Engagement Strategies 

for Survivors

A companion piece to the Traumatic Brain Injury 

Advisory Board Toolkit, produced April 2021 

Written by members of the TBI Advisory and 

Leadership (TAL) Group | August 2021

TBI TARC is supported by contract number HHSP233201500119I from the 

U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human 

Services, Washington, D.C. 20201.
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

This guide is a resource for individuals with brain injury to be fully 

participating board members. It was developed by the TBI Advisory 

and Leadership (TAL) group to serve as a companion document to the 

Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board Toolkit. 

The TAL group is part of the Traumatic Brain Injury Technical 

Assistance and Resource Center (TBI TARC), funded by the 

Administration for Community Living. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Introduction 

Joining a board is a great way to use your experience to 

make a difference. Attending your first meeting can feel 

overwhelming; it’s important to make this a positive 

experience. To be effective, there are several things to 

consider. Knowing yourself, what you need and how to 

get it, will make you successful. These are the principles of 

self-advocacy. 

Are you ready to serve on a board? 

Serving on a board is an opportunity to impact the larger 

brain injury community. Is it the right time in your personal 

journey to actively participate on a broader scale? Each 

board has its own “personality”: mission, size, composition, 

and processes. It might be more formal or casual in terms 

of meeting flow. It is important to be aware of how your 

board works. Only you can answer the question of whether 

you are ready. 

Questions to consider:

 What are my strengths/skills? 

 Why do I want to be involved with this board? 

 Do I have enough information about this board to 

effectively participate? 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

 What kind of time commitment is required? How often 

does the board meet and for how long? Are there 

outside committee meetings to attend? 

 Do I have strategies for coping with my brain injury? 

 Strategies

If you’re unsure of your strengths/skills, ask people who 

know you well. Consider attending a meeting as a guest 

to determine if this board is an activity you want to join. 

Talk with the board chair and/or existing members to hear 

about their perspectives and experiences. Give yourself 

permission to ask questions before deciding. 

Components for being a successful board 

member

Telling Your Story—You may be asked to share some of 

your brain injury story either during a board meeting or for 

other audiences, such as legislators or committees. Think 

about and select the most relevant parts of your 

experience to share. Consider the board’s mission and 

how your story fits. Brief is better; this helps to maximize 

your story’s power. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Questions to consider:

 Why am I telling my brain injury story 

during a meeting? 

 At what point during a meeting is it appropriate to 

share? 

 How much of my experience should I share? 

 Do I need to write a script to structure my story and 

tell it briefly? 

Strategies

Practice telling your story and sharing with a friend, family 

member or service provider. You can also create a 

practice session online using a platform such as Zoom. 

Using the recording feature, you can see and hear how 

your story sounds. During a meeting, pay attention to how 

and when experienced board members tell their brain 

injury stories. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Coping With Emotions—Events that activate feelings of 

personal loss can be difficult to manage and may happen 

unexpectedly. It is ok if it happens while participating on a 

board, but it is a good idea to be prepared for how to cope 

with it. 

Questions to consider:

 Be aware if I start to feel overwhelming

emotions during a meeting, and think: What brought 

on those feelings for me? 

 What coping skills have I developed to deal with brain 

injury emotions?

 Who can I talk to about this? 

Strategies

Pause, breathe, and analyze the situation. It’s ok if you 

need to step away to process your emotions. 

Try connecting to a peer or someone else who 

understands. If you continue having a hard time managing 

the situation, consider talking to a professional who 

understands brain injury. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Organizing Yourself—When you first join a board, there 

can be a lot of information to process, which might feel 

overwhelming at first. Strategies can help you manage the 

information. 

Questions to consider: 

 How do I manage details about the 

meetings? Digital vs paper system? 

If this is challenging, who can I reach out to for help? 

 Will this meeting be in-person or virtual? If virtual, 

can I locate and manage the meeting links and other 

pertinent information online? If in-person, do I know 

where to go? 

 Have I familiarized myself with the meeting agenda, 

minutes, participant responsibilities and the process? 

 Do I have contact info for the other board members? 

 Have I put the meeting schedule into my calendar? 

Strategies

A board member or chair can provide or direct you to 

information (website, calendar notifications, emails, 

agendas, minutes, reports, etc.). Ask other board 

members how they organize themselves. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Asking for Accommodations—As a survivor, you may 

need accommodations to participate fully. It’s important to 

know what you need and how to request it. 

Questions to consider: 

 What accommodations do I need?

 How far ahead do I need to request them?

 Who is the contact person to ask for 

accommodations?

 How will I communicate my request—phone call, 

email, in-person meeting?

Strategies

If you are unsure what accommodations you need, 

connect with other individuals on the board. For example, 

you might find captioning or transcriptions, a meeting 

mentor, or having written information about the meeting 

useful. Before the meeting, request your accommodations 

and confirm that they will be in place. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

Getting Involved & Staying Engaged—Once you have 

attended a few board meetings, it is good to determine if 

you feel this activity is something you enjoy doing and if 

you want to continue participating. 

Questions to consider: 

 Have I given myself enough time to 

get used to being on a board? 

 How does participating on the board impact my brain 

injury challenges? 

 Can I identify the projects for which I am best suited? 

What is my capacity? 

 After participating for a while, do I feel like my 

contributions are valued? 

 If I am feeling overwhelmed or undervalued, who on 

the board can I talk to? 

Strategies

It is important to know your abilities and recognize which 

meetings, tasks or environments might be a good fit for 

you. If you are concerned and want to leave, talk with 

someone on the board first. Boards can benefit from your 

feedback. Give yourself permission to say no; there might 

be other meetings that are a better fit for you. 
Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource Center

We hope this guide has provided helpful information and 

strategies for you as a board member. For additional 

resources and checklists, contact the Traumatic Brain 

Injury Technical Assistance Resource Center at 

tbitarc@hsri.org. 

ABOUT TBI TARC

The Traumatic Brain Injury Technical Assistance and Resource

Center (TBI TARC) is an initiative from the Administration for 

Community Living that helps TBI State Partnership Program 

grantees promote access to integrated, coordinated services and 

supports for people who have sustained a TBI, their families, and 

their caregivers. The Center also provides a variety of resources to 

non-grantee states, people affected by brain injury, policymakers, 

and providers.