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 any one interested in TBI to the same meeting. 

We have tried to make the following list of TBI support groups in Wisconsin as complete as possible. We have also included information on the Well Spouse Association which offers support to the spouses of the disabled.  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 Wisconsin: http://www.biaw.org/site/

Appleton

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

Meeting Place:

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

Contact:

920-738-2749 Kathleen Clarke, PhD

Ashland

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

Meeting Place:

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

Contact:

Stewart Holman 715-682-5676

Brown County

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

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

Contact: Stephanie Umentum 920-593-3570

Making New Connections

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

Meeting Place:

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 the second Sunday of the month from 1:00 - 2:30pm.  

Meeting Place:

Siren Covenant Church
7686 Lofty Pines Drive
Siren, Wisconsin

Contact:

Jerry or Karen  715-349-8985

Eau Claire

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.

Meeting Place:

Eau Claire

Contact:

Tom Sather  715-838-3310

Mild Brain Injury Group

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

Meeting Place:

Luther Hospital - Eau Claire
1221 Whipple Street
Eau Claire

Contact:

Mary Beth Clark 715-838-3258

Eau Claire Self Help

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

Meeting Place:
Sacred Heart Hospital-Eau Claire
900 West Clairemont (Bishop Hall)

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Contact:

Audrey Nelson 715-838-9352

Fond du Lac

TBI Support Group

This group meets 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

Janesville

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

United Way Building
205 N Main St
Janesville, WI

Contact:

John Weber 608-752-4993

La Crosse

Big River Chapter – La Crosse

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

Meeting Place:

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

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

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

Contact:

Laura Bertagnoli 920-386-3400

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

Independent Living Resources – La Crosse
4439 Mormon Coulee Road

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Contact:

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

Madison

Mild Brain Injury Resource Network*

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

Madison Meriter Hospital 10 Tower Conference Room, 10th floor
202. S. Park
Madison, Wisconsin

Contact:

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

Mild Brain Injury Group for Spouses & Significant Others*

This group meets the second Monday of the month from 6:30 - 8:00 pm.

Meeting Place:

Madison Meriter Hospital Guest Services Conf. Rm. in Patient Registration Suite
202. S. Park
Madison, Wisconsin

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

*There will be no support group meeting if Madison Schools are closed that day.

Manitowoc County

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

First Lutheran Church
North 8th Street

Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Contact:

Lynn Paider 920-755-2692

Oshkosh

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

Meeting Place:

Ability Resource Center
115 Washington Avenue, Ste. A

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Contact:

Mr. Ashley Hesse 920-236-9230

Sheboygan

Brainstorm

For more information on this group please call Kay Konik.

Contact:

Kay Konik 920-917-0918

Miracle Point Head Injury Society

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

Meeting Place:

St. Nicholas Hospital / Francis Room

3100 Superior Ave
Sheboygan, WI 53081-1994

Contact:

Wendy Clark 920-459-4642

Milwaukee

Embracing Hope

This group meets the fourth Wednesday of the month 6:45-8:15 pm.

Meeting Place:

Zablocki Library
3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contact:

Lisa Alberte 262-679-9684

Milwaukee Support Group

This group meets the fourth Monday of the month from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

Meeting Place

Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center of Milwaukee at Mt. Carmel 
5700 W. Layton Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contacts:

Mary Smith, CTRS 414-325-4018
Colleen 414-325-4226

Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute Brain Injury Groups

These groups meet the second Wednesday of the month from 4:00 - 5:00pm. One group is for survivors and the other is for caregivers. 

Meeting Place:

SHRI - second Floor
2025 E. Newport Avenue 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contact:

Joy Tanguay 414-298-6798

Milwaukee Area Self-Help (MASH)

This group meets the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00pm.  Please call for the most current schedule.

Meeting Place

West Milwaukee Community Center
1345 S. 47th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contact:

Ruth Kleist 414-444-7270

Racine

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place

Alpha Homes of Wisconsin, Inc
6216 Washington Ave.

Racine, Wisconsin

Contact:

Betty Carlsen 262-886-3328

Rice Lake

TBI Support Group

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

Meeting Place:

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

Contact:

Corinne and Jim Richie 715-234-0079

Wausau 

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

Meeting Place:

Aspirus Wausau Hospital
333 Pine Ridge Blvd
Wausau, Wisconsin

Contact:

Lea Ratajczyk 715-847-2826

Well Spouse Association

Well Spouse is a national, not-for-profit membership organization which gives support to wives, husbands, and partners of the chronically ill and/or disabled. Well Spouse support groups exist or are being formed in many areas of the country. To contact a support group near you or to learn how to start a group, please go to their website and the "Support Groups" page.

Website: www.wellspouse.org