Brain injury support groups exist to allow persons with brain injuries and their family members to meet others who are in similar situations, gain valuable emotional support from one another, form friendships, obtain information and resources, and hear speakers discuss a variety of brain injury topics. They are an opportunity for both persons with brain injury and their family members to discuss the difficulties and hardships they are facing, as well as the accomplishments and joys in their lives.
There are 14 Association-affiliated support groups in New Jersey, serving 17 counties. The Association monitors the activities of these groups, the qualifications of their leaders, and provides them with information and resources on a regular basis.
Support group information is subject to change. Please call the support group contact before you attend a meeting for the first time, or if you have not attended recently.
Affiliated Support Groups
Listed alphabetically by county
Atlantic/Cape May Group
at Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation
61 W. Jimmie Leeds Road, Pomona, NJ 08240-0723
Contact: Nutan Ravani, 856-589-5797
Meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7pm
Burlington/Camden Group
at Bancroft NeuroHealth
201 South Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
Contact: Katie Kelly, 856-616-6437 or Kristin Lukianovich, 856-616-6433
Meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 7pm
Burlington/Camden Group
at Marlton Rehabilitation Hospital
92 Brick Road, Marlton, NJ 08053
Contact: Nutan Ravani, 856 988-8778
Meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 7pm
Mild/Moderate TBI Support Group
Cape May/Victoria Commons Group
610 Townbank Road, North Cape May, NJ 08204
Contact: Alecia Reeves, 609 886-6200 ext. 367
Meets the second Monday of each month from 6-8 pm
Cumberland Group
at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland
1237 West Sherman Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
Contact: Eurgenio Rocksmith M.D. 856-696-7100
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7pm
Essex Group
at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
Contact: Betty Collins, 973-731-3600
Meets the second and last Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm
Gloucester Group
at Moss Rehab/Drucker Brain Injury Center
135 South Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096
Contact: Dayna Scott, 856-853-9900, ext. 102
Meets the 4th Monday of each month at 6:30pm
Hunterdon/Somerset Group
at The Meadows at Oldwick
159 Oldwick Road, Oldwick, NJ 08858
Contact: Kathy Loder-Murphy 732-932-6725
Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:30-8 p.m.
Mercer Group
at St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital
Conference Room 117,
2381 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Contact: David Searles, 609-896-9500, ext. 2303
Meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm
Middlesex Group
at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Center for Head Injuries
Hartwyck at Oak Tree, 2048 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ
Contact: Kathleen Worthington 732-906-2640 ext. 42202
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm
Monmouth Group
at Dorbrook Park Recreation Area
Route 537, Colts Neck, NJ
Contact: BIANJ Office, 732-745-0200
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7pm
Morris Group
at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation at Chester Campus
Pleasant Hill Road, Chester, NJ 07930
Contact: Rachel Jacobowitz, 973-252-6300 ext. 220
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6pm
Ocean Group
at Community Medical Center
99 Highway 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755
Contact: Vicky Hardy, 732-557-8000, ext. 10226 & Pam Lightfoot, ext. 11547
Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm
Passaic/Bergen Group
at Rehabilitation Specialists
18-01 Pollitt Drive, Suite 1A, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Family Contact: Dawn Scala 201-478-4200 ext. 19 & Jennifer Victoria Proano, ext. 31
Voices That Count (Survivors) Contact: Carly Schoener at 201-478-4200, ext. 26
Both groups meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm
Salem Group
at Memorial Hospital of Salem County
310 Woodstown Road, Salem. Conference Room, 4th Floor
Communication and Education Center
Contact: Diane Lynn Robbins at 609-202-9902
Meets the Second Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m.
Sussex Group
at Redeemer Lutheran Church
37 Newton Sparta Road, Newton, NJ 07860
Contact: Vince D'Orio, 732 627-9890 ext. 220
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of month at 8pm (March – Nov.); 7-8pm: Business Meeting; 8-9pm: Support Group Meeting
Warren/Hunterdon Group at ABIS
1 Shimer Blvd., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
Contact: Randy Fusaro, 800-962-4429 or 908-454-0006
Meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7pm
Unaffiliated Support Groups
Bergen County
Englewood Hospital
350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ 07631 – Berrie Education Room
Contact: Jane & Joe Concato, 201-666-2015
Meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm
Camden County
Katz Jewish Community Center
Stroke Support Group
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Contact: Sharon Singer, 856-424-4444, ext. 228
Meets every Monday morning from 10:30-11:30 am. Attendees must be a member of the Katz Jewish Community Center, but scholarships are available and members can be of any faith.
Essex County
Opportunity Project
60 East Willow Street, Millburn, NJ 07041 (Essex County)
Contact: Bob Marlin, 973-887-0818
Meetings are held one evening a month, from 6:30-8:30 pm. The date of the meeting varies from month to month; please call the contact for specific meeting dates.
NOTE: This is a young men’s brain injury support group, ages ranging from 19-49.
Gloucester County - Southern NJ
Apostles’ Lutheran Church
4401 Black Horse Pike (Route 42) Turnersville, NJ 08012
Contact: Theresa May, 856-629-8487
Directions (church office) 856-629-4228 or call Theresa at above number.
Meetings: Every Wednesday night
NOTE: This is a “clubhouse” model group for recreation/networking.
Hunterdon County
Hunterdon Medical Center
2100 Wescott Drive (Hunterdon County)
Contact: Gwen Bartlett-Palmer, 908-391-5503
Meets the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7 pm
Mercer County
Capital Health System - Stroke Support Group
Mercer Campus, 446 Bellevue Avenue, Conference Room A, Trenton, NJ (Mercer County)
Contact: LouAnn McGinty, RN, MSN Neuroscience Nurse Coordinator (609) 394-6000 or Reverend Berlinda Love, Coordinator (609) 882-1378 for information or to register.
Meet the second Saturday of every month at 10 am
NOTE: These meetings are for stroke patients, caretaker/family member involved in their care.
Middlesex County
Central NJ Brain Tumor Support & Resource Center
St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, 300 Clinton Ave., North Plainfield, NJ 07060 website: njbt.org
Contact: Patty Anthony, 732-321-7000, ext. 68998 or Virginia/Stan Shrodo, 908-685-0917
Meets the first Thursday of every month from 7-8:30 pm
Middlesex County
Brain Aneurysm and AVM Support Group
NJ Neuroscience Institute, Conference Room, 65 James Street, Edison, NJ 08818
Contact: Nancy DePinto, 732 321-7000, extension 68973
Meets the last Wednesday of the month at 7 pm
Middlesex County
The NJ Chapter Support Group for Benign Brain Tumor Survivors
Contact: Beth Rosenthal, 732-767-0019 or 732-371-5338.
Meets the 2nd Monday of every month at 7:30 pm at Panera Bread, 1551 Rt. 1, Edison
Monmouth and Ocean County Brain Tumor Support Group
Wall Township Branch of Monmouth County Library
2700 Allaire Road, Wall, NJ
Contact: Ilene and David Lewis, 732-615-9220
Meets the first Saturday of the month 3-4:45, except in summer. During summer, (July and August), meets second Thursday of month, 7-8:30 pm.
Union County
Stroke Club at RW Johnson University Hospital Rahway
865 Stone Street, Rahway, NJ 07065
Contact: Rehabilitation Department, 732-499-6012
Meets the 2nd Thursday of each month from 12:30 to 2 pm. Registration required.
Out of State Support Groups
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa 19104-4399
Support Group for Parents & Caregivers of Children with Brain Injury
Contact: Maureen Sullivan, MSW, 215-590-7645
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please call to RSVP.
Support Group for Teens & Young Adults with Brain Injury (Ages 13-21)
Contact: Dr. Gayle Chesley, 267-426-7388
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please call to RSVP.
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital
Support group for individuals with TBI/ABI and family members.
1513 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Contact: Dr. Emily Askin, Ph.D., 215-587-3411 or Jennifer Salomon, 215-587-3411
Meets the 4th Monday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm., 4th floor family lounge.