This September, BIAPA was proud to be out in the community, connecting with survivors and care partners at the Mind Your Brain Foundation conferences in Malvern and the Lehigh Valley. It was a wonderful opportunity to share resources and engage with so many members of the brain injury community.
We’re also excited to be at the Fighting Back Scholarship Walk this Saturday, October 4 in Phoenixville, PA. If you’re there, be sure to stop by our table and say hello!
BIAPA Program Coordinator, Meghan Walsh-Farrell, with Board member, Kate Turner (right) and BIRL Volunteer, Melissa Carmen (left) at the MYB Conference
Lost and Found Support Group Builds Connections with LEGO®
The Lost and Found Support Group at West Penn Hospital gathered in August for an evening of laughter, healing, and creativity. Through funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Community Initiative, we were able to secure a mini-grant for the Lost and Found Support Group giving participants the opportunity to build LEGO® sets together—an activity that was both fun and therapeutic.
Group members helped one another with their kits, sharing ideas, encouragement, and smiles along the way. Each participant was able to take home their creation as a lasting reminder of the experience.
Support group members shared how meaningful the activity was. One noted the joy of seeing another participant deeply engaged, while another reflected that the best part was “just hanging out with everyone.”
By combining hands-on learning with social connection, the activity highlighted the power of group support for people living with brain injury and their families.
Brain Injury Awareness Day in Harrisburg
We need YOU at the 6th Annual Brain Injury Awareness Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Join us in the Main Rotunda from 10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a powerful day of advocacy and awareness. Preliminary information and updates about Advocacy at the state level are HERE. The full agenda, including speakers and program details, will be shared soon.
Your presence matters—you are an essential voice for the Brain Injury Community!
If you have questions regarding this event; please contact Melissa Carmen, at
2026 Conference Theme! Brain Injury Rehabilitation Across the Lifespan: Achieving Outcomes and Strengthening Community
We are excited to announce that the Call for Presentations is now open for the BIAPA 2026 Annual Conference! This statewide gathering brings together survivors, families, caregivers, professionals, students, and volunteers to learn, connect, and strengthen our brain injury community.
If you are interested in presenting, please review the submission guidelines and complete the proposal form.
Deadline to submit proposals: October 31, 2025, by 5:00 pm.
Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details on the Call for Posters, registration, conference highlights, and special events. We look forward to seeing you in Lancaster next June!
We’re looking forward to the Brain Injury Challenge: Race for Recovery — and we’re thrilled that 270 people have already registered to join us!
📅 When: Sunday, October 5, 2025 🕢 Registration opens at 7:30 AM 🏃♀️ 5K begins at 9:00 AM 🚶 1-Mile Walk & Roll begins at 9:30 AM 📍 Where: Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA
There’s still time to be participate in this inspiring event!. Online registration closes at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, September 30 — but walk-up registrations are welcome! You can also support by donating, starting a team, or becoming a sponsor at biapa.org/get-involved/challenge2025. Donations will be accepted through October 31.
ReDiscover U classes are held on Monday nights at 6 PM ET via Zoom. Use this link to join any of the classes at 6 PM on Mondays
October 6: SHARE Night!
October 13: Brain Injury Series: Grieving after Brain Injury
October 20: Signs of Happiness
October 27: Journaling Workshop with Roberta Brooks and Grace Moses
For more information about ReDiscover U, including a description of the classes, CLICK HERE.
To sign up for the ReDiscover U email list, click HERE to fill out a brief registration form.
The BIAPA statewide virtual support group will meet Thursday, October 16 at 5 PM. This tight-knit community consists of survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania! Please use thisZoom Link to access the meeting.
BIAPA's next Caregiver Support Group will be held on Wednesday, October 8 at 6 PM. This monthly, virtual meeting is open to all caregivers. The meetings are an excellent opportunity for caregivers to meet one another, share experiences and discuss topics of unique relevance to their roles. No pre-registration is required! To join this monthly meeting, use this Zoom Link.
To sign up for email alerts for one of BIAPA's virtual groups listed above, follow this link to complete a brief registration form.
A full list of all of Pennsylvania's Brain Injury Support Groups, along with contact information for each, is on the BIAPA website's Support Group Listing Page. We are currently updating this information, and while we have done so for most groups, there are still some that we're trying to reach. If you're aware of groups that are meeting either virtually or in-person and they are not on our listing, or if you have any updated details about a group on the list, please contact Melanie Morrison morrison@biapa.org so that we can let others know about them.
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