eSANE: Hidden in Plain Sight – Strangulation, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Gender-Based Violence

Objectives: Participants will identify at least three causes of brain injury from gender based violence, participants will learn at least three signs and symptoms of brain injury, participants will have at least two strategies to address brain injury from domestic violence, including patient assessment and education strategies.

Trainer: Rachel Ramirez, Director of Health and Disability Programs and Founder of The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury at the Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Gender-based violence often involves physical violence targeted at the head, neck, and face–through blows to the head or strangulation. Though this has been common knowledge for decades, brain injuries caused by violence are unacknowledged, rarely identified and almost never immediately treated. Both survivors of violence and professionals that work with them have been largely unaware of brain injury as a significant consequence of violence. We will share what we learned from Ohio’s groundbreaking research and make a convincing case to bring brain injury awareness into all programs touching the lives of survivors of violence.

Rachel Ramirez is the Director of Health and Disability Programs and the Founder of The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury at The Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN). Her focus is on supporting professionals and systems to better understand traumatic stress and the impact of brain injury, which translates into more accessible and effective services. She provides extensive statewide, national, and international training, technical assistance, consultation, and program support. Rachel has co-authored several peer reviewed journal articles and has been featured on National Public Radio as well as in The New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post. Rachel is a licensed independent social worker and a registered advocate with senior standing and has been with ODVN for 17 years.

This training is hosted by CPCM under Grant No. 2019-MU-GX-K014, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations in this document are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.