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Acquired Brain Injury & Suicide Risk

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January 9, 2026, 8:30 - 10:30am CST
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $10 full members; $25 partial members and nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 2.0
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Course Description

This session provides an overview of the relationship between acquired brain injury and suicidal ideation. Participants will be able to describe why an increased risk of suicidal ideation is displayed among many ABI survivors, and will be able to describe the various mechanisms of injury that result in acquired brain injury.

Learning Objectives:

  • After participating in this session, attendees should be able to recognize the umbrella of acquired brain injury (ABI), and identify how both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and non-traumatic brain injury (n-TBI) fall under this umbrella.
  • After participating in this session, attendees should be able to explain the general process of neural signaling, the functional regions of the brain, and how both the behavior and emotional states of a survivor can be impacted after ABI.
  • After participating in this session, attendees should be able to argue that no two brain injuries are identical, that brain injury is often invisible in nature, and how the stigma that surrounds ABI pushes survivors towards increased levels of suicidal ideation.
  • After participating in this session, attendees should be able to describe how ABI impacts different community groups, and how marginalized communities are at an increased risk of ABI incidence,

About the Trainer

Alec Wendelboe

Alec Wendelboe

Alec oversees the Education & Outreach department for the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance &
Minnesota Stroke Association. We are sister agencies served by the same group of staff, and supporting the entire state's brain injury & stroke survivors. Alec received his bachelor's in neuroscience from Hamline University, and spent a few years conducting research through the Welsey & Lorene Artz Cognitive Neuroscience Center. Following his graduation he worked as a Case Manager through the MN Brain Injury Alliance, and supported brain injury survivors through their waiver programs. Alec came to this line of work due to his familial caregiving experiences. Growing up he had three brain injury survivors and one stroke survivor in his family, and an uncle who passed as the result of stroke.  He feels incredibly passionate about this work.