Traumatic brain injury survivors face a variety of different issues. While everyone with TBI has different challenges, depending on the severity of their injury, other people undergoing similar challenges can best understand the problems you are facing. TBI support groups provide the emotional support TBI patients and their families need to tackle the obstacles of living with a traumatic brain injury. Support groups are a wonderful way to make new friends and to learn about TBI.
Different TBI support groups focus on different aspects of coping with TBI. For example, some groups offer special separate meetings for the family members and caregivers of TBI patients, while other groups have one meeting for both the TBI patient and his or her family. Some groups focus on helping new TBI patients adjust to their new lifestyle, while other groups focus on offering adaptive recreational activities for people with TBI. Some support groups offer support for people with either TBI or SCI and several support groups offer help to people with any form of physical disability. It is a good idea to check out several groups before deciding which one to join; some people find it helpful to belong to more than one group.
We have tried to make the following list of TBI support groups in Ohio as complete as possible. Although there are several groups in Ohio, most do not list the date or time of their meetings; please call the group you are interested in for more information.
If you cannot find a TBI support group, you may want to consider starting your own. The Brain Injury Association of Ohio offers helpful information on starting your own support group: https://www.biaoh.org/.
Akron
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Betty Bacalu, RN, BSN, at (330) 703-1113
Dawna Tenney at (330) 802-6177
“Heads Up No Boundaries” at Edwin Shaw Rehab
Meeting Place:
Akron General Medical Center
400 Wabash Avenue
Akron, OH 44307
Contact:
Nancy Brown at (330) 673-8347
Athens
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Cindy Auker at (740) 374-8716, ext. 2139, or cauker@biaoh.org
Batavia / Clermont Co.
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Cherry Thompson at (513) 474-5591
Cadiz
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Chris Curtiss at (330) 343-9292, ext. 213, or ccurtiss@ biaoh.org
Canton
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Lyla Kepler at (330) 455-7969
Chillicothe
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Tina Viney at (740) 775-1260
Cincinnati Area
TBI Support Group at Children’s Hospital
Meeting Place:
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
3333 Burnet Ave.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:
Debby Palmisano, LSW, at (513) 636-8437
TBI Support Group at Drake Center
This group is for people with general and mild brain injury.
Meeting Place:
Drake Center
151 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact:
Peggy O’Neill at (513) 542-2704 or poneill@tbiaoh.org
Cleveland Area
TBI Support Group at Berea
Paul Richards, Program Director HansonHouse TBI Clubhouse
173 Front Street Berea, OH 44017 440-234-9900
THANK YOU for your support of our 2011 Golf Outing!!
“Enhancing self- determination, independence and productive living for survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury”
Visit our website: http://www.hansontbiclubhouse.com/
TBI Support Group at Euclid Hospital (General)
Meeting Place:
Euclid Hospital
18901 Lake Shore Blvd.
Euclid, Ohio 44119
Contact:
Dan Chambers and Louise Foreman at (216) 738-1806
Stroke Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Nancy Ryan, SW, at (216) 692-7476
TBI Support Groups at MetroHealth (Caregivers and Survivors)
STAR Group (Support Trauma and Recovery Group)
Call for exact meeting location, dates, and time.
Meeting Place:
MetroHealth Medical Center
2500 MetroHealth Drive
Cleveland, OH
Contact:
Cheryl Crahen at (216) 778-2388
Stroke Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Laura Pokorny at (216) 778-5329
Stroke Support Group at Warrensville Hts.
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Maureen Samuels at (216) 491-7052
Columbus Area
TBI Support Group at Grandview Library
Call for directions, dates, and times.
Contact:
Rich Haddix at (614) 481-7100, (866) 644-6242, or rhaddix@biaoh.org
TBI Support Group (Spouse Group) at OSU-Dodd Hall
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Dr. Wanda McEntyre at (614) 293-3830
Young TBI Survivors Support Group (16-22)
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Peggy Shecket at (614) 293-6521
Stroke Support Group at OhioHealth
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Sally Oiler at (614) 566-1124
Dayton
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Shirley Whitmer at (937) 339-0356
Dover
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Chris Curtiss at (330) 343-9292, ext. 213, (888) 213-4452, or ccurtiss@ biaoh.org
Gallia County
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Cindy Auker at (740) 374-8716, ext. 2139, or cauker@biaoh.org
Green Springs
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Deanna Turner and Deanna Nuti at (419) 639-2626, ext. 4338
Hamilton/Butler County
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Dawanna Jones at (513) 425-8728, ext. 24
Lima
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Helen Griffith at (419) 384-3684
Marietta
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Cindy Auker at (740) 374-8716, ext. 2139, or cauker@biaoh.org
Medina
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Robin Pawelec, PT, at (330) 725-1000, ext. 2305
Meigs County
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Cindy Auker at (740) 374-8716, ext. 2139, or cauker@biaoh.org
Newark
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Dave Sinclair at (740) 344-6110
Pataskala
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Effie Parker at (740) 927-1836
Toledo Area
TBI Support Group at the University of Toledo Medical Center
(Individuals with brain injury and family members)
Call for exact meeting location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Jeff McAnall, Program Manager, at (419) 393-4309
Christine Veronie at (419) 380-5110 or cveronie@biaoh.org
TBI Support Group at Sanger Library for Parents of Children with Brain Injury
Call for directions, dates, and times.
Contact:
Christine Veronie at (419) 380-5110 or cveronie@biaoh.org
“Brain Guys” at MCO Mercy Rehab
Call for exact meeting location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Lynn Chapman, MS, OTR/L, CCDC III
Occupational Therapist & Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor
(419) 383-3050
Troy
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Shirley Whitmer at (937) 339-0356 or s.whitmer@juno.com
Warren
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Laura Blanco at (330) 841-3757
Wooster
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Michael Sterling at (330) 202-5271
Chris Curtiss at (330) 343-9292, ext. 213
Youngstown
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Nancy Creed at (330) 755-2618
Phil Mingo at (330) 744-1555
Zanesville
TBI Support Group
Call for meeting place location, dates, and time.
Contact:
Richard Meilander, PhD, at (800) 322-4762 or (740) 454-5475