What BIRC Does
The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre (“BIRC”) works with people who have acquired a brain injury through trauma or illness, such as stroke, and must relearn many of the skills we take for granted such as communicating with friends and family, managing stress and anger, home and money management, maintaining employment and participating in the community.  Most of the participants in our program do become self-sufficient and many are able to return to the competitive or volunteer work force.

BIRC operates as a not-for-profit agency offering services to individuals, agents and organizations such as the Calgary Regional Health Authority ("CRHA"), insurance companies, Workers' Compensation Boards, lawyers and others.

BIRC is partly funded by the CRHA but relies on donations and fundraising efforts for 40% to 50% of our budget.  Your online donations are gratefully appreciated and may be made at the BIRC website or at Charity.ca.

History
BIRC's existence today is a direct result of community awareness and involvement in the effort to ensure that comprehensive, innovative brain injury rehabilitation services are available to adults in Alberta. (DO YOU WANT TO LIMIT THIS TO ONLY ALBERTA?)

In 1985, the Head Injured Relearning Society was formed by a handful of caring Calgary residents who saw a need in the community for innovative brain injury rehabilitation.

In 1989, the Head Injured Relearning Centre (now known as the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre – BIRC) was launched by the Society.  It offered Canada’s first independent community-based, comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation program for persons with acquired brain injury.

Mission
To facilitate the self-determination, community integration and well being of individuals with acquired brain injury.

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Our mission is to assist people with acquired brain injury to:

Attain improved levels of cognitive, physical, emotional and social functioning
Achieve greater personal independence
Re-enter the community's mainstream, including return to work

Vision
To be recognized as developer and provider of leading edge, effective and innovative programs in the treatment and support of individuals who have acquired a brain injury.