – for example, a hit to the head or body from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or contact sport.

On the other hand, a non-traumatic brain injury is caused by internal factors. These can include a stroke, tumour, or lack of oxygen to the brain from events such as overdose or near-drowning.

The only definitive way to know if you have a brain injury is through a formal diagnosis by a physician.

Acute signs and symptoms of a brain injury can include the following:

• Confusion
• Answering questions slowly
• Slow or slurred speech​
• Headache and/or nausea​
• Sudden clumsiness or difficulty with balance​
• Double or blurred vision​
• Sensitivity to light or noise​
• Feeling sluggish or foggy​
• Inability to concentrate​
• Inability to remember the date, time, or location​

Chronic signs and symptoms of brain injury are unique to the individual and vary widely. These include a spectrum of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive factors. If you believe you have a brain injury, see your doctor to confirm a diagnosis as soon as possible.

Take a look at the Services we provide to see if there’s something right for you.

If you have more questions or need additional help, Contact Us anytime.

We offer a fully funded Caregiver Support Program.

To book an appointment for a free caregiver consultation:

Call: 250-762-3233

Or Book Here

Glad you asked! We offer a range of recovery, rehabilitation, and support services to help people with concussion and acquired brain injury. After a free consultation with our client services team, we’ll match you to the support programs that best fit your goals and needs.

Read more about the Services we offer.

At BrainTrust, we offer two types of services – ones that are fully funded and ones that require a service fee. Most of our services are fully funded and free of charge.

Funded Services are based on availability of funds and location (clients need to be physically located in the Greater Okanagan area).

Paid Services are available to those who are able to pay the service fee. They are accessible in-person for local residents, and remotely to anyone in the world*.

Whether accessing funded services or paid services, your initial consultation with our client services team will always be free!

*Due to the nature of care required, Rapid Access Counselling (RAC) and the Crime Prevention and Reduction Program are not offered remotely.

Sometimes, other health issues or impairments can seem a lot like a brain injury but are actually other medical conditions or mental health concerns. Our team of experts is specifically trained to help with brain injuries. This is why we always require documentation of brain injury before you access our services. It ensures that we’re helping in a responsible way and for the condition that we’re experts in – brain injury!

A neuropsychologist is a specialist who completes an assessment on you following your brain injury. The assessment will include different activities that test your:

• Cognition (ability to think, understand, and learn)
• Memory
• Motor function (walking, coordination, etc.)
• Perception (how well you take in what you see or read)
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Verbal ability

The final report includes:

• a diagnosis,
• recommendations for treatment, and
• a description of the effects of your deficits and strengths on post-injury life.

This is helpful information that can guide your recovery team in planning which services will be of greatest benefit for you.

You can get a referral to a neuropsychologist through your family doctor. If you live in BC and were injured in a workplace accident, you may also be able to get a referral through WorkSafeBC.

Note: You do NOT need a neuropsychological assessment to access BrainTrust services or programs if you already have another form of brain injury documentation.

In most cases, your family doctor can provide you with documentation. If you don’t have a regular family doctor, you may need to get your records from the clinic or hospital you attended when you were first injured.

We accept the following kinds of documentation:

Medical proof of acquired brain injury from a:

• CT scan
• MRI report
• Neurologist report
• Physiatrist report

Other medical or rehabilitation documentation that clearly indicates acquired brain injury, such as:

• Hospital records
• Medical, rehabilitation, or hospital discharge reports
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Psychiatric report with DSM V diagnosis of acquired brain injury

Reach out anytime if you’re having trouble getting the documentation you need – we’re here to help!
Call: 250-762-3233
Contact Us

Generally, we will wait for your documentation before connecting you with eligible services. However, access to some services may be possible depending on availability. This is something we can ask about during your initial consultation.

You can Book A Consultation right away – our Client Services Team will usually meet with you within 2 weeks of your consultation request.

If you qualify for Funded Services, the wait is usually 2-4 weeks.

If you are accessing our Paid Services, you can begin almost immediately depending on intake cycles and staff availability.

Contact Us to learn more.

Absolutely! 

With over 35 years of experience in brain injury care and recovery support, we understand just how impactful brain injury can be for caregivers. Supporting you is a very important aspect of the work we do.

Learn more about our fully funded Caregiver Support Program.

To book a free caregiver consultation:

Call: 250-762-3233
Or Book Here

We understand you’re doing all you can to help your loved one with brain injury. If your child is over 18 with a medically documented brain injury, they are considered an adult and need to request support for themselves. But we encourage you to help them reach out to us and welcome you to take part in their recovery journey with us. 

Please let them know that they can book a free consultation by: 

Calling: 250-762-3233
Booking Here

If you meet our eligibility requirements for funded services, you’ll be invited to meet with your personal caseworker after your initial consultation. Your worker will help you find group programs that fit you best and meet your needs!

BrainTrust does not provide direct services related to housing. However, we will help you access other community services that can better support you in finding a safe, affordable place to live.

If you are experiencing a housing crisis and need immediate help, you can contact the following resources:  

BC Housing
General Phone: 1-866-465-6873
To Apply: 1-604-433-2218

Emergency Shelter Program
Phone: 604-433-2218
Toll Free Number: From anywhere in B.C. 1-800-257-7756

Cornerstone Shelter:
250-317-6678

Richter Street Shelter:
778-212-1401

NOW Canada Society:
250-763-3876

Kelowna Women’s Shelter:
250-763-1040

The Alexandra Gardner Women and Children Safe Centre (AG House): 
250-763-2262

Kelowna Gospel Mission:
250-763-3737

Free legal support is available to you at B.C. Legal Aid.

Yes! Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of Canadian law. BrainTrust Canada is a registered charitable tax-exempt organisation based in Canada. 

Our tax ID is BN: 140202003RR0001 

For gifts made online, keep your email receipt as your official record to claim your donation as a deduction on your Canadian taxes.

For gifts made offline by donors living in Canada and who provide a mailing address, you will receive a donation receipt by postal mail.

Visit our Donation Page to make a donation today!

Donations through our website are displayed in Canadian dollars, but payments are accepted and will be automatically converted from several currencies around the world.

Thank you for thinking of us! At present, we do not accept these kinds of donations, but we encourage you to consider making a donation to one of the organisations below.

For furniture items, please consider donating to a local independent thrift store, your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Kelowna Women’s Shelter Thrift Store, or Kelowna SHARE society.

For food items, please consider donating to your local Food Bank.