Concussion Awareness and Management
Concussion Awareness Month
Governor Reynolds proclaimed August 2021 to be Concussion Awareness Month in Iowa. Concussions are a type of brain injury, sometimes referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries, that disrupt the way the brain normally works. Concussions can occur in sports, during falls or as a result of a motor vehicle crash. To learn more about concussions and concussion management, please visit http://idph.iowa.gov/brain-injuries/concussion. If you or somebody you know have had a concussion or other type of brain injury and are in need of support, please contact the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa to speak with a resource facilitator at 855-444-6443 or email info@biaia.org.
Concussion Proclamation 2021 
Concussion Month Resources
Help raise awareness by sharing these resources with your network.
Backgrounds for Virtual Meetings
Below are images you can download and use as your background for virtual meeting platforms (e.g. Zoom). These backgrounds use the images that are a part of the Put Brains Before Games campaign. To download a background, click on the image, then right click on the image that opens in a new window. Select "as image as" and save the file to your computer.
Posters
Use Your Head. Protect Their Brains.
Concussion Signs and Symptoms
Infographic
What is a Concussion? Concussion in Young Athletes infographic
Let's Get Social!
The Iowa Department of Public Health will post concussion information on social media throughout August. Follow us on Facebook (@IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth) or Twitter (@IAPublicHealth) and help promote the messages by sharing with your followers.
Awareness Messages
Below are concussion awareness messages for download and sharing. All messages feature the Put Brains Before Games campaign tagline and images. Click on the topic you which to view.
Concussion Month Hashtags
Help connect social media messages this month by using the following hashtags:
#PutBrainsBeforeGames
#ConcussionAwarenessIA
#ConcussionAwarenessMonthIA
Facebook Profile Frame
Show your support of Concussion Awareness Month with a Facebook "Put Brains Before Games #ConcussionAwareness" profile frame! Click on your Facebook profile and search "BrainsBeforeGames" to add the frame to your profile picture (see image below) .
Concussion Management Resources
In April 2018, Iowa's concussion law was updated. While the REAP Concussion Manual and the Concussion Guidelines for Iowa Schools need to be updated to reflect the new requirements of the law, the guidance provided in these resources is evidence based and continue to be relevant. Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education are continuing to partner to bring information and tools to schools to support them as they implement concussion management protocols for return-to-learn and return-to-play.
Additional content is available and organized on this site by the audience, or "team", that is most likely to use that information. Regardless of your role, you may be interested in content found on one of the "team" pages. To access that information, select the topic area below or by clicking the tab on the left side of this page:
- Academic Team (individuals at the school who will watch, monitor, and track the academic and emotional effects of concussion)
- Physical Team (individuals at the school, or other settings, who will watch, monitor, and track the physical symptoms of the concussion)
- Student/Family Team (individuals who support the student at home or may support the student as a primary advocate)
- Medical Team (healthcare providers who will diagnose concussion, assess for complications, and consult with the school and home teams througout the return-to-learn and return-to-play process)
Teacher's Acute Concussion Tool (TACT)
The Iowa Departments of Public Health and Education have partnered together, in collaboration with Get Schools on Concussions, the Iowa Concussion Coalition and the Advisory Council on Brain Injuries, to make a statewide subscription to the Teacher's Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) available to all Iowa schools. TACT is a "just in time" concussion management resource for educators at all levels. Included in the 2021-2022 subscription is access to tip sheets, informational videos, and sample concussion return-to-learn plans. Learn more about TACT at https://www.getschooledonconcussions.com/.
NEW! Use the TACT as a professional development opportunity with your educators! We have worked with the developers of TACT to create a 20 minute video and facilitator guide. This professional development activity designed to provide educators with information and resources for developing classroom and academic adjustments to use with students who have concussion symptoms. At the end of the session, educators will be walked through how to set up their personal account in TACT for future access.
Interested in bringing TACT to your school? Contact brain.injury@idph.iowa.gov to learn how to get started.
Learn more about TACT
TACT promotional postcard
Why get schooled on concussions? Explaination of concussion management using Multi-Teir System of Support (MTSS)
Iowa Concussion Speakers' Bureau
In 2018, a Concussion Speakers' Bureau was formed to provide information and training about mild brain injuries and concussion management across Iowa. Their presentations are based on the REAP Concussion Management program and align with Iowa's current concussion law. If you are interested in requesting a presentation for your organizaiton, school or community, please email the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa at icc@biaia.org.
Are you a professional who has expertise in evaluation and management of concussion and other brain injuries and is willing to share their time and talents? Please consider joining the Speakers' Bureau by emailing the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa at icc@biaia.org.
References for implementing school-based concussion management, including return-to-learn and return-to-play
Iowa Concussion Law (Code of Iowa 280.13c)
Iowa's Return to Play Protocol (Administrative Rules, Chapter 54)
Newly added Brain Injury Association of America's Return to Learn Protocol
CDC's Concussion at Play: Opportunities to Reshape the Culture Around Concussion
CDC's Report to Congress: The management of TBI in Children (executive summary)
Concussion Management Guidelines for Iowa Schools
REAP Concussion Management manual
Other Informational Websites
Need information and support following a concussion? The Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa is the Department of Public Health's contract partner for NeuroResource Facilitation. You can talk to one of their staff by calling 855-444-6443 or by emailing info@biaia.org.