Supporting Patients and Families Through the Emotional Aftermath of Brain Injury

About the course

1.0 contact hour
Expiration date: December 17, 2027

This lecture will provide in-depth information on stroke and traumatic brain injury, how to support families in their physical and mental recovery, and how to guide families to be self-advocates:

Causes of strokes
Pathophysiology of stroke and traumatic brain injury
Acute stroke management
Neurocritical care for traumatic brain injuries
Management of intracranial pressure
Common complications
Rehabilitation options and pathways
Advocacy for patients affected by stroke and traumatic brain injury
Teaching families how to be advocates
Prognosis after brain injury
Acute and chronic challenges
Direct and indirect consequences of brain injury - neurological and psychological
Family disorientation
Family and patient education
Caregiver stress
Emotional challenges of coping with brain injury
Handling ambiguous loss

Learning Outcome
The learner will report this educational activity provides information that improves, supports, or causes a change in their practice.

This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the Northeast Multistate Division Education Unit, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

To obtain CE credits, learners must complete the video recording. Learners will receive a CE certificate upon completion of the lecture and submission of a course evaluation form.

Commercial Support
There is no commercial support for this lecture.

Conflict of Interest
The presenters declare no conflicts of interest.

Instructors

Esther Nemetsky MS, PA-C and Elchanan Schwarz LMHC, LPC

Since its founding in 2003, BINA (Stroke and Brain Injury Assistance) has assisted more than 5,000 individuals with neurological and medically complex conditions, offering a comprehensive system of services at no charge.

Esther Nemetsky MS, PA-C is a medical advocate with BINA assisting patients of all ages with stroke and brain injury. To that end, she provides education about their disorders and evolving needs. Esther guides patients and families on how to be effective advocates for appropriate medical care from the time of injury through the years of rehabilitation. Referrals to neurology, physiatry, and various rehabilitations comprise a good portion of her work, as does being a supportive, and understanding listening ear. In addition, Esther has a special interest in autoimmune encephalitis and in identifying the right care for these patients. She is involved with Curing Coma, an initiative of the Neurocritical Society which seeks to improve outcomes of coma through education and research. Prior to her work with brain injury and stroke patients, she was a professor of physician assistant studies at SUNY Downstate for sixteen years.

Elchanan Schwarz LMHC, LPC serves as the Director of Crisis Intervention and Family Support at BINA, the leading organization in the Jewish community dedicated to supporting survivors of stroke, brain injury, and spinal injury. With extensive experience in mental health counseling and rehabilitation guidance, he provides families with the tools, clarity, and emotional support needed to navigate the overwhelming medical, legal, and practical challenges that follow a brain injury.

In his role, Elchanan provides counseling, education, and individualized guidance for survivors and their families, ensuring they never face the rehabilitation journey alone. He also oversees support groups, coordinates mental health referrals, and collaborates with a wide network of practitioners to strengthen the family’s path toward recovery.

Drawing on years of clinical expertise and a deep commitment to compassionate care, Elchanan brings a nuanced understanding of trauma, adjustment, and resilience to his work—and to the communities he serves.