Call Our Helpline
Helpline: 1-800-669-4323
Email: info@bianj.org
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Se Habla Espanol
The Helpline operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When you call, you will speak to a trained Community Resource Specialist who can provide support, resources and information on brain injury, as well as BIANJ programs. Everything discussed is confidential.
The Helpline is not intended to replace professional and/or medical advice.
CARES Programs
The BIANJ CARES (Connections, Assistance, Resources, Education and Support) Program supports individuals and families impacted by brain injury through care management. This program focuses on assessing current needs and developing a plan to help individuals achieve greatest potential and improve quality of life.
BIANJ CARES team members can assist with: socialization, vocational rehabilitation and support, medical and rehabilitative services, emotional support, independence, quality of life.
To be eligible, applicants must live in New Jersey, have a diagnosis of brain injury, and demonstrate a need for care management services.
BIANJ CARES is currently accepting referrals. If you are interested in learning more or recommending someone to the program, please call 1-800-669-4323 or email BIANJ at info@bianj.org.
CARES for KIDS is a free care management program for families who have a child with a brain injury under the age of 21.
We help you form connections to resources; attendance at school meetings to ensure success; referrals to recreational programs, social services agencies and medical providers; education via home visits, community outreach, and more
To be eligible for CARES for KIDS, the family must live in New Jersey and be eligible for services through the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. The CARES for KIDS program is funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.
CARES for KIDS is currently accepting referrals. If you are interested in learning more or recommending someone to the program, please call 1-800-669-4323 or email BIANJ at info@bianj.org.
BIANJ Support & Other Groups
Brain injury support groups allow people with brain injuries and their family members to meet others in similar situations. They gain valuable emotional support, form friendships, obtain information, and discuss a variety of brain injury topics. Our support groups are located in 14 counties & statewide virtually. The Alliance monitors the activities of these groups, the qualifications of their leaders, and provides information regularly.
Please contact the support group leaders listed or the BIANJ office at 732-745-0200 to confirm the status of the group before attending. Thank you for your understanding and know that our staff is here to support you at any time.
BIANJ Groups
Meetings are held:
Every other Wednesday at 11:00AM
The fourth Monday of each month at 6:30PM
Meetings are held:
The first Wednesday of each month at 11:00AM:
The second Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM:
BIANJ invites you to attend a caregiver group developed for parents who are caring for a child who has a severe brain injury and requires complete care. This group will focus on providing support along with education and resources on brain injury.
The group is led by support staff from BIANJ and a medical fellow from Hackensack Meridian Health Care, and meets the third Tuesday of each month via Zoom. For more information or to join, contact Debra Crossman at dcrossman@bianj.org.
Atlantic Group at Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation
61 W. Jimmie Leeds Road, Pomona, NJ 08240-0723
Contact: Nutan Ravani, 856-589-5797
Meeting information will be posted when dates are announced.
Passaic/Bergen Group at Rehabilitation Specialists
18-01 Pollitt Drive, Suite 1A, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Contacts: Jennifer Victoria Proano, 201-478-4200, ext. 31
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM
Meetings are being held in a hybrid format, alternating in-person and virtual meeting. Please contact the support group leader for the location of the upcoming meeting.
Bergen County Young Adult Group at Kessler – Saddlebrook
For individuals ages 18-30 years old who have experienced a traumatic or acquired brain injury
1st Floor Outpatient CRP Group Room
300 Market Street, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
Contact: Janelle Biamonte, (201) 368-6181
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM
All meetings are being conducted virtually via Zoom.
Burlington/Camden Group at Kessler Institute
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton Campus
92 Brick Road
Marlton, NJ 08052
Contact: Liz Louie, 856-988-8778, ext. 2033
Meeting information will be posted here when dates are announced.
Burlington/Camden Group at Bancroft NeuroRehab
Resnick Center, 3900 Church Rd., Mt. Laurel, 08054
Contact: Cheryl Rubba, bianj.sj.supgrp@gmail.com
Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month
Meetings are being held in person with the option to participate virtually through google meet. Please contact Cheryl Rubba @ Cheryl.rubba@bancroft.org for more information.
Burlington/Camden Group at Kessler Institute
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton Campus
92 Brick Road
Marlton, NJ 08052
Contact: Liz Louie, 856-988-8778, ext. 2033
Meeting information will be posted here when dates are announced.
Burlington/Camden Group at Bancroft NeuroRehab
Resnick Center, 3900 Church Rd., Mt. Laurel, 08054
Contact: Cheryl Rubba, bianj.sj.supgrp@gmail.com
Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month
All meetings are being conducted virtually via Google Meet.
Cumberland Group at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland
1237 West Sherman Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
Contact: Allison Frederick, Senior SLP, 856-896-2030, allison.frederick@encompasshealth.com
Meeting on the 1st Tuesday of each month, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.
Essex Group at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
Contact: Ashley Solow essexbigroup@gmail.com
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM
This is a hybrid group that alternates between in-person meetings and Zoom meetings.
Hudson County Survivor Support Group
Contact: Grace Suttle, grace.suttle.94@gmail.com
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM EST. Meetings are being held virtually.
Please contact Grace Suttle at grace.suttle.94@gmail.com for more information and to register.
Mercer Group at St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital
2381 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Contact: Leslie Urso, lurso@slrc.org
Meeting information will be posted when dates become available.
Adolescent & Parent Support Groups at Children’s Specialized Hospital, New Brunswick
BIANJ is seeking a brain injury professional to facilitate this group as a volunteer leader. Inquiries may be directed to the Support Group Coordinator at 732-745-0200.
Middlesex Group at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Center for Head Injuries
Hartwyck at Oak Tree, 2048 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ
Contact: Paxton Siegel, MSW, LSW, 732-906-2640, ext. 42656
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:00PM
All meetings are being conducted virtually via Zoom.
Monmouth Group at Dorbrook Park Recreation Area
353 County Route 537
Colts Neck, NJ 07722
Contact: Mackenzie Breitowich – Mackenzie.Breitowich@hmhn.org
Gabby VanMater – Gabrielle.Vanmater@encompasshealth.com
732-460-5389
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM
Follow signs for “Activity Center” towards, taking the first left after entering the park. The Activity Center is at the end of that road.
Morris Group at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation at Chester Campus
201 Pleasant Hill Road, Chester, NJ 07930
Contact: Nick Hendry and Victoria Caruso, CTRS, 973-252-6322
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6 pm.
Ocean Group at Bancroft NeuroRehab
Bancroft Neurorehab
1433 Hooper Avenue, Suite 131
Toms River, NJ 08753
Contact: Katie Laffan at kathleen.laffan@bancroft.org
Meetings being held the last Thursday of each month from 7pm-8pm. These meetings are in person at this time and masks are mandatory.
To join, contact kathleen.laffan@bancroft.org.
Passaic/Bergen Group at Rehabilitation Specialists
18-01 Pollitt Drive, Suite 1A, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Contacts: Contact: Jennifer Victoria-Proano by phone at (201) 478-4200, ext. 31
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM
Wednesday, July 12 Meeting has been postponed to July 26
All meetings are being conducted virtually via Zoom.
Somerset Group
792 Chimney Rock Road, Suite C
Martinesville, NJ 08836
Contact: Lynette McKeon, 908-393-1533
Meeting information will be posted when dates are announced.
BIANJ is actively seeking brain injury professionals interested in volunteering to facilitate monthly support group meetings in the following counties: Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Salem and Sussex. Inquiries may be directed to the Support Group Coordinator at 732-745-0200.
Let’s Get Social!
BIANJ social groups help individuals who have been affected by brain injury connect with others in an informal setting, to discuss shared interests and experiences. Unlike typical support groups, topics tend to focus on hobbies and leisure activities. BIANJ understands that social connection is an important factor in optimizing quality of life for individuals with brain injury and offers the Happy Hour Group, Brain Book Club, and Artful Minds Club to provide an opportunity for such connection.
A social group to share hobbies, interests and lighthearted conversation. Meets the 2nd Friday of each month at 4:00PM EST.
A music, movies, and TV discussion group. Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 4pm.
A books and podcasts discussion group. Meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 11:00AM EST.
For information about the current reading/topic, please contact Stacy Lyons at slyons@bianj.org
CAMP TREK (Together in Recreation, Exploration and Knowledge) is the Alliance’s week-long residential camp program. It provides a valuable experience for individuals with brain injury, offering socialization, recreation and fun. The week also affords a week of respite for caregivers, who often give 24-hour care the remainder of the year.
To be eligible, applicants must have a brain injury, be 18 years or older, and reside in New Jersey.
For questions about Camp TREK, contact us at 732-745-0200, or info@bianj.org.
The Adopt A Family Gift Drive is a program that supports families affected by brain injury who otherwise would have difficulty celebrating the holiday season.
Donors from all over the United States have supported the Adopt A Family program. Over 11 years, over 350 families have been adopted. In addition to holiday gifts for children and teens, the program provides gift cards to grocery stores, department stores, and medical supply stores to ensure that no family has to go without essentials.
To donate or adopt a family for the 2022 holiday season, contact us.
Support Coordination
To apply for DDD services, complete the Application for Determination of Eligibility.
To select BIANJ as your Support Coordination agency, please complete the Agency Selection Form.
Contact BIANJ Support Coordination Now! bianjsc@bianj.org
BIANJ is an approved Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) /Medicaid-approved Support Coordination agency. Support Coordinators provide care management services to adults 21 + who are eligible for DDD services. Individuals and their families are assisted in identifying services and developing individualized plans based on a person’s needs.
The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey’s Support Coordination team is a collaborative group of professionals with varied backgrounds, work, and life experiences that enrich the collective knowledge base. The team will monitor services and supports, conduct regular visits to ensure that the plan is on track, and assist by staying connected to family members, caregivers, and communities.
BIANJ’s Support Coordination Services are currently being provided in Morris, Essex, Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, and Monmouth Counties.
To be determined eligible for DDD services, an individual must:
- Be a New Jersey resident
- Be Medicaid eligible
- Meet the functional criteria of having a developmental disability, and must document that s/he has a chronic physical and/or intellectual impairment that
- Manifested in the developmental years, before age 22;
- Is lifelong; and
- Substantially limits the individual in at least three of the following life activities:
- self-care; learning; mobility; communication; self-direction; economic self-sufficiency; and the ability to live independently.
“The Brain Injury Alliance of NJ has been nothing short of a godsend to my family. Their expertise, compassion, and advocacy have enabled my son to have a better life. Amber, my support coordinator, is attentive, empathetic, knowledgeable, and is always willing to listen. BIANJ gives me the opportunity to enjoy my son and my grandchildren. I am truly grateful.”