Welcome to Acadiana

Rick Seidl	Margaret Seidl

I would like to introduce you to our family owned company, Acadiana Brain Injury Center (ABIC). I am Rick Seidl, President and CEO of Seidl & Associates, Inc. We started our company in 1994 as a residential center for our family members. Our facility is located in Youngsville, which is within ten minutes of Lafayette, Louisiana.
 

My wife, Margaret and I know first hand what families are experiencing when a loved one is tragically injured. Margaret is a Registered Nurse and Vice President for ABIC. She is also among the first in the nation to achieve the highest level of certification as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist-Clinical Instructor/Examiner. More than twenty years ago, Margaret’s sister and her sister's two sons suffered brain injuries in an automobile accident. Our interest in this field started when Margaret began to follow their care at various facilities. We scrutinized the doctors and the therapies as well as evaluated a number of techniques and methods used while our family members were receiving rehabilitation services. This experience has proven to be instrumental in developing a unique, therapeutic approach with personalized treatment goals. We believe that our experience is beneficial to the people we serve. In our opinion, ABIC is also successful because our clients and staff share the same goals.

We have found that the family’s role is a very important part of rehabilitation. Because our family members were in facilities out of state, frequent family visits were sometimes difficult for us. Our program establishes a therapeutic alliance between family members, professionals and the treatment team. This offers an excellent opportunity for family members to become a more active part of the treatment program. Therefore, we have established a family support system to communicate progress with families through regular phone calls and reports.

The rural setting of our facilities play a vital role in our treatment programs. It is peaceful and provides fewer distractions which allow for a more therapeutic environment. ABIC facilities are home like settings with little resemblance to hospitals or institutions. Our community re-entry programs teach the independent living skills needed for everyday life, i.e., budgeting, grocery shopping, accessing transportation, utilizing socialization and leisure skills, and job searching techniques. These skills are gradually developed until an individual becomes ready and is then
transitioned into a town program. A variety of vocational, recreational and educational activities are integrated into the programming to support our therapeutic treatment approach. For further educational endeavors, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also available for those who are appropriate.

The continuum of care provides supportive transitions from a highly structured day and supported independent living program to a less structured community-based program at a pace that allows each individual to experience success. Individuals with brain injuries benefit from a consistent structure to learn and succeed. However, too much structure limits challenges and growth while too little structure can cause confusion and agitation. At ABIC the treatment team develops a balance through the use of enhancing self-esteem and then working toward functional independence. At the time of admission Treatment Plans are developed with input from family members, professionals and care givers. These plans are reviewed and revised by our interdisciplinary team on a regular basis. The goal at ABIC is to provide the highest standard quality of care for brain injured individuals while utilizing state of the art treatment techniques. We provide one of the most affordable brain injury rehabilitation programs in the country.

Our professional staff includes a Psychologist, a Speech Language Pathologist, an Occupational Therapist, a Physical Therapist, a Social Worker, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors, Certified Brain Injury Specialists and Behavior Specialists. Our staff has a combined experience of more than 75 years of working with brain injured individuals.

Referring a loved one to a rehabilitation program is a difficult decision for any family member or professional. Therefore, we invite you to visit and evaluate our program before placing your family member in our care. We would like for you to arrange a personal visit to our facility. We welcome any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact us.

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