Resource Facilitation is a process built on three main functions.  

First, Resource Facilitators assist with understanding the changes brain  injury can cause, collaborative problem solving and supporting the individual with  brain injury and/or family members through the critical healing process. The  needs for persons with BI and their families often exist well beyond the point of  sustaining the brain injury, hospital stay, rehabilitation and hospital discharge. In  an effort to better bridge the gap between hospital, home, and return to work or  school, the Resource Facilitation program was designed to begin weaving a  network of support for persons with brain injury.  

Second, referrals are provided from within the clients’ community. If resources are not available locally that meet the client’s needs, the Resource Facilitator will do their best to find the most accessible and closest resources nearby such as seeing if University of Nebraska Medical Center has professionals that go out to their communities to provide services. These  resources assist with successful return to school, work or community  reintegration. It also assists with long-range community planning. The Resource  Facilitator educates about the changes brain injury can cause. The staff will then  start to discuss available resources in a supportive manner, which facilitates  individual choice, independent decision-making, and utilization of natural  supports and personal self-advocacy. Resource Facilitators understand the  recognition of the changes brain injury can cause is a process, as is the decision  to seek support and services. The length of time this process takes is  determined by the client.  

Finally, this process leads to identification of gaps in service delivery. A  key piece of advocacy for policy change is the identification of gaps and/or  barriers to services. This includes the ability to keep people out of institutional  settings by providing the necessary interventions to meet individualized goals:  including returning to employment, establishing modified support networks,  accessing services to meet basic needs, and continued personal growth. The  Resource Facilitator conducts visits with clients to determine outcome and assist  with additional service needs, if they are necessary.

• BA in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or Related Human Services Field; Masters preferred. Other qualifications will be considered if individuals are passionate, motivated, and solutions-oriented. 

• Minimum of two years of direct human service experience with persons with disabilities. Experience working with individuals with brain injury preferred. 

• Understanding of Nebraska’s disability service system, social service system, and medical service system. 

• Understanding of disability issues. 

• Demonstrated involvement in community organizing as a passionate, motivated, and solutions-oriented collaborator.

• Excellent verbal and communication skills. 

• Strong computer skills. Ability to learn and utilize new computer programs to efficiently and effectively collect, compile, evaluate, and share data.

• Flexibility in scheduling to meet individual and organizational needs.

• Ability to work extremely independently and interdependently in diverse groups.

• Ability to drive and travel independently or with self-directed accommodations.

• Accommodations to work remotely.

• Ability to be a team player.

• Highly organized and able to juggle client needs and documentation requirements.

• A collegial sense of humor.

At BIA-NE, we've based our RF ethical standards on other nationwide Resource Facilitator and Case Manager programs. 

These ethical standards are guidelines designed to ensure that case managers provide professional, ethical, and client-centered services. These standards emphasize respect, integrity, accountability, and adherence to professional roles and responsibilities. 

Here are the core ethical standards for Resource Facilitators:

1. Client Advocacy and Empowerment

• Promote Autonomy: Respect clients' right to make their own decisions and support them in achieving their goals.

• Act in the Client's Best Interest: Advocate for clients' needs and ensure they receive appropriate services and resources.

• Empower Clients: Provide education and resources to help clients become self-sufficient and informed about their care options.

2. Respect for Clients’ Rights and Dignity

• Respect Diversity: Be culturally competent and sensitive to clients' beliefs, values, and backgrounds.

• Maintain Confidentiality: Protect clients’ private information and share it only with proper consent or as required by law.

• Foster Dignity: Treat clients with respect, compassion, and fairness regardless of their circumstances.

3. Professional Competence

• Stay Within Scope of Practice: Provide services only in areas where you are qualified and knowledgeable.

• Continuous Education: Engage in ongoing professional development to maintain and improve skills.

• Utilize Best Practices: Employ evidence-based practices and stay informed about current standards in the field.

• It is the responsibility of any staff member who holds a professional license or certification to renew their license/certification. Furthermore, licensure status changes must be reported to the Director and Operations.

4. Integrity and Accountability

• Maintain Honesty: Be truthful in all communications and documentation.

• Avoid Conflicts of Interest: Disclose and manage any potential conflicts of interest that could influence professional judgment.

• Take Responsibility: Acknowledge mistakes, address issues promptly, and strive to prevent future errors.

5. Professional Boundaries

• Define Relationships: Maintain clear, professional relationships with clients, avoiding personal involvement.

• Avoid Exploitation: Never use professional relationships for personal gain.

• Set Expectations: Clearly communicate the role, scope, and limits of case management services.

6. Coordination and Collaboration

• Interdisciplinary Teamwork: Collaborate with other professionals to provide holistic care.

• Facilitate Communication: Ensure effective communication among team members, clients, and their families.

• Promote Client-Centered Care: Advocate for care plans that align with the client’s preferences and needs.

7. Ethical Decision-Making

• Prioritize Ethics Over Convenience: Make decisions that align with ethical principles, even when challenging.

• Use Ethical Frameworks: Apply established ethical models and consult colleagues or supervisors when faced with dilemmas.

• Consider the Impact: Weigh the potential consequences of decisions on all stakeholders.

8. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Adhere to Laws: Follow all relevant laws, regulations, and standards of practice.

• Document Accurately: Maintain thorough, accurate, and timely records as required by law and organizational policies.

• Report Violations: Report unethical or illegal behavior to appropriate authorities.

9. Non-Discrimination

• Treat all clients fairly, without discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, or any other characteristic.

10. Self-Care and Professional Growth

• Prevent Burnout: Engage in self-care to ensure the ability to provide effective and ethical services.

• Seek Supervision: Obtain support and supervision when needed to address challenging cases or ethical dilemmas.

These ethical standards, often outlined by organizations like the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) or similar governing bodies, ensure that case managers uphold professionalism, foster trust, and provide the highest standard of care for their clients.

Professional boundaries are essential for Resource Facilitators, especially those working with individuals who have brain injuries, for several key reasons:

• Protects the Client’s Best Interests

• Professional boundaries help maintain a focus on the client’s needs and goals rather than personal interests or emotional attachments.

• Clear boundaries ensure ethical decision-making and prevent favoritism or unequal treatment among clients.

• Prevents Role Confusion

• Boundaries clarify the case manager's role, helping clients and their families understand the scope of services provided.

• This avoids misunderstandings about what the case manager can or cannot do, fostering trust and effective collaboration.

• Promotes Client Autonomy

  • • • Maintaining boundaries empowers clients to make their own decisions and develop self-advocacy skills.

      • Overstepping boundaries can lead to dependency, which undermines the client’s growth and independence.

• Preserves Professional Integrity

  • • • Boundaries uphold ethical standards and reinforce the professionalism of the case manager’s role.

      • They prevent conflicts of interest or behaviors that could compromise the case manager's credibility.

• Reduces Risk of Burnout

  • • • Establishing clear limits on availability and emotional engagement helps case managers avoid overextension and compassion fatigue.

      • Boundaries support a sustainable work-life balance, ensuring the case manager can provide consistent, high-quality care.

• Ensures Legal and Ethical Compliance

  • • • Professional boundaries align with codes of ethics and legal standards in case management.

      • Violating boundaries could lead to legal liabilities, disciplinary actions, or harm to the client.

• Promotes Healthy Relationships

  • • • Boundaries help create a respectful, trusting relationship where the client feels supported but not manipulated or over-controlled.

      • A professional relationship avoids inappropriate familiarity, which can blur the lines of care and responsibility.

• Supports Objective Decision-Making

  • • • By maintaining a professional distance, Resource Facilitators can make unbiased, well-reasoned decisions in the client’s best interest.

      • Emotional entanglement can lead to clouded judgment and poor outcomes.

• Protects Both Parties

  • • • Boundaries safeguard clients from potential exploitation or inappropriate behavior.

      • They also protect the case manager from false allegations, misunderstandings, or legal repercussions.

• Fosters Collaboration with Other Professionals

  • • • A clear understanding of the case manager’s role within the care team ensures effective collaboration with other healthcare providers, therapists, and support services.

By upholding professional boundaries, Resource Facilitators can provide ethical, effective, and sustainable support, enhancing outcomes for clients and maintaining the integrity of the profession. 

Good professional boundaries include the following:

1. Maintain Professional Relationships

• Focus interactions on the client’s needs and rehabilitation goals.

• Avoid personal relationships or favoritism that could blur professional roles.

2. Communicate Clearly

• Set expectations early regarding roles, responsibilities, and the scope of services provided.

• Use professional language and tone, avoiding overly casual or inappropriate communication. 

3.  Respect Client Autonomy

• Encourage and empower clients to make their own decisions.

• Avoid overstepping by making decisions for the client unless explicitly needed for safety or legal reasons.

4. Avoid Dual Relationships

• Steer clear of situations where there is both a personal and professional relationship with the client or their family.

• Refer clients to other professionals for services outside the scope of case management.

5. Set Emotional Boundaries

• Show empathy without becoming overly involved emotionally.

• Seek supervision or support when feeling overwhelmed or overly connected to a client's situation.

6. Adhere to Confidentiality Standards

• Respect the client’s right to privacy, sharing information only with consent or as legally required.

• Ensure sensitive information is securely stored and communicated responsibly.

7. Define Accessibility

• Set clear boundaries for availability (e.g., working hours, preferred methods of communication).

• Avoid being constantly on-call unless it’s a stipulated part of the role.

8. Maintain Professional Competence

• Stay within the scope of your expertise and role. Refer to specialists or resources when a client’s needs exceed your qualifications.

• Commit to continuous education on brain injuries and related case management practices.

9. Manage Conflicts of Interest

• Avoid situations where your judgment might be compromised by external relationships or financial interests.

• Disclose any potential conflicts and manage them transparently.

10. Practice Self-Care

• Recognize the potential for compassion fatigue and burnout.

• Establish a healthy work-life balance and seek supervision or peer support when needed.

11. Be Culturally Sensitive

• Respect the cultural, religious, and personal beliefs of clients and their families.

• Avoid imposing personal values on clients or their care plans.

By adhering to these boundaries, brain injury resource facilitators can foster trust, ensure effective client care, and maintain their professional integrity.

Resource Facilitation is a program by which a trusting relationship with the  individual is formed to promote disclosure of changes caused by brain injury.  Basic demographic information is collected from the individual to better  understand the person and provide the best information about brain injury and  referrals to appropriate resources. The process also identifies barriers to  services, ways to work through the barriers, and unmet needs.  

No one with a brain injury or his/her family will be turned away from participating  in the program. It is common to work with individuals several years post injury. Due to the chronic and evolving neurological consequences of brain injury, resource facilitation services are made available throughout the lifespan of the individual being served if they choose this pathway.  

Resource facilitation will provide information and referral services in which the  client has one-to-one, personal phone contact with a Resource Facilitator.  Resource Facilitation consists of using professional and comprehensive  interviewing, communication and assessment skills.  

Resource Facilitation respects the client’s right to:  

• Confidential access to information.  

• Trauma-Informed Care.  

• Assistance, based on the client’s value system.  

• To be treated with respect and cultural sensitivity.  

• Self-determination and self-advocacy.  

• Opportunity to access the services of their choice.  

• Accurate and comprehensive information about services.  

1. Establish rapport with the client and use active listening skills to help  identify priority needs.  

2. Respond to each client in a professional, non-judgmental and culturally  appropriate manner. Under no circumstance will the RF knowingly provide  misleading or preferential referrals to an organization.  

3. Be mindful of time and the client’s stamina. The client’s need for rest is  more critical than the professional’s wish to complete a call. If they seem fatigued, inquire if they are doing okay or need to schedule an additional  follow-up call.  

4. The Resource Facilitator shall remain neutral and mindful that they are  only presented with partial views of any situation and are in no position to  react negatively. Also, any such critique could confuse the central issues,  inflame volatile situations and place BIA-NE at risk. 

5. Make an accurate assessment of the issues presented by the client,  asking relevant open-ended questions to elicit information necessary for  accurate referral.  

6. Provide the client with various approaches to address the issue/problem.  

7. Where possible, provide at least three referrals to give client a choice (and  protect Resource Facilitation from being perceived as making a  “recommendation”).  

8. Provide accurate and necessary information to enable the client to choose  the most appropriate resources.  

9. Recognize and encourage the client's right to make his/her own choices.  

10. Pursue the problem/issue until both the client and Facilitator are assured  that all appropriate options have been exhausted.  

11. Suggest ways the client can advocate for him/herself when appropriate  (empowerment/self-determination).  

12. When warranted and with client’s permission (verbal permission or signed  Release of Information), make direct contact and communicate with other  persons/professionals involved with the client.  

13. Offer to initiate a conference call with the client to another agency or  professional.  

14. Provide support, as an advocacy organization, to assist clients in obtaining  a needed service when they can not effectively represent themselves or  when they have a complaint about a service. The preferred advocacy  approach is educational vs. confrontational. The goal is to help the  client/family find their own voice and to be empowered to get their needs  met.  

15. Ask the client to call back if the information proves incorrect, inappropriate,  or insufficient to link them with a needed service.  

16. Follow up as appropriate. 

17. Ensure the client is able to utilize the internet, phone, technology well before requesting them to look up resources or doing some research or requests/calls on their own. This  may entail problems with speech, memory, comprehension, etc. Never assume what they are able to do functional wise.  You may want to have clients relay back to you what we are requesting of them.