toh

What is the Robin Easey Centre?

The Robin Easey Centre provides community-based life skills instruction, cognitive rehabilitation (strategy-based) and education services for adults who have sustained an acquired brain injury. The goal of the REC is to provide clients and their families with the information, skills and experience needed to facilitate community reintegration and independent living.

Interventions can address:	Examples of life skills that can be targeted:
Organization and planning	Health management
Problem solving	Medication adherence
Memory strategies	Meal preparation
Self-awareness	Use of mobility aids
Coping skills	Financial managementt
Social skills	Home/document organization
Impulse control	Use of public transit

An individualized treatment plan is established with the clients based on their interests and needs, and current best practice guidelines.

The Robin Easey Centre is also connected with other health care community providers to enable specialized support as well as to ensure continuity of care and ongoing program development.

The Facility

The Robin Easey Centre is a two-story wheelchair accessible home. It is very open and spacious with a home-like environment.  The main floor has two living rooms, a wheelchair-accessible kitchen, a dining room, a powder room and an exercise room.  There are five private bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room, and an office on the main floor.

The Staff

The staff at The Robin Easey Centre consists of: a clinical leader/neuropsychologist, occupational therapist, social worker, life skills counsellors and secretary. Consultation and treatment with professionals from other departments of The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre such as physiatry, physiotherapy, speech language pathology, nursing, vocational counselling, nutrition and recreational therapy are available.

Programs and Services

Residential Program

Designed for individuals who would benefit from ongoing assessment, intensive life skills training and/or the structure provided within a residential setting.

• Admission Duration: Variable (typically a few months, based on the treatment goals)

Outreach Programs

Designed to provide support and independence training within the client’s home environment and community.

• ABI Transitional Program:  This rapid access service, in partnership with a community ABI organization, is designed for patients of TOHRC who are ready for discharge and deemed independent, but who would be at risk due to 1) executive difficulties and 2) poor social health determinants.  Intervention is very targeted and would be initiated prior to discharge, with the purpose of ensuring patient safety and “minimal wellbeing” post-discharge.
  • Admission Duration: Variable
• Outreach Life Skills Program:
  • In-person one-on-one counseling.  Admission Duration: Variable
  • Virtual counseling (STEPS): This outreach program offers concurrent one-on-one life skills training as well as a 12-week small group (4-5 clients) intervention to help clients implement meaningful changes in their lives and increase their participation and independence.

Other Groups

• Meaningful Life Group (12 weeks): The Meaningful Life weekly group offers clients of the Robin Easey Centre an opportunity to share and make changes by setting concrete goals to improve the quality of their lives. 
• ABI Self-Learning Group (open, regular weekly sessions): This REC group is designed for clients with diminished understanding and/or awareness of their ABI difficulties.  The goal is to ensure a safe environment for self-learning and acceptance by employing a holistic approach where the focus is on both the changes following the injury as well as on client’s strengths, values, needs and interests.  
• Relationship and Socialization Group (8 biweekly sessions): The goal of this group is to provide education and in-session social cognition and skills training relating to cognitive, communication and behavioural changes post-ABI.  It is geared to those who are struggling interpersonally and would like to improve their relationships.
• REC Drop-in Recreational/Resource Group: The purpose of this drop-in service is to offer clients an opportunity to interact socially with other clients, as a preparatory step prior to/until they engage in formal community programs.

Support and Education for Families

Involvement of Family/Caregivers is encouraged.  Services can also be offered to strengthen the client’s support system with family counseling (Social Work; Family Support Group) as well as with ongoing education to support behavioral change after a brain injury and improving communication.

• Admission Duration: Variable and concurrent with other REC services.

Admission Criteria

• Adults with Moderate to Severe Acquired Brain Injury.
• Applicant is showing difficulties with daily functioning as a result of the brain injury, however is independent in carrying through ADLs (with or without prompting).
• Applicant is demonstrating potential to benefit/ from life skills training to improve quality of life or level of independence/discharge environment.
• Applicant is considered medically stable and should be able to mobilize independently (with or without aids).  Patient/Applicant should be able to transfer independently with up to one-person moderate physical assistance and would be deemed physically safe in the absence of constant, direct supervision.
• Mental health, substance use, and any behavioural difficulties should be optimally managed prior to admission.  Patient/Applicants must be able to refrain/control any threatening behaviours that can jeopardize the welfare and safety of others.
• Priority is given to applicants residing in the catchment area for TOHRC (i.e., Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec).
• The Patient/Applicant/SDM is agreeable with the REC Information Package and Consent Form summarizing the program details, expectations, potential benefits and limitations.

Admission Process

• Referrals for the Robin Easey Centre from hospitals, physicians, health care professionals and community services should be directed to the Admitting Department at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. Fax # 613 733-8336 for a physiatry consultation (ABI outpatient clinic).  Please indicate that the referral is for consideration of the REC programs.

• Clients are placed on a waiting list for admission considering the chronology of referral, level of urgency, readiness, and the services they require.

Contact Us

For further information, please contact:

Admissions Coordinator for REC Outreach
Acquired Brain Injury Care Stream
The Robin Easey Centre
125 Scrivens St., Ottawa, ON, K2B 6H3
Tel.: (613) 761-5186
Fax: (613) 726-1764

Last updated on: May 30th, 2023