Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Thursday that eight organizations received a total of $2.8 million in grant funding to expand and improve community-based programs and services that address the needs of people with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries and their families.

Funding was awarded by the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund Advisory Board, and involves projects that include internet intervention, life skills training, clubhouse expansion, and post secondary education for veterans with spinal cord injury. The grant period is from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2012.

“The Commonwealth is committed to improving the treatment and care of Virginians with these types of injuries and continues to seek innovative, community-based rehabilitation programs to better serve this growing disability population,” says Kaine. “I am particularly pleased that the funds will support efforts in Virginia to assist our ‘Wounded Warriors’ and their families.”

Based on current Virginia census estimates, nearly 85,000 Virginians are disabled as a result of traumatic brain injury, and more than 900,000 are disabled because of a stroke.

“In these difficult economic times, we are thrilled to still be able to offer grants which increase our Commonwealth's ability to respond to the ever-growing needs of persons with spinal cord and brain injuries,” says Jim Rothrock, Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services and standing member of the Advisory Board.

Grant recipients and the programs receiving funds are:

- The Brain Injury Association of Virginia, Richmond: “Transforming Information, Outreach and Support Services” ($268,290 / three years)

- The Brain Injury Resource & Development Center Inc., Roanoke: “Expansion of Services Provided by the Phoenix Star Clubhouse” ($220,443 / three years)

- Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia, Roanoke: “Life Skills Training: A Path to Independence” ($408,080 / three years)

- Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery Inc., Harrisonburg: Putting Our Heads Together for Brain Injury” ($267,240 / three years)

- University of Virginia, Charlottesville: “Development and Feasibility of an Internet Intervention to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury” ($386,574 / three years)

- Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Richmond: “Preparing Veterans with SCI and Postsecondary Education: Development and Implementation of a Mobile Supported Education Model” ($445,060 / three years)

- Virginia Commonwealth University, The Partnership for People with Disabilities, Richmond: “Common Ground: Linking Wounded Warriors and Community Support Providers” ($398,700 / three years)

- Virginia Assistive Technology System, Richmond: “Widening the NET: Increasing Capacity of Virginia’s Assistive Technology Reuse Program” ($416,220 / three years)

The Trust Fund is legislatively mandated to disburse funds through a grant award process. Funds are disseminated equally between research and community-based rehabilitative program/service, through a rotating cycle of Requests for Proposals.

The last community-based rehabilitative program/service grants were awarded in 2006 and the last research grants in 2007. CNI grants are funded for one- to three-year periods, at a maximum of $150,000 per year.