Saturday, April 26, 2025 Tyler State Park -- Richboro, PA
Empowering Reintegration: Supporting Vocational and Educational Journeys After Brain Injury
At this year's conference, a powerful focus on vocational reintegration will highlight the journey of individuals with brain injuries returning to work and post-secondary education. The session “Return to Work: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Successful Reintegration Following Brain Injury”, Speakers: Brian McDonald, DO; Paige Smith, MSS, LSW; Rebecca Carr, MS, OTR/L; and Julianna Tatum, MS, OTR/L, will explore collaborative strategies from occupational therapists, case managers, and physicians to support successful work reentry. The "Empowered for the Future: Returning to Post-secondary Learning and Work After Brain Injury" sessions (Parts I and II), Speakers: Madeline DiPasquale, PhD; Kaitlin Salvati, MS, CRC; Katie Daniels; Dennis DeSalme; David Berger and Michael Wright, will delve into the cognitive and psychosocial skills needed for returning to school or work, featuring insights from individuals with lived experience, as well as practical tools like accommodations and funding resources. A panel of experts will share valuable strategies and stories to inspire and guide attendees.
The David L. Strauss Memorial Scholarship Fund
The David L. Strauss Memorial Scholarship Fund is dedicated to empowering brain injury survivors and their caregivers/care partners by providing scholarships to attend the Annual Conference. The need for this support is significant, as many survivors and their families face financial barriers to participation. Unfortunately, the available funds are limited, and without your help, some may miss out on this valuable opportunity for education, connection, and growth. Click the button below to learn how you can make a difference.
The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania is requesting nominations for the 2025 BIAPA Awards. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2025. Awards will be presented during the 2025 Annual Conference, which will take place at the Lancaster Marriott in Lancaster, PA, on June 30 and July 1, 2025. Nominations are being accepted for the following categories: Dan Keating Pioneer in Brain Injury Award, Service to the Brain Injury Community Award, Barb Dively Advocacy Award, Service to the Association Award, Organization Award, John Sears Inspiration Award, Leadership Award, Public Policy Award, Direct Service Award, Dennis Minori Family Tribute Award. Click this button to learn more about each award's criteria or to make a nomination:
The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA), in partnership with the PA Department of Health, is offering 4 mini-grants of up to $500 each to support Brain Injury support groups. This funding, provided by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) through a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Grant, aims to help strengthen community-based resources for individuals affected by brain injury.
Applicants must be a community-based or peer-led brain injury support group. Interested applicants should submit a proposal that includes the support group's name, location, and mission, a detailed justification for the proposed use of funds, a budget overview, and an impact statement explaining how the funding will benefit individuals with brain injuries and contribute to socialization, recovery, and community support efforts.
For questions or assistance, please contact Monica Vaccaro at vaccaro@biapa.org or Erika Pae at epae@pa.gov
Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill
Pennsylvania was proud to have had the largest group represented in Washington, D.C. on Brain Injury Awareness Day. The team attended the National Brain Injury Conference, where they connected with advocates from across the nation and learned about new brain injury statistics and legislative priorities. They also visited Capitol Hill to be a voice for brain injury and advocate for meaningful change. We visited 14 legislative offices to educate legislators about the needs of persons with brain injury, their care partners and the general brain injury community.
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Successful Brain Safety Fair
The 2025 Brain Safety Fair at Westmoreland Mall on March 22 was a resounding success, thanks to the incredible energy and participation of all involved! Attendees enjoyed a variety of fun activities, from games and coloring to bracelet-making and brain safety learning. The event featured helmet fitters who kept busy ensuring safety, while volunteers handed out stickers for decorating helmets. Both kids and adults had a blast, especially with the popular swag bags and raffle prizes.
We sincerely thank our generous sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, and attendees for making this event such a memorable occasion. We are also deeply grateful to the Westmoreland Mall staff for their support in helping us advance our mission of education and prevention.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the survivors and caregivers who continue to inspire and contribute to the growth of our community. Your involvement played a key role in the success of this year’s Brain Safety Fair!
Sarris Candy Fundraiser
Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting a great cause! This Easter, BIAPA is once again teaming up with @sarriscandies in Pittsburgh to bring you a delightful selection of holiday treats that will fill your baskets with joy and help benefit BIAPA! When you order through BIAPA, a generous 25% of all sales will be donated to BIAPA. Visit biapa.org/candy and enter BIAPA’s Group ID: 10-0214 to start shopping!
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.
March 31: Birding In Your Backyard and Beyond April 7: Share Night
April 14: Recognizing scams through technology April 21: Gardening
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, Apriil 17 at 5 PM. This tight-knit community consists of survivors, caregivers, family 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, April 9 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 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.
.jpg)
.png)
