DRAFT - Best Practices for Implementing BrainSTEPS CO Brain Injury School Consulting Program

This program is free to all Colorado school districts and BOCES that are located within the state of Colorado.  BrainSTEP Teams may vary slightly according to the local district/BOCES organization. However, successful BrainSTEPS CO  Brain Injury Consulting Teams are expected to be guided by the same principals with similar characteristics, structure, and organization.

• All BrainSTEPS teams have at least one team leader and hold monthly meetings for team members.
• All teams should hold monthly meetings to include all of their team members.
• There should be an agenda for these monthly meetings where teams discuss all active student cases.
• Team Leaders will attend virtual meetings with CDE’s coordinators.
• Meeting notes from these meetings are emailed to all team leaders and uploaded into ORBS following the meeting.

An annual BrainSTEPS team plan is developed by each District / BOCES team individually.

• The monthly team meeting schedule should be developed each spring for the upcoming school year by the team lead(s).
• An annual Team Plan is developed at the start of each school year, and re-evaluated and completed in the spring, prior to the end of the school year.

Team Members

All BrainSTEPS teams should have a minimum of one team leader(s), and no more than two. The team is made up of multidisciplinary school professionals that offer differing perspectives to best support all students with brain injuries.

• Team members will need flexibility in their schedules to attend:
  • Team trainings
  • Monthly meetings
  • Consultation activities
• Team members will require support from their building/district/BOCES level supervisor(s) to serve as a BrainSTEPS CO team member.
• Team members are expected to stay up to date on the latest brain injury information through:
  • Professional Development
  • Self-study
  • Team development
• Team members are expected to attend a monthly team meeting facilitated by team leader(s):
  • Have an agenda
  • Review all current cases
  • Review and assign new referrals
  • Provide professional development
• Team leaders are expected to attend monthly team leader teleconferences facilitated by CDE Brain Injury Specialist(s)

New BrainSTEPS Team Members

To maintain the expectations listed above, BrainSTEPS teams may add new members throughout the school year.

• All BrainSTEPS team members must complete New Team Member Training before access to the ORBS (Online Reporting for BrainSTEPS) database will be granted according to CO privacy laws.
• New members who have not yet completed New Team Member Training may participate in monthly team meetings and provide training and consultative recommendations ONLY in conjunction with one or more trained members of their BrainSTEPS CO team.