Social Security

Here is the definition social security uses to categorize brain injured people as disabled:   Organic Mental Disorders: Psychological or behavioral abnormalities associated with a dysfunction of the brain. History and physical examination or laboratory tests demonstrate the presence of a specific organic factor judged to be etiologically related to the abnormal mental state and loss of previously acquired functional abilities.

The required level of severity for these disorders is met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied.

A. Demonstration of a loss of specific cognitive abilities or affective changes and the medically documented persistence of at least one of the following:

1. Disorientation to time and place; or

2. Memory impairment, either short-term (inability to learn new information), intermediate, or long-term (inability to remember information that was known sometime in the past); or

3.Perceptual or thinking disturbances (e.g., hallucinations, elusions); or

4.Change in personality;or

5.Disturbance in mood; or

6. Emotional lability (e.g., explosive temper outbursts, sudden crying etc.) and impairment in impulse control; or

7. Loss of measured intellectual ability of at least fifteen I.Q. points from premorbid levels or overall impairment index clearly within the severely impaired range on neuropsychological testing, e.g., the Luria-Nebraska, Halstead-Reitan, etc; AND

B. Resulting in at least two of the following:

1. Marked restriction in activities of daily living; or

2. Marked difficulties in maintaining social functioning; or

3. Deficiencies of concentration, persistence or pace resulting in frequent failure to complete tasks in a timely manner (in work settings or elsewhere); or

4. Repeated episodes of deterioration or decompensation in work or work-like settings which cause the individual to withdraw from that situation or to experience exacerbation of signs and symptoms (which may include deterioration of adaptive behavior).

Return to Social Security

The Social Security Administration has about 1,300 offices in cities and towns across America.

They may be reached at their toll-free number 1-800-772-1213. You can get recorded information 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. You can speak to a service representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days. Their lines are busiest early in the week and early in the month.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call their toll-free "TTY" number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days.

Below is the link for the United States Government Page on Social Security. Note: For new users; clicking below will exit this site, to return, hit back.

Further help can be found from HDI Publishers who publish a helpful brochure entitled Social Security Benefits for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Copies of this pamphlet can be ordered by calling 1-800-321-7037.

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