Objective: This multiyear project, funded through the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund, endeavors to formulate an evidence-based protocol for the emergent needs of persons with brain injury by combining mixed-methods research with the development of community-based services. The 3-year project goals are as follows:

Year 1: Needs Assessment to Identify Barriers in Accessing Crisis Intervention Services

Year 2: Identify Best Practices and Determine Model for Crisis Intervention

Year 3: Implement and Evaluate Protocol

Method: This project employed a mixed-methods design, including both quantitative and qualitative data, concerning the real and perceived barriers for persons with acquired brain injury in accessing crisis intervention services. The design included a survey and a series of focus group interviews. The purposeful sample was comprised of professionals who work for Virginia agencies or organizations that serve persons with mental illness and/or acquired brain injuries. The survey was disseminated through Qualtrics and results analyzed using SPSS. The focus group data was coded, aggregated, and analyzed using N-Vivo 8. The survey data was imported into N-Vivo 8 from SPSS in order to reveal any recurrent themes in both the quantitative and qualitative data. The survey and focus group protocols received approval from both James Madison University’s Institutional Review Board and the Department of Rehabilitative Services’ Human Research Review Committee.

Results: The survey was deployed through Qualtrics to a total of 266 providers; 115 were usable, n = 115, with an approximate 50% response rate. There were 7 focus groups, with a total of n = 25 participants. Quantitative results will be triangulated with qualitative results, interviews, and best practices review to inform the development of a crisis intervention protocol for a rural community in the Northwestern region of Virginia. This presentation focuses on Year 1.