News Blog | Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery

March 20, 2020 by Angela

Resources and Inspiration for this Challenging Time

“The single most important thing that can happen right now in this pandemic is that we feel our collectivity — that we’re here to help each other move through this.” -TARA BRACH

Schurig Center is pleased to share this list of resources and activities to help brighten our lives and help us all navigate these unprecedented times together with peace, resilience, and strength. Check back as more resources will continue to be added daily.

Creativity

Mandalas for Relaxation …
**Recommended by Midge, Schurig’s Art Director** Keep your creativity flowing in these difficult times! Research shows coloring mandalas has the power to reduce stress and anxiety by way of mindfulness and even lift negative moods. If you find that you really like your finished mandala you can hang it up and continue to enjoy it. It’s also a great way to connect with others socially in these times of isolation. Share your awesome mandalas with others online or through video chatting. Find blank mandalas for coloring here.

Meditation, Mindfulness & Yoga

Yoga for Your Brain & Mindfulness-based Yoga … Stress Management Center of Marin (SMC) is offering an online chair yoga class, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Join in! Just download the Zoom app (it’s free) and click the link below. Class will be in chairs, so no extra props or space required. $10 donation to SMC suggested, but no one will be turned away. JOIN ZOOM MEETING: https://zoom.us/j/877193029 Or call in to listen only: +16699009128, 877193029# US

Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine … The physical isolation and sudden departure from familiar routines of the coronavirus shelter-in-place can be jarring and disorienting for many of us. Here are few simple questions to help structure your days and check in with yourself. Ask the questions, but don’t stress the answers. They are just meant to support self-care and help cope with feelings of isolation, disconnection, and worry.

How to Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak … In the midst of our panic around COVID-19, we must look to each other to help us get through it. Beyond good hygiene, follow these tips to help others with the way you think, feel, and communicate.

“Our calm is contagious: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic” … Meditation teacher Tara Brach offers some tips for calming your coronavirus anxiety — so you can better care for others.

5-Minute Guided Meditation: Arriving in Mindful Presence

Arts & Entertainment

The Metropolitan Opera: Nightly Met Opera Streams … Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Hangout Groups

Put the SOCIAL in Social Distancing … The Mighty is offering a series of online events to put the SOCIAL in social distancing, from Tarot Reading, DistractMe Hangouts, journaling, art workshops, and more. Find the full schedule here.

Connect with Nature

Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams … Relax, take a deep breath, and connect with the wonders of Monterey Bay. The Aquarium offers several online live cams with soothing music, including Kelp Forest, Sea Otter, Coral Reef, Aviary, Jellies, Sharks , Penguin, and Open Sea.

Learning from Home

Free Audiobooks on Audible … During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has made hundreds of its Audible audiobooks available for free. The collection, aimed primarily at children and families, also includes many famous literary classics. It is accessible from all devices, through a web browser, and does not require users to enter any credit card or personal details.

Yale’s “Happiness” Course … Audit Yale University’s wildly popular “The Science of Well Being” course for free online through Coursera.

Enjoy the Library From Home … Marin County Free Library has a vast collection of digital materials and online services that you can access from the comfort of your own home – from eBooks and audiobooks, to digital magazines and news, as well as streaming movies and TV, and online learning services – all free with your library card!

March 13, 2020 by Angela

COVID-19 & Schurig Center

To ensure the safety of our community, Schurig Center is closed to on-site clients and visitors until further notice.

As COVID-19 becomes more understood and recommendations change, we are tracking updates daily and continue to make decisions about our service offering. Staff are working remotely to assess our clients needs and to identify creative ways to continue to provide services during the shelter in place order. Please check our website for updates or subscribe to our email list to receive updates. [Subscribe here.]

If you have questions or concerns, please contact our office at:
(415) 461-6771 or info@schurigcenter.org

It is a challenging time for us all. At Schurig Center, we believe that resilience, care, and kindness will help us navigate these unprecedented times together. Thank you for your patience and support. We wish you and your loved ones good health.

[Updated: March 16, 2020]

March 11, 2020 by Angela

A Message from Schurig’s Board Chair

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery, I want to remind you that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. For 35 years, Schurig Center continues to be here ready to help people living with the effects of a brain injury meet their challenges and set new goals and dreams for their future.

This wonderful organization is a model for other communities, but it currently only exists here in the Bay Area. This month is a good occasion to let them know you are glad they are here for you.

Why your support matters…

If you or a family member have suffered a traumatic brain injury, stroke, aneurysm, or other brain injury, you may not have time to think about what month it is. A brain injury usually happens quickly, due to an accident or medical emergency. There is no time to prepare mentally or physically for the resulting impairment or loss of function.

Every brain is different and likewise every brain injury. Your injury might be deemed a “mild brain injury” or a concussion, but it still may have devastating consequences. You may not be able to walk, talk or manage your emotions. Your memory may be impaired or you may have trouble managing your emotions. You may not be able to work. It is often an invisible injury, so you may look fine, but inside, you do not feel fine.

Losing the ability to work or the ability to speak clearly may mean your friends and colleagues drift away. You could be left without a sense of purpose, a sense of self, and you may be lonely. Insurance often only covers the immediate incident and some therapy, not the potential years of rehab and recovery ahead of you. You are likely dealing with medical bills, questions about your recovery and figuring out who you now are. Your loved ones—spouse, children, parents—may be facing their own crisis, unable to cope with the fear, anxiety and cost of this suddenly-altered person you have become.

Our medical system is great at treating the injury or illness that caused your brain trauma, but not so great at handling the long-term recovery process.

We are fortunate to have a local resource where people can turn following a brain injury, and it’s funded by your generosity.

Schurig Center is a place where survivors and their families and caregivers can learn how to understand their new challenges, connect with people who know what they are experiencing and access ongoing services and education to help make life better. It fills a big gap in our healthcare system that otherwise would leave people on their own to research and find therapies for their recovery.

Now celebrating its 35th year, Schurig Center offers 15 different services to people from all over the Bay Area. Schurig Center serves those in the Bay Area whose lives have been affected by brain injury, whether from an accident, stroke, concussion, or illness. The center offers services, including therapeutic and rehabilitative classes, support groups, individual consultations, and resource referral assistance. No one is turned away based on their inability to pay.

Our active lifestyle comes with risk. Cyclists, skiers, skate-boarders and other athletes now understand the importance of wearing helmets. But while helmets may protect against some injuries, they do not prevent concussions. In recent years, Schurig Center has added innovative concussion recovery classes for adults to its array of services.

As a member of ConcussionSmart Marin, Schurig Center has helped to promote county-wide protocols for tracking, reporting and treating concussions among Marin County’s student athletes. The program (ConcussionSmartMarin.org) helps physicians and schools comply with legislation that specifies “return to play” requirements.

Please join me in helping to ensure this valuable community resource continues to be available. I can assure you that your giving will go far to improve lives and abilities.

Here are some ways you can help:

Donate. You’ll help people in your community who appreciate it greatly. Donate online here.
Fundraise. Start a fundraiser and make a donation that way.
Volunteer. If you have time to give, contact us.
Support BAM Gala. Schurig Center’s annual BAM Gala helps raise scholarship funds that provide access to care for 70% of our clients who live on a low income. Sponsor, attend, buy raffle tickets, or donate an item for the event’s silent auction. Get more info here.
Invite a speaker. We provide speakers for your community group, workplace, or organization to learn more about brain injury.
Tell your story. If you are a survivor, let people know that everybody has a brain and a brain injury can happen to anyone.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Schurig Center and for caring about its mission.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Strub
President, Board of Directors
Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery
Larkspur, CA | (415) 461-6771

November 6, 2019 by Angela

You Help Change the Future of Concussion Treatment

Thanks to your support, adults living with the effects of a Concussion are helped by innovative services not available anywhere else in our area; services that are gaining recognition as a model program.

According to the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability around the world. Concussion, also known as Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), is considered an epidemic in the United States.

It was once believed that people who sustained a Concussion would typically recover fully in a few months. Research now shows over 50% of people who sustain even just one Concussion may experience significant long-term effects for a year or longer.

Globally, health practitioners, who themselves may have limited familiarity with these conditions, are often faced with a lack of resources to aid clients in their recovery.

A Concussion is a significant medical problem that can result in lasting effects that are not at all ‘mild.’ It’s important to have a place like Schurig Center that offers continued education and support at affordable rates to help those who are experiencing longer-term side effects of a Concussion. – Dr. James Wilson, PhD

Dr. Jim Wilson, PhD

33% of Schurig Center’s clients are adults with post-concussive syndrome.

With the expert guidance of neuropsychologist and concussion specialist Dr. James Wilson, Schurig Center has designed and implemented specialized services to meet the unique needs of these people.

Schurig’s Post-Concussion Education and Support Group, facilitated by Dr. Wilson, fills gaps in care by providing accurate information about Concussion and directing clients to suitable sources of care. The group also addresses the altered sense of self, a psychological reaction that is common among Concussion survivors.

We are pleased to share that the group’s outcomes show significant improvement in clients’ ability to cope with the long-term cognitive, behavioral, and psychological effects that often impact their work, family, and personal lives.

In recognition of the group’s innovation and positive outcomes, Dr. Wilson was invited to share the findings as a keynote speaker at the 4th International Conference on Clinical and Counseling Psychology this past August in Tokyo. Locally, he also spoke at MarinHealth Medical Center’s Trauma Symposium in October.