Our June 2026 ABI Notes newsletter features:

Message from our Executive Director – June is Brain Injury Awareness Month (BIAM), an opportunity to increase understanding of acquired brain injury and highlight the importance of ensuring individuals and families can access the information, services, and supports they need.

One of the strengths of the ABI community is its commitment to collaboration. That spirit of collaboration is reflected throughout this issue of ABI Notes. You’ll read about our recent Hospital Provider Round Table and a presentation delivered to the Toronto Regional Bail Centre to increase awareness of brain injury within the criminal legal system. We are also pleased to highlight March of Dimes Canada’s Brain Injury Group Program, an important resource for individuals living with brain injury across our community and beyond.

Finally, if you’ve not already done so, I encourage you to explore our recently released 2025/26 Annual Report.  It highlights many of the accomplishments and collaborations that shaped the Toronto ABI Network’s activities over the past year.

Hospital Providers Connect at ABI Networking Event – On March 25, 2026, the Toronto ABI Network hosted its second in-person networking event, the Hospital Provider Round Table, at Craft restaurant in downtown Toronto.

The event drew a large turnout, with service providers from acute care and rehabilitation hospitals across the region filling several long tables. The gathering provided an opportunity for hospital-based professionals to learn more about available supports and connect with colleagues from across the ABI system.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to a successful evening of learning, collaboration, and connection. We also extend our sincere thanks to Thomson Rogers for sponsoring this event.

Supporting Fair Outcomes in the Justice Sector Through ABI Education – On May 14, 2026, a webinar was delivered to professional groups at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre—Brain Injury in the Criminal Legal System: Ensuring Fair Outcomes for Those with Neuro-Cognitive Communication Disorders.

The webinar is part of a collaborative project led by the Justice & Equity Lab at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto and funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario that seeks to enhance equity, inclusion, and accommodation in the bail process for people with brain injury. In partnership MAP, Toronto ABI Network, Community Head Injury Resource Services, the Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto, Communication Access to Justice, and a person with lived expertise co-designed scenario-based training, grounded in the realities of frontline and courtroom work for the professional groups at the bail centre.

The team of experts includes Cathy Halovanic (Central ABI Navigator), Julie Osbelt (Toronto Central ABI Navigator), Constance Coburn (System Navigator ABI), Caitlin Buchel (Speech Language Pathologist and Communication Intermediary, CAJust), Lucy Gudgeon (Director of Programs, Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto), Megan Rogrigues (Brain Injury Bail Court Navigator, Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto), Hannah Li (Brain Injury Bail Court Navigator, Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto), Flora Matheson (Scientist, MAP), Arthur McLuhan (Senior Research Associate, MAP), Madison Ford (Research Coordinator, MAP), and Nikoleta Curcin (Research Coordinator, MAP),

Toronto Central ABI Navigator Julie Osbelt, Central ABI Navigator Cathy Halovanic, and Brain Injury Bail Court Navigator Megan Rodrigues presented the May 14 webinar, the first in a series of training sessions for professional groups at Toronto Regional Bail Centre over the coming months. A total of 55 participants attended, representing a broad range of agencies and professionals involved in the criminal legal system.

Participating organizations included CMHA, Cota, the Criminal Lawyers Association, Fred Victor, the Federal Crown Attorney’s Office, the John Howard Society of Toronto, Legal Aid Ontario, the Ministry of Health’s Forensics and Justice Unit, the Provincial Crown Attorney’s Office, and the Toronto Bail Program.

The presentation focused on increasing awareness of acquired brain injury and neuro-cognitive communication disorders within the criminal legal system, helping attendees better understand the unique needs and challenges experienced by individuals with brain injury, and providing accessible communication strategies and tools to enhance equity and inclusion of people with brain injury through the bail process. The session was very well received, reflecting strong interest in the intersection of brain injury, justice, and equitable access to services.

The next webinar in this training initiative is scheduled for June 18, 2026 and focuses on Toronto Bail Program staff, “Strategies for Screening and Supervising Clients with Brain Injury.”

Resource Spotlight: March of Dimes Brain Injury Group Program – Did you know? March of Dimes offers a Brain Injury Group Program that provides inclusive, community-based opportunities for individuals living with ABI to connect, learn, and participate in meaningful activities.

Groups are available in York Region, with additional locations in Markham, Barrie, and Orillia. The program is designed to support flexible participation, with drop-in weekly groups and no current waitlist.

Referrals can be made through the Network or directly through March of Dimes Canada.

Ask our Referral Coordinator – I work in a non-ABI service and support individuals who may be experiencing mental health, substance use, or justice-related challenges. Are there resources available to help me better understand available supports?

Yes! The Toronto ABI Network’s website includes a dedicated Mental Health, Substance Use & Justice section designed to support service providers who work with individuals living with acquired brain injury and complex service needs.

Click here to read the full June 2026 issue.