November 2025

Save The Dates

2026 Conference 
 Lancaster Marriott
Monday, June 22 & Tuesday, June 23, 2026

ReDiscover U Drum Circle
Acadia NeuroRehab, Lancaster
Thursday, December 11 at 4:30 PM

BIAPA Receives BIAA Award of Excellence for Engagement

The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania is proud to be honored with the Brain Injury Association of America’s Award of Excellence in Engagement for our work on the PA Department of Health's Brain Injury and Opioid Misuse Initiative. This effort tackles the often overlooked intersection of  brain injury and opioid misuse.

The initiative includes a targeted statewide awareness campaign, professional training for both substance use disorder (SUD) and brain injury providers, and hands-on implementation work to improve care across systems. Through this work, PSAs reached individuals at risk, providers, and those actively struggling with opioid misuse. Specialized trainings —78 completed to date —have equipped hundreds of practitioners with tools to better identify and support individuals with brain injury.

This initiative also brought together providers and system partners at an Opioids Summit this spring, fostering collaboration and problem solving around how to effect systems change. A pilot program is now in development work with a substance abuse provider partner to implement screening for brain injury and embed brain-injury-informed strategies directly into SUD treatment in their system.

BIAPA is deeply honored by this recognition and remains committed to advancing informed, compassionate, cross-system solutions for those affected by brain injury and substance misuse.

 BIAPA Board Member Amy Szalinski pictured above with the award.

Sweet Treats for a Great Cause!

BIAPA has partnered with Pittsburgh's beloved Sarris Candies to bring you premium chocolates and holiday treats—and 25% of every purchase supports BIAPA's mission!

Here's how it works: Simply click the link below and use BIAPA's Group ID: 10-0214 when you shop. Your order ships FREE directly to your door (just a $7 packaging and handling fee applies).

This offer ends on December 14, so place your order today!

2026 Conference 

Corporate Partner, Exhibitor & Sponsorship Opportunities
Join us in making a powerful impact! BIAPA’s mission is to prevent brain injuries and to build an inclusive community grounded in education, advocacy, support, and research, improving the lives of individuals with brain injuries and their families.

By becoming a conference or year-round partner, exhibitor, or sponsor, you’ll not only help advance this mission, but also gain meaningful visibility with a dynamic network of professionals, survivors, families, and organizations across Pennsylvania. It’s an exciting opportunity to elevate your brand while supporting a cause that changes lives!
Click HERE for more info.

Silent Auction for David L. Strauss Memorial Scholarship Fund
As you’re browsing holiday sales, or end up with some great gifts that just aren’t quite your thing 😉, consider donating an item to our Silent Auction benefiting the David L. Strauss Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund helps brain injury survivors and their caregivers attend BIAPA’s Annual Conference, and the need is greater than ever.

Your donation can make a meaningful difference. Click the button below to learn how you can help a survivor and caregiver be part of the 2026 Conference.

TBEye Vision Study

The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania is highlighting an exciting study led by Drexel University that aims to improve care for young adults experiencing vision problems after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The TBEye Study is seeking participants ages 18–35 who are 1–12 months post–mTBI and experiencing symptoms related to vision or eye-movement difficulties, such as trouble focusing, eye strain, or difficulties with reading or near work. By participating, eligible individuals can contribute to research that will help refine assessment tools, better understand how these vision problems progress, and evaluate promising treatment approaches—important steps toward improving recovery for both military and civilian communities.

For more information see the flyer HERE.

Helmets for the Holidays: Give the Gift of Prevention

Brain injury prevention is a core focus of BIAPA's mission.  A gift to Helmets for the Holidays: Give the Gift of Prevention will support BIAPA’s work to prevent brain injuries and to support individuals and families who have experienced brain injury.  This includes:

• Brain Safety Fairs with free bicycle helmet fittings
• Educational programs about the brain and the impact of brain injury
• Brain Injury Resource Line, which offers information about resources that may be of help to people with brain injury or their family.  
  

A Meaningful Holiday Gift
If you’d like to make a gift in honor of a friend, family member or colleague, please note that information on our secure donation form, and we'll send our Helmets for the Holidays bicycling snowman card with a message about your gift to the person you've honored.

Business Gift Program
If you’re a business and would like to make a gift in honor of clients or colleagues, please email us at admin@biapa.org or call 833-242-7248. We’ll make it easy for you to manage your holiday gift-giving and to support BIAPA.

Send us a list of your honorees, and we’ll send our Helmets for the Holidays bicycling snowman card with a message that you’ve recognized them with a gift to BIAPA.

BIAPA in the Community 

On Saturday November 15, 2025, Drew Nagele represented the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania at PA Representative Ann Flood's Special Needs Expo in Easton PA. BIAPA was there with about 30 other government, non-profit, and provider organizations talking about the services and supports available, including our Brain Injury Resource Line (BIRL), the PA Department of Health's NeuroResource Facilitation Program (NRFP) implemented by BIAPA, the PA Brain Injury Coalition, and our Annual Educational Conference.

Drew Nagele and Ann Flood, next to BIAPA's Exhibit

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

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.