Melissa Abate, MA, Clinical Care Manager at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO., spoke March 14, 2014 to the Brainstorm Conference in Boulder, CO., on her practical strategies for helping families of patients at Craig Hospital, many of whom are in comas after suffering severe brain injuries.

At a time when a prognosis is still "up in the air" and while families are in high gear and heavy anxiety, it is Melissa Abate's job to guide families toward productive pursuits and to discourage that which is counterproductive.

This speech, which includes many questions and her answers, is almost 80 minutes long, but who better to get this info from than the expert in the trenches with families experiencing the marathon they may have never contemplated.

But after 9 years at Craig Hospital, Melissa Abate's advice is well vetted and certainly worth hearing if you are in that position right now. Get a notepad. Or just watch this show over and over until you wring from it all you need.

This show, and many other Brainiacs shows, are available at the archives at denveropenmedia.org/project/6254/shows.

At least 15 other experts presenting at conferences of the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado (biacolorado.org) are also available in the same archives, including Dr. CILO, who is another good place to start.