Traumatic brain injury affects different people in different degrees, but everyone with TBI experiences similar emotions. Dealing with TBI is challenging for both the patient and his or her family, but sharing your experiences with people who have had similar experiences can help. TBI support groups provide the opportunity to make friends and learn more about TBI.
Different TBI support groups have different focuses, so check out several, if possible, to see which one best meets your needs. Some TBI support groups emphasize learning about TBI, while others emphasize offering adaptive recreational opportunities for TBI patients. Some groups have meetings for patients and separate meetings for caregivers and family members, while others invite anyone interested in TBI to the same meeting.
We have tried to make the following list as complete as possible. There are a number of TBI support groups in Oregon, especially in the Portland area. Since support groups change or disband without warning we advise you to call before traveling to the group’s meeting place for the first time. If you cannot find a group in your area, you may wish to start one. Information about starting your own TBI support group can be obtained from the Brain Injury Association of Oregon: http://www.biaoregon.org/.
Brain Injury Association of Oregon (BIAOR)
PO Box 549,
Molalla OR 97038
Phone: (503) 740-3155 or outside the local area at (800) 544-5243
Fax: (503) 961-8730
E-mail: info@biaoregon.org
Bend
Central Oregon Support Group
This group meets on the second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Meeting Place:
Rehab Conference Room, Lower Level
St. Charles Medical Center
2500 NE Neff Rd.
Bend, OR 97701
Contacts:
Joyce and Dave Accornero at (541) 382-9451 or Accornero@bendbroadband.com
Brookings
Brain Injury Group (BIG)
To be announced.
Contact:
(877) 469-8844 or (541) 469-8887
Cottage Grove
BIG II (Brain Injury Group II)
This group meets every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
The Jefferson Park Recreation Room
325 S. Fifth Street
Cottage Grove, OR
Contact:
Anna at (541) 767-0845
Corvallis
Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group
This group meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Church of the Good Samaritan Lounge
333 NW 35th Street
Corvallis, OR 97330
Contact:
Amy Nistico at (541) 768-5157 at aeasterl@samhealth.org
Eugene
Community Rehabilitation Service of Oregon
This group meets on the third Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Central Presbyterian Church
555 E 15th Ave. (15th & Patterson)
Eugene, OR. 97401
Contact:
Jan Johnson at (541) 342-1980 or comrehabjan@aol.com
BIG (Brain Injury Group)
This group meets on Tuesday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call for information.
Meeting Place:
Hilyard Community Center
2580 Hilyard Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401
Contact:
Curtis Brown at (541) 998-3951 or BCCBrown@aol.com
Hillsboro
Homeward Bound Support Group
This group meets on the first Monday of each month from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Tuality Community Hospital
335 SE 8th Street
Hillsboro, OR 97123
Contact:
Carol Altman (503) 640-0818
Klamath Falls
Brain Injury Support Group
This group meets on the second Tuesday from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
SPOKES
415 Main St.
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Contact:
Dawn Lytle at (541) 883-7547 or dawn.lytle@spokesunlimited.org
Lebanon
Brain Injury Support Group of Lebanon
This group meets on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Call for more information.
Meeting Place:
Lebanon Community Hospital,
Conference Room #6
525 North Santiam Highway
Lebanon, OR 97355
Contact:
Lisa Stoffey at (541) 752-0816 or lstoffey@aol.com
Medford
Turning Point
This group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Call for more information.
Meeting Place:
11 West Jackson Street
Medford, OR 97501
Contact:
Pam Ogden at (541) 776-3427 or Pamela.Ogden@sogoodwill.org
Southern Oregon Brainstormers Support and Social Club
This group meets on the first Tuesday of every month from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Providence Medical Center
Birthplace Conf. Rm (Main Entrance, turn left)
1111 Crater Lake Avenue
Medford, OR 97504
Contact:
Lorita Cushman at (541) 772-6528 or LORITAMICKCUSH@aol.com
Molalla
Brain Injury Support Group of Molalla
This group meets on the fourth Monday of the month from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Son’light Vital Foods, Inc.
123 Robbins St.
Molalla, OR 97038
Contact:
Raeleah Brensen at (503) 829-9456 or Skeeter@molalla.net
Newport
Brain Injury Support Group of Newport
This group meets on the second Saturday of the month from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Meeting Place:
4909 S Coast Hwy Suite 340
South Beach, Oregon 97366
Website: www.progressive-options.org
Contact:
(541) 867-4335 or progop541@yahoo.com
Oregon City
Clackamas Community College Brain Injury Support Group
This group meets on the third Friday of the month (during school year) from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Clackamas Community College McLoughlin Hall
Rm. M226 (2nd floor)
Oregon City, OR
Contact:
Sonja Bolon, MA, at (503) 816-1053 or Brain4you2@gmail.com
Pendleton
Inactive at this time.
For more information contact:
Joyce McFarland-Orr at (541) 278-1194 or jmcfarland@Oregontrail.net
Portland
BIRC Alumni Support Group
This group meets the last Tuesday of every odd month.
Address:
1815 SW Marlow, Ste. 110
Portland, 97225
Contact:
Doug Peterson at (503) 292-0765 or doug@progrehab.com
Brainstormers I Women’s Self-help Group
This group meets the second Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Wilcox Building
Room A (Next to Good Samaritan Hospital)
2211 NW Marshall St.
Portland 97210
Contact:
Jane Starbird, PhD, at (503) 493-1221 or drstarbird@aol.com
Brainstormers II Survivor Self-help Group
This group meets the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. – noon.
Meeting Place:
Emanuel Hospital, M.O.B.-West
2801 N Gantenbein
Northeast Portland, OR 97227
Contact:
Steve Wright at (503) 413-7707 or biaor@biaoregon.org
Crossroads (Brain Injury Discussion Group)
This group meets on the second and fourth Friday of the month from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Independent Living Resources
2410 SE 11th
Portland, OR 97214
Contact:
Christopher Eason at 503-232-7411 or christopher@ilr.org
Family Support Group
This group meets on the third Saturday of the month from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. The group is currently combined with Parents of Children with Brain Injury.
Meeting Place:
Emanuel Hospital, Rm 1035
2801 N Gantenbein
Northeast Portland, OR 97227
Contact:
Joyce Kerley at (503) 413-7707 or joycek1145@aol.com
Faraday Club Peer self-help group for professionals with brain injury
This group meets on the first Saturday of the month from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. You must be pre-registered to attend.
Meeting Place:
Emanuel Hospital, Rm. 1035
2801 N Gantenbein
Northeast Portland, OR 97227
Contact:
Arvid Lonseth at (503) 680-2251 (pager) or alonseth@pacifier.com
HELP (Help Each Other Live Positively)
This group has two sections. The TBI Survivor self-help group meets in odd-numbered months and the TBI Family and Spouse group meets in even-numbered months. Meetings are on the fourth Saturday of the month from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Please contact at least two days in advance.
Meeting Place:
Cognitive Enhancement Center
15705 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR
Contact:
Brad Loftis at (503) 547-8788 or bcmuse2002@yahoo.com
Thrive Support Group – A Teenage and Young Adult Brain Injury Survivor Support Group
This group meets on the third Saturday of the month from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Please call for more information.
Meeting Place:
Emanuel Hospital, 1075
2801 N Gantenbein
Portland, OR 97227
Contact:
Kate Robinson at (503) 318-5878
TBI Social Club
This group meets twice a month. Location varies, call for times and location of meetings.
Contact:
Sandra Ward at (503) 735-4857 or slwsundance@qwest.net
Parents of Children with Brain Injury
This group will meet once a month, and is a self-help support group. It is currently combined with the Family Support Group.
Meeting Place:
Emanuel Hospital, Rm 1035
2801 N Gantenbein
Portland, OR 97227
Contact:
Joyce Kerley at (503) 413-7707 or joycek1145@aol.com
Greater Persons Toastmasters Club (for People with Brain Injury)
This group meets on the second and fourth Wednesday from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Call in advance. Open to all including family members.
Meeting Place:
2154 NE Broadway #110
Portland, OR 97232
Contact:
Caleb Burns at (503) 913-4517
Greater Persons Toastmasters Club (for People with Brain Injury) – Eastside
This group meets on the last Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Open to all including family members.
Meeting Place:
Faith Community Church Street:
12414 East Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97233-1044
Contact:
Caleb Burns at (503) 913-4517
Roseburg
Umpqua Valley Disabilities Network
This group meets on the second Monday from noon – 1 p.m. Call for more information.
Meeting Place:
419 NE Winchester
Roseburg, OR 97470
Contact:
Tim Rogers at (541) 672-6336 ext. 202, or timrogers@uvdn.org
Salem
Salem Brain Injury Support Group
This group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Minds in Motion Initiative
2870 Broadway St NE
Salem, OR 97303
Contact:
Meg Snider at 971-977-3688 or msnider@oregonminds.org
Salem Coffee & Conversation Community Group
This group meets every Friday from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Ike Box Café
299 Cottage St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Contact:
Meg Snider at 971-977-3688 or msnider@oregonminds.org
Salem Social Club
Temporarily inactive.
Meeting Place:
3005 Windsor Ave. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Contact:
Sharon Slaughter at (503) 581-0393 or sharonslaughter@qwest.net
Salem Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group
This group meets on the second Friday of the month from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Meeting Place:
Salem Rehabilitation Center
2561 Center Street
Salem, OR 97301
Contacts:
Scott Werdebaugh at (503) 838-6868
Ruby McEliroy at (503) 390-3372