Why Canada Needs a National Brain Injury Strategy

A recent University of Victoria feature highlights growing momentum behind brain injury research — and why national policy change is urgently needed.

Dr. Mauricio Garcia-Barrera, professor of psychology at UVic and director of the CORTEX Lab, recently travelled to Ottawa to support Bill C-206, a proposed federal bill that would establish a national brain injury strategy. The bill calls for coordinated action on brain injury awareness, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery across Canada.

Brain injury often intersects with mental health challenges, substance use, violence, and housing insecurity, yet care systems remain fragmented. People living with brain injury frequently encounter stigma, misdiagnosis, and gaps in support — especially when injuries are mild or “invisible.”

To address these gaps, Garcia-Barrera and collaborators led the BC Consensus on Brain Injury, Mental Health and Addictions, a three-year, community-engaged research project involving survivors, caregivers, service providers, researchers, policymakers, and Indigenous communities across BC. One key outcome was the FABRIC Framework, which emphasizes trauma-informed care, integrated service delivery, public awareness, and systemic policy reform.

This work underscores a simple truth: brain injury cannot be treated in isolation. Without coordinated systems and stable funding, people continue to fall through the cracks — particularly those already facing structural barriers.

National strategies like Bill C-206 are a critical step toward more equitable, effective brain injury care in Canada.