Washington Department of Veterans Affairs

WDVA Brain Injury and Recovery Program Newsletter: Brain Injury Awareness Month Wrap Up

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs sent this bulletin at 04/07/2025 11:30 AM PDT

Brain Injury and Recovery Newsletter - April 7, 2025

Brain Injury Awareness Month in review

Your Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs - Brain Injury & Recovery Program would like to say THANK YOU for your commitment to learning, bringing awareness and all your engagement throughout March's Brain Injury Awareness month! Through your engagement and sharing we were able to reach a record-breaking number of individuals that will now have better access to tools, resources and knowledge to share within their communities and continue to create stronger, more supportive spaces for Brain Injury survivors and their families! Brain Injury Awareness Month may have ended, but the resources available in the toolkit are there to assist year-round!

Voices of Brain Injury Survivors & Families

We would like to introduce you to Isaac Peterson. Isaac is an advocate, a brain injury survivor and spokesman for Traumatic Brain Injury and stroke survivors in Washington state.

Isaac is no stranger to helping those in his community find their voice. With hundreds of articles and now two books to his name, Isaac is collaborating with WDVA - Brain injury & Recovery Program Forward2Gether Peer groups to show the empowerment behind sharing your story. Take a moment to read Isaac's article on "The Definition of Community".

Photo of Isaac Peterson, Author of the essay "Definition of community"

April is National Counseling Awareness Month

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs maintains a one-of-a-kind, state-funded counseling program designed to provide confidential counseling services to Washington State veterans and family members.

Counseling Services are available at no cost, with no visit limit to individuals, couples, families, veteran group counseling and military sexual trauma survivors.

Look up counselors in your county to connect with today!

Peer Group locations are expanding! Join us at our next group!

Your WDVA - Brain Injury & Recovery Program Forward2Gether Peer groups are growing! In addition to the Bremerton Elks Lodge location, we will now be hosting a peer group at the Elk, WA VFW Post 5924 on the 2nd Tuesday of every month! Veterans, Active Duty & Military families impacted by Brain Injury are encouraged to attend at one one of our two locations. Click here for more info!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming Resource Spotlights. For the April meeting, the Bremerton group will be welcoming UW Medicine - Department of Rehabilitation Medicine - TBI research department.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Forward2Gether Peer Group flyer containing info for Bremerton, WA & Elk, WA flyer

QR Code for Brain Injury & Recovery Program Tool-kit

Check out our TBI - Toolkit!

Scan the QR code or click HERE to check out our brand new TBI Toolkit! This is filled with resources to aid in navigating life with a Brain Injury.

Boost your Brainpower: Executive Function in Action

Webinar Recordings

Missed our 2-part Webinar series Boost your Brainpower: Executive Function in Action hosted by Michelle Wild? Interested in watching the training again? Head on over to our TBI -Toolkit into our Video Library to find the recordings.

We would like to give a big thank you to those who attended! If you are interested in additional trainings, reach out to the Brain Injury and Recovery Program today.

Youtube snapshot from Brain Injury webinar

Life feeling a little stressful? Check out our tools that help promote wellness and stress relief

Head on over to our TBI Toolkit - tools. In here you will find journal prompts, guided breathing exercises, Brain Games and puzzles, as well as Brain Apps.

When utilizing tools such as journaling, it can be a powerful tool for veterans working through the challenges of TBI. Benefits journaling can offer includes, stress relief, emotional processing, mental clarity, and self discovery to name a few.

Follow this link for our journal prompts.

Supporting Veterans with Brain Injuries

Guide for creating supportive spaces for Brain Injury

Have you ever wondered how to create a truly supportive environment for individuals affected by brain injury?

Your Brain Injury & Recovery Program offers a helpful one-page guide filled with helpful tips for addressing the unique needs of the brain injury community.

Looking for more detailed insights? Contact the Brain Injury and Recovery Program to request specialized training sessions. These sessions go deeper into understanding brain injury, providing effective strategies, and offering additional resources to help you better support and strengthen your community.

Caring for a Loved One with a Brain Injury?

As a caregiver, the most important thing to know is that you are not alone. We have a network of agencies and community services dedicated to supporting both you and your family every step of the way.

Visit I am a Caregiver | DSHS to learn more.

Visit our Brain Injury Program webpage for additional resources and connection opportunities.

Brain Injury & Recovery-TBI Program | WDVA

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

1102 Quince St. SE, PO Box 41150, Olympia, WA 98504-1150
1-800-562-2308

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