Support Groups and Friendship

We offer a unique approach to finding answers, locating support, forming friendships, and regaining a sense of community. Too often after a brain injury has been sustained, the survivor and family struggle to maintain relationships that were weakened or form new ones after some have been lost.

Brain Injury Resource Center of Wisconsin Sponsored

Join us for our Social and Skills Events (Annual Picnic, Christmas Party, Bon Fire Nights, etc.) as well as out Arts, Crafts, Game Days, and Book Clubs Days. Each is an opportunity to network with survivors.

If you are interested in starting your own support group, we can provide you with information to help you get started.

If you are aware of a support group that is not listed, a listed group that is no longer active, or a listed group that needs an update, contact us.


Support Group information is subject to change.

Please contact the support group before you attend a meeting for the first time or if you have not attended it recently.


Encouragement

NeedEncouragement.com > Website Link

Specialty Brain Injury Support Groups

Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association > Website Link

Grief Support Groups

Grief Share (find a group near you) > Website link

Mental Health Focused – Club House Environment

Spring City Club House > Facebook Group Link

Military Focused

Lutheran Military Support Group > Website link

Caregiver Support

Well Spouse Association > Website Link

Wisconsin Family Caregiver Support Programs > Website Link

Severe Brain Injury Caregiver Support Group (Zoom Room Internet Conferencing) > Website Link

Brain Injury Support Groups by County

Ashland County

This group meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Memorial Medical Center, 1615 Maple Lane – North Twin Island Room, Ashland, WI 54806

Contact: Stewart Holman 715-682-5676

Barron County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the first Sunday of the month from 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm.

Lakeview Medical Center, Conference Room, 1100 N. Main, Rice Lake, WI  54868

Contact: Corinne and Jim Richie 715-234-0079

Brown County

TBI Support Group

This group meets the second Tuesday of every other month from 5:30 – 7:00 pm

N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation, 2900 Curry Lane, Green Bay, WI  54311

Contact: Stephanie Umentum 920-593-3570

Making New Connections

This group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Varied locations in the Green Bay area.

Contacts: Karen Feld 920-866-9493 / Carol Sweney 920-433-8088

Burnett County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the second Sunday of the month from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm.

Siren Covenant Church, 7686 Lofty Pines Drive, Siren, Wisconsin

Contact: Jerry or Karen 715-349-8985

Dane County

Mild Brain Injury Resource Network

This group meets on the third Thursday of the month from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Madison Meriter Hospital 10 Tower Conference Room, 10th floor (There will be no support group meeting if Madison Schools are closed that day) 202. S. Park, Madison, Wisconsin

Contact: Ellyn Kroupa 608-238-3571 Email: elkroupa@tds.net

Mild Brain Injury Group for Spouses & Significant Others

Group meets on the second Monday of the month from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

Madison Meriter Hospital Guest Services Conf. Rm. in Patient Registration Suite (There will be no support group meeting if Madison Schools are closed that day) 202. S. Park, Madison, Wisconsin

Contact: 608-238-3571 Ellyn Kroupa / Email: elkroupa@tds.net

Dodge County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the third Monday of the month from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

Clearview Brain Injury Center, Clearview North, 199 Home Road, Juneau, WI

Contact: Laura Bertagnoli 920-386-3400

Eau Claire County

Young Persons TBI Group

Meetings have varied locations/days.

Contact: Mary Beth Clark or Tom Sather 715-838-3258

Acquired Brain Injury Group 

For more information on this group please call Tom Sather 715-838-3310

Mild Brain Injury Group

This group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm.

Luther Hospital – Eau Claire, 1221 Whipple Street, Eau Claire

Contact: Mary Beth Clark 715-838-3258

Eau Claire Self Help

This group meets on the third Thursday of the month from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.

Sacred Heart Hospital-Eau Claire, 900 West Clairemont (Bishop Hall), Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Contact: Audrey Nelson 715-838-9352

TBI Connect

UWEC CSD is hosting TBIconneCT this fall.

A few details:

Email me if you’re interested so we can get all of the information sent and scheduling completed.

TBIconneCT is a communication training program for individuals with brain injuries and their close partners.

There will be some large group time and some time with your partner and two graduate student clinicians.

This is open to couples or individuals.

If you are an individual and need a communication partner for the treatment, let me know.

Once you have RSVP’d, you will receive a packet that includes a participant manual and self-testing materials.

We will meet 3:00 – 4:15 pm each Wednesday from September 14th to November 16th on Zoom

Please RSVP if you haven’t already

Jerry K. Hoepner, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow

Professor [AND] Pro Sem Coordinator

The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders

hoepnejk@uwec.edu or (715) 836-3980

Assistant editor & co-founding editor of Teaching & Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders Associate Coordinator of ASHA SIG 20 – Counseling

Fond du Lac County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 pm.

St. Agnes Hospital, Plaza Level Conference Room, 430 E Division St., Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Contacts: Shirley Speier 920-923-5462 / Niki Bartus 920-929-7322

La Crosse County

Big River Chapter – La Crosse

This group meets on the last Tuesday of the month from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm.

Franciscan-Skemp Healthcare, Rose Conf. Rm-second Floor, 700 West Avenue South, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Contacts: Janet Papenfuss 608-785-0940 ext 22857 / Vicki Monk 608-775-3050

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group

For more information on this group please call Mark Roesler-Begalke

Independent Living Resources – La Crosse, 4439 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Contact: Mark Roesler-Begalke 608-787-1111 / Email: mark.rb@ilresources.org

Manitowoc County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the third Monday of the month from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

First Lutheran Church, North 8th Street, Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Contact: Lynn Paider 920-755-2692

Outagamie County

This group meets on the fourth Monday of the month from7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Sept. – April Meetings)

St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1506 S. Oneida Street, Appleton, Wisconsin

Contact: 920-738-2749 Kathleen Clarke, PhD

Traumatic Brain Injury Fight for Life (Facebook Group)

Contact: April Lackowski-Postel (920) 250-2009

Racine County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from 7:00 pm.

Alpha Homes of Wisconsin, Inc, 6216 Washington Ave., Racine, Wisconsin

Contact: Betty Carlsen 262-886-3328

Rock County

TBI Support Group

This group meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 pm.

United Way Building, 205 N Main St, Janesville, WI

Contact: John Weber 608-752-4993

Sheboygan County

Brainstorm

For more information on this group please call Kay Konik 920-917-0918

Miracle Point Head Injury Society

This group meets on the first Monday of the month from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

St. Nicholas Hospital / Francis Room, 3100 Superior Ave, Sheboygan, WI 53081-1994

Contact: Wendy Clark 920-459-4642

Waupaca County

Traumatic Brain Injury Fight for Life (Facebook Group)

Contact: April Lackowski-Postel (920) 250-2009

Wausau County

This group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 6:30 pm.

Aspirus Wausau Hospital, 333 Pine Ridge Blvd, Wausau, Wisconsin

Contact: Lea Ratajczyk 715-847-2826

Winnebago County

This group meets the second Thursday ( in alternate months) from 10:30 am – 12:00 noon.

Ability Resource Center, 115 Washington Avenue, Ste. A, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Contact: Mr. Ashley Hesse 920-236-9230