MANDAN – The Mind Matters Conference will be held on March 20-21 in Mandan, featuring speakers who will present innovative approaches and new systems of care for individuals living with brain injury, according to the Center for Rural Health.

The conference brings together a multidisciplinary audience of survivors, family members, caregivers and providers to discuss diverse topics and support for individuals after obtaining a brain injury. The conference is hosted by the North Dakota Brain Injury Network (NDBIN), located at the Center for Rural Health within the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong has signed a proclamation declaring March 2025 as Brain Injury Awareness Month in North Dakota.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, every year, at least 2.8 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury. While many people go on to make a full recovery, there are more than 5 million people in the U.S. living with a permanent brain injury-related disability – that’s one in 60 Americans.

On March 19, advocates for brain injury awareness will meet at the state Capitol to share stories with state legislators and others about how brain injury has affected themselves or their families. A panel of speakers will be part of the day, along with an Unmasking Brain Injury project.

This year, Mind Matters is highlighting the Intersection of interpersonal violence and brain injury. Rachel Ramirez, the director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, will be a featured speaker on this topic. She will present on “Invisible Impact: Domestic Violence and Brain Injury,” as well as “Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury: Strangulation, Concussions and Trauma.”

According to NDBIN, 50-90% of individuals with a history of domestic violence have symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.

“Every year we look forward to connecting with brain injury stakeholders from all over North Dakota and beyond,” Carly Endres, senior project coordinator with NDBIN, said in a news release. “March is always a bittersweet time of the year for us at NDBIN, we get to celebrate and acknowledge not only the hard work of survivors in their recovery journey, but also the professionals that help them get there.”

The conference will be held at the Baymont by Wyndham in Mandan. Participants can choose to register for the full conference or only attend one day. Registration is available online with NDBIN or in-person at the conference. Continuing education units will be offered in addiction counseling, audiology and speech language pathology, counselor, nursing, occupational therapy/occupational therapy assistant, psychology, social work and a general certificate.