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Traumatic Head & Spinal Cord Injury

Louisiana's Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program provide services in a flexible, individualized manner to Louisiana citizens who survive traumatic head or traumatic spinal cord injuries.
The TH/SCI program enables individuals to return to a reasonable level of functioning and independent living in their communities.

Do I qualify for services?

To be determined eligible for services an individual must meet the definition of Traumatic Head Injury or Spinal Cord Injury as defined below:

Traumatic Head Injury:  An insult to the head, affecting the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force that may produce diminished or altered state of consciousness which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.

Spinal Cord Injury:  An insult to the spinal cord, not of a degenerative or congenital nature but caused by an external physical force resulting in paraparesis/plegia or quadraparesis/plegia.

Individuals must also meet the following criteria:

  • Must be medically stable, including normal vital signs, no progression of deficits and/or no deterioration of physical/cognitive status; does not require acute daily medical intervention.
  • Must have a reasonable expectation to achieve a predictable level of outcome to achieve improvement in quality of life and/or functional outcome.
  • Must be willing to accept treatment from an advisory board-approved facility/program.
  • Must be a resident of Louisiana, a citizen of the United States, and officially domiciled in Louisiana at the time of injury and during the provision of services.
  • Must have exhausted all other governmental and private resources.
  • Must provide proof of denial from other sources.
  • Must complete and submit an application for services.

Also, the client and family must:

  • Provide information required to determine whether the individual meets the eligibility criteria.
  • Ask questions if they do not understand.
  • Be willing to participate in the development of an Individualized Service Plan that outlines the services that will be provided by the Trust Fund.
  • Have made every effort to seek other sources of funding, such as private insurance, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, Medicaid, and personal resources.
Frequently Asked Questions about Traumatic Head Injuries and Spinal Cord Injuries.
 Where do I apply for services?

Applications for services can be obtained from the nearest LRS Regional Office. You can locate this information through the Regional Office Directory, or you can contact:

Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services
627 N. Fourth Street, 2nd Floor
Baton Rouge, LA  70802
225-219-2225 or 1-800-737-2958

What services are available?

The following services are available to eligible individuals:

  • Evaluations
  • Post-acute medical care rehabilitation
  • Therapies
  • Medication
  • Attendant care
  • Equipment necessary for activities of daily living
  • Other goods and services deemed appropriate and necessary

The following limitations also apply:
The Trust Fund will not provide any service that is experimental. The service providers must be approved by the Advisory Board, and in-state facilities/programs are given priority for approval as service providers. Services are provided on a first-come basis. Expenditures shall not exceed $15,000.00 for any 12-month period or $50,000.00 in total expenditures per individual. 

History of the Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund

The Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund (TH/SCI) was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1993 with Act 654.  Act 654 imposes additional fees on motor vehicle violations in Louisiana for the offenses of driving under the influence, reckless operation and speeding.  These fees provide the funds for this program.

Publications

For additional information, please contact the TH/SCI office:

Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services
627 N. Fourth Street, 2nd Floor
Baton Rouge, LA  70802
225-219-2225 or 1-800-737-2958 

Statistics

As of October 2004, the Louisiana Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Trust Fund program serves three hundred seventy-five Louisiana citizens who have survived a Traumatic Head or Traumatic Spinal Cord injury. 

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