Jodi
Wustman was a bright 19 year old college student when she
suffered a devastating brain injury after being hit by a drunk driver.
Finding no programs to support her after hospitalization, Jodi was
placed in Hillside House, a Santa Barbara facility designed to house
cerebral palsy patients. There she continued living, sinking further
and further into a state of isolation for lack of contact with peers
and mentally stimulating activities. This is a common problem for
people recovering from a brain injury.
In
1982, Jodi's parents got together with relatives of other adults
suffering from brain injuries and began mobilizing resources to
create a nurturing and stimulating place for their loved ones. In
1994, as result of their efforts, Jodi House opened in a building
restored by Kiwanis Club members.
Since
then, Jodi House has become a vibrant activity center and the main
source of support, referrals and information for the local brain
injury community. Jodi House offers day programs designed to assist
individuals in developing coping strategies for living with the
lingering effects of a brain injury through participation in a supportive
and accepting community setting.
Our
two drop-in sites, Jodi House in Santa Barbara and Jodi House II
in Solvang, follow the clubhouse model, where brain injured adults
are considered members, not patients, and are encouraged to get
involved to the best of their ability in all levels of its operations,
from janitorial tasks to program creation. Our members are adults
with ages ranging from 20's to 90's, residing mostly in Santa Barbara
County.
Jodi
House provides a safe, accepting, and caring environment where members
congregate, share common experiences, problem solve, socialize and
participate on a voluntary basis. Programs are structured to stimulate
learning at various levels of ability, ranging from simple social
exchange and mental stimulation for severely impaired members to
recovering and/or learning skills for members with higher cognitive
levels. Many of the ideas for our programs--which include adaptive
yoga and Reiki meditation, adaptive computer skills, memory classes,
voice retraining, rhythm workshop, arts and ceramics, peer support
groups and family support-- are generated by our brain-injured members.
We also provide referrals and case management as needed.
Jodi
House maintains cooperative relationships with a variety of organizations,
including:
Coast
Caregiver Resource Center
Easy
Lift
Independent
Living Resource Center of Santa Barbara
National
Multiple Sclerosis Society Channel Islands
Nonprofit
Support Center
People
Helping People
The
Rehabilitation Institute of Santa Barbara
Santa
Barbara Mental Health Association
Santa Barbara
Museum of Art
Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History
Unity Shoppe
