MS TBI State Partnership Program - The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), through the Office of Injury and Violence Prevention, in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi (BIAMS), proposes to strengthen Mississippi's statewide system of services and supports for individuals living with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This application represents Mississippi's first participation in the ACL Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program and will establish coordinated, person centered infrastructure that improves access to services, strengthens interagency collaboration, incorporates lived experience, and promotes long term systems change. Under MSDH leadership, the project will establish statewide Resource Facilitation; complete a comprehensive statewide TBI needs assessment; develop and implement a living Mississippi TBI State Action Plan; convene a TBI Advisory Council with at least 50 percent representation by individuals living with TBI; assess and strengthen TBI screening and referral practices; expand healthcare and community referral pathways; develop the Mississippi Brain Injury Resource Portal; and increase education, training, peer and family support, and stakeholder engagement. Resource Facilitation will provide individuals and families with a central point of entry for identifying needs, navigating services, and connecting with appropriate supports while generating data on service gaps, barriers, referral patterns, and unmet needs. These data, together with needs assessment findings and stakeholder input, will guide statewide planning, continuous quality improvement, and evidence based systems investment. Expected outcomes include improved access to coordinated services, stronger statewide partnerships, increased capacity to recognize and respond to TBI, improved referral and screening practices, reduced barriers to care, and sustainable infrastructure that supports independence, quality of life, and community integration for individuals living with TBI. The proposed project period is September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2029.
