What would you look for in a support group?
 

A new TBI/PCS group started in my area last year, and we're still defining our goals. If you're part of a group, I'd love to hear what you do as well as things you've tried that maybe didn't work as well.

So far it's mostly been 4-6 of the same people, and we use the time at our monthly meetings to vent, ask questions, and share info in a very informal setting. It's been useful and wonderful to spend time with people who "get it" but we've had some new members recently and are starting to think about trying to do more.

Ideas include:
*Possibly a website if anyone is willing/able to create/maintain it
*A list of local resources - Drs who know what they're talking about, things you may not know about insurance/rights, good lawyers, etc
*A "fact sheet" on what to do when you've hit your head or had a whiplash, etc. (I've seen a couple we could work from, but not many include the whiplash danger, or they are too specific to one activity such as football or soccer)
*Social activities - tricky given the variations of injuries, but a nice change of pace for many
*Or we may decide that we just want to have that time to vent/share/be with people who understand
*We have some younger members who made poor choices that resulted in their TBIs, and they're interested in sharing their stories with other young people

Also, we've had more caregivers come recently. I think it's good to have some combined meetings because both sides can gain valuable insights, but I've noticed that some of the caregivers tend to want to take over, so I think some separate meetings might be valuable as well. Any thoughts or suggestions??

Thanks!
Diane

My TBI Support group is great. A strong part is that after a group presentation, the group divides between injured and caregivers. Caregivers need the support of other caregivers as much as we need it, maybe even more. They get a chance to talk with others who understand our behaviors and struggles.

We have a FaceBook page but it is by invitation only to post comments. We are trying to use it for announcements but the monthly mailings and reminders of meetings were better.

We have between 10 and 20 injured and usually more caregivers. We lost our funding this past year so we have to be tighter with the spending. We have three socials a year. A Christmas dinner, bowling party before summer break and barbeque for the fall restart.

I suggest not getting overly complex until you have a good core group.

Thanks, Mark. What kind of presentations do you have? Do you have guest speakers, or members sharing their stories, or something else?

Diane