BEND, OR -- A special workshop in Bend this week aims to connect veterans suffering from a brain injury with necessary resources. 

Dave Kracke, Oregon's Brain Injury Advocate says some vets may remain undiagnosed, "Because of the nature of brain injury, it’s often called the invisible injury." He says symptoms often mimic other conditions or age-related problems, "Really, the things that might stand out are memory problems: short term, long term memory problems. You might see also behavioral health issues, such as anger, impulse control problems, the inability to follow through on things. We also see it manifesting in physical ways: light sensitivity, noise sensitivity." There’s also the possibility of a loss of balance, headaches and confusion. 

Kracke says it's important for veterans to access services they're entitled to and get the help they need, "You need to know that you’re not alone; you need to know that these services are there. Currently, a lot of these services are hard to find; and for a person with cognitive impairment, that difficulty is magnified exponentially."

Thursday's Veterans Brain Injury Workshop includes a panel discussion with experts and a free pizza lunch, "We want to not only educate veterans in the Bend area who may either know they have a brain injury or who don’t, as well as their loved ones, their caregivers, etc. And, we want to connect them with the incredible support and service that is available." There will also be an opportunity to get screened or schedule a future virtual screening, "If we aren’t helping identify veterans with brain injury, we’re not doing our job," says Kracke. 

The event is June 22nd, 1-3 p.m., at Abilitree (2680 NE Twin Knolls Dr. #150, Bend), just south of The Forum shopping center on 27th Street. It is free and no pre-registration is required.