Brain Injury Association of Arizona

06/08/2026

💙 REMINDER for our support group this week! 🤝

🖱️ Register online at https://biaaz.org/survivors-and-family/ (scroll to middle of the page)

❓📞 For more information or assistance registering, reach out to [email protected], call our Helpline at 888-500-9165 or text 520-310-3301

🙌🏾 Please consider supporting BIAAZ with a donation so that we can continue to offer vital resources and information like these support groups to the brain injury community. https://biaaz.org/donation/

06/04/2026

Funded by Run, Walk, & Roll, we still have FOUR Think Tall classes left in June before the semester ends. Survivors of brain injury are invited to sign up and get the scoop on preventing falls after brain injury at this weekly movement class.

Registration and information: https://biaaz.org/think-tall-dont-fall-series/

Falls are a common and clinically important risk after brain injury. It is said that repeated falls can cause additional brain injury, and TBI can increase vulnerability to alcohol or drug misuse, especially when combined with pain, sleep problems, depression/anxiety, impulsivity, reduced judgment, social disruption, or exposure to opioids/benzodiazepines. Alcohol or drug use after TBI is particularly risky because it can worsen cognition and mood, interfere with recovery, interact dangerously with medications, and raise the chance of another injury.

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

Brain injury, homelessness, and extreme heat are deeply interconnected public health challenges—especially here in Arizona.

A 2020 systematic review found that over 53% of individuals experiencing homelessness have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This matters because brain injury can affect memory, decision-making, physical regulation, and access to care—making it significantly harder to maintain stable housing or respond to environmental risks.

In Maricopa County, where summer temperatures routinely exceed 110°F and heat-related deaths remain a serious concern, the stakes are even higher. Without consistent access to cooling, shelter, hydration, transportation, or healthcare, prolonged heat exposure can quickly become dangerous or fatal.

For brain injury survivors, symptoms such as impaired temperature regulation, cognitive fatigue, or reduced awareness of physical distress can further increase risk during extreme heat events.

At BIAAZ, we recognize that brain injury impacts every part of life—not just medical recovery, but housing stability, employment, and overall well-being.

This is why coordinated community support is essential.

👉 Read the full blog here: https://biaaz.org/brain-waves/arizonas-triple-threat/

Support is available if you or someone you know is experiencing housing instability or needs brain injury resources:

Visit BIAAZ.org
Call (888) 500-9165
Email [email protected]

Together, we can help connect people to the resources that save lives.

06/01/2026

Welcome, June! ☀️

The Brain Injury Association of Arizona is excited to step into a new month filled with meaningful events, community connections, and opportunities to support individuals and families impacted by brain injury.

We wish everyone a safe, joyous, and uplifting month ahead. And with Arizona temperatures heating up, remember to stay hydrated, take breaks from the sun, and look out for one another.

Here’s to a great June! 💙

Calendar of Event https://biaaz.org/biaaz-events/

Virtual Brain Basics Class with Janice https://biaaz.org/brain-injury-basics-self-care-after-injury/

Nine Virtual and In-Person Support Groups https://biaaz.org/survivors-and-family/

Survivor-Only Think Tall Virtual Classes https://biaaz.org/think-tall-dont-fall-series/

Phoenix In-Person Mindful Connections https://biaaz.org/event/mindful-connections-self-care-after-injury/

East Valley Movie Club: Power Ballad https://biaaz.org/event/lets-go-to-the-movies-power-ballad/

Tucson Survivors Lunch with Cerebrations, LLC https://biaaz.org/event/tucson-brain-injury-survivors-social-lunch/

Game Night with Will https://biaaz.org/monthly-game-night-for-2026/

AI Skills for Everyday Life https://biaaz.org/ai-skills-for-everyday-life/

05/31/2026

At the Brain Injury Association of Arizona, we make over 950 referrals every month. One of the community providers that we refer to is Cerebrations, LLC.

How your brain is wired, or rewired after trauma, injury, or life transitions, affects the way you think, feel, and respond. You have everything you need to thrive instead of survive. Cerebrations empowers you to tap into that potential and make it a reality.

Website: https://cerebrations.org/

Thinking is an art, as individualized as you, your experiences, your beauty, and your strengths. At Cerebrations, we understand the importance of each individual’s unique brain, life, and story and how to tap into that power to create a life that cuts through the noise in your brain, calms the mental chaos, and creates meaningful connections with your family and friends., and story and how to tap into that power to create a life that cuts through the noise in your brain, calms the mental chaos.

“You have everything you need to thrive instead of survive. Cerebra...

05/30/2026

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

At the Brain Injury Association of Arizona, we recognize the strength, courage, and resilience of brain tumor survivors and the caregivers who walk alongside them.

A brain tumor diagnosis can change life in many ways — physically, emotionally, cognitively, and financially. No survivor or caregiver should have to navigate that journey alone.

We are here to provide support, connection, resources, education, and services for survivors and their families across Arizona. Whether someone is newly diagnosed, in treatment, recovering, or adjusting to life after a brain tumor, our community is here to help.

This month, we honor survivors, uplift caregivers, remember those we have lost, and raise awareness about the ongoing impact of brain tumors.

05/29/2026

For many patients, surviving the ICU is not the end of the story — it’s the beginning of a new and often difficult reality.

A recent article from KJZZ highlights post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), a condition that can leave ICU survivors struggling with memory problems, trauma, depression, fatigue, cognitive changes, and even basic daily tasks long after discharge.

What stood out most to us is the growing recognition that caregivers are part of recovery, too.

Caregivers are often the people spending the most time with survivors after discharge. They see the exhaustion, confusion, emotional changes, sleep disruption, and challenges that may not be visible to others. Recovery impacts the whole family.

BIAAZ has long believed in being honest about the realities of brain injury, neurological trauma, and caregiving — not because recovery is hopeless, but because support starts with truth.

We are encouraged to see more ICU recovery programs and rehabilitation clinics building caregiver education and support directly into their care models. Caregivers deserve resources, validation, and community, too.

Read the full article here:
https://www.kjzz.org/2026-05-28/medical-commentary-for-many-patients-surviving-the-icu-is-a-new-kind-of-beginning

If you or someone you love is struggling after an ICU stay, BIAAZ is here to help.

🌐 [www.biaaz.org](http://www.biaaz.org)
📧 [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
📞 Help Line: (888) 500-9165