Your Resource Connection August 2020

Self-paced online Certified Brain Injury Specialist training

2020 SACK Online Conference

Going the Distance Run for Brain Injury is now a VIRTUAL event

•  By providing information, referrals and a sympathetic ear
• By offering conferences/seminars for healthcare professionals, and individuals living with brain injuries, and their loved ones
• By advocating for legislation that makes life better for the 21,000+ individuals living in our communities who have sustained brain injuries
• If you prefer, you can donate to BIAKS-GKC by going to www.biaks.org and click on DONATE.

Going Virtual: A Tip Sheet Series Part 1

• Test your hardware and internet connection before the meeting to make sure everything works; most video conferencing apps will help you test your microphone, webcam, and speakers to confirm that they’ll work during the meeting.
• Make sure you have any passwords you might need.
• Close tabs or applications you don’t need during the call to improve video performance, especially on older computers.
• Position yourself in a quiet place with your light source in front of you, think about what’s behind you, and minimize distractions, like pets or other people.

• Make sure what you say and how you act is appropriate to the conversation and for the group.  Mute your microphone as a habit. That way you can cough, clear your throat, and avoid unexpected background noise like a dog barking. This tip is for video as well; if you need to do something, and you are just listening, better to mute the video than distract the audience.
• Do your best to pay attention. It is pretty obvious to everyone on the call if you are distracted or start doing something else while someone else is talking.
• Behave and dress for the call the same way you would for the in-person meeting.

• Do your best to pay attention. It is pretty obvious to everyone on the call if you are distracted or start doing something else while someone else is talking.
• If the video conference has a “chat” feature, you can use it to ask questions or make comments during the meeting without interrupting anyone who is speaking.
• Don’t use the chat box to goof off with anybody or send messages you wouldn’t want the whole group to see.

• View the calls as an opportunity to sharpen your listening skills. Demonstrate active listening by using facial expressions and occasional head nods to let everyone know you are paying attention. Keep notes about points you might want to make later.
• Eye contact is an important signal to the others that you see and hear them. It can be tricky with video calls to know where to look; but one thing’s for sure, don’t look at yourself.
• Signal when you want to talk by raising your hand.
• Speak clearly and watch how fast you speak, and don’t forget to unmute yourself! And speak at your normal volume — there’s no need to shout.

• Don’t say what comes to mind when it comes to mind.  Wait until it’s your turn, or until you have several things to say. Use the WAIT (why am I talking) tip to think about what you share and why. Ask yourself:
• What is the purpose behind what I’m about to say?
• Is there a question I could ask to help me better understand what’s being said?
• Is it my turn to share?
• Is this the time to share? Is what I want to share on topic?
• Don’t divert the conversation away from what’s being talked about just because, “that reminds me of a time when…”
• If you do speak up, don’t start rambling.   If you have a hard time self-monitoring that, watch for clues from others that you may be getting off topic.

Going Virtual: A Tip Sheet Series Part 2

• Practice with whatever technology you use. Practice, practice, practice. The more familiar you are with it, the better prepared you will be to troubleshoot any technical issues that come up. They will arise because no technology is perfect.
• Offer to help test/practice the technology. Send a link to the platform’s instructions for reference – most platforms offer this. Encourage participants to review this information in advance to help them feel more comfortable.
• Whatever platform you use, send participants simple, clear instructions for accessing and participating in the meeting including date and start/end time.  E.g. review the bottom of your screen and click on the red microphone icon to mute or unmute yourself. Click on the video icon to start your video camera.
• If possible, appoint someone as your tech back up – one person is the meeting facilitator, one person is tech support – troubleshooting, etc.

• Provide an opportunity for everyone to introduce themselves verbally, and call on them one by one so they know who goes next. Give them some guidance about what to say. i.e., name, whether they are someone with a BI, or a family member and one other item, such as if this is their first time in an online meeting, a Ask people to mute their microphone if they’re not speaking.
• Before the end of the group, ask if people came with something they hoped to get support for. If any urgent needs arise, save other topics for the future.

• Show and review the group’s ground rules, and remind participants about them when you need to.  For example, if someone appears to not be focusing on the group, make a general statement such as “There may be other things getting your attention right now, so remember one of our ground rules is staying present in the group while we’re together.”
• Be prepared for some uncomfortable silence after asking a question; sometimes people forget they’re muted.
• Remind and encourage people who are shy about speaking to use the chat box if they have something to say or ask, and make sure to monitor the chat box.

• Summarize the topics that were discussed and alternatives that were chosen. Highlight any positive observations or solutions that came up.
• Ask those who have been quiet if they have any thoughts or observations to offer the group. Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to speak, but participation is voluntary and everyone can choose to just listen.
• Before everyone leaves, offer a way to bring the group to closure. You might ask everyone to say a word or something they are feeling about attending the group. Be sure to invite people to come back and give the dates/times for next meeting.

• Keep the phone number and access for the meeting handy, in case you need to call in because of poor audio quality or an unstable internet connection.  If you call in while staying on the computer video, turn your computer ‘speakers’ off. This is different choosing ‘mute’. If you’re on both the computer and the phone there will be a loud echo that will make it impossible for people to hear each other.
• As people introduce themselves, write down the name that goes with the identifier that is showing on the screen, since these might be phone numbers or something other than a name. This will you use people’s names and facilitate everyone getting a chance to speak.
• If too many people are try speaking at the same time, mute all and ask people to raise their hand (virtually or by waving their hand) and unmute them one by one. Tell the members you are doing this.

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