Welcome to ProjectTBI.org: Amplifying Survivor Voices & Building Community Power

May 28

Here’s a first blog post for ProjectTBI.org that grounds your mission in compelling research, real-world narratives, and the power of peer support:

🌟 Welcome to ProjectTBI.org: Amplifying Survivor Voices & Building Community Power

At ProjectTBI.org, our mission springs from one powerful truth: no one understands a traumatic brain injury (TBI) like someone who’s lived it. We’re survivors, advocates, family members, peer mentors, and allies coming together to reshape what recovery, care, and justice look like after brain injury.

Why TBI Needs More Voice & Visibility

Nearly one in five U.S. adults (18.2%) report having had a TBI at some point—making it a major public health issue (Karger).
Even so-called “mild” TBIs carry long-term risks: survivors face a 106% increase in disability pensions and 92% higher psychiatric hospitalizations if injury was moderate-to-severe (PLOS).
Traditional care systems are too often fragmented or inaccessible after the hospital doors close (NCBI).

The Transformative Power of Peer Support

Systematic reviews show TBI peer support significantly boosts coping, social connectedness, behavioral control, and physical quality of life—benefiting both survivors and caregivers (headway.org.uk).
Other studies link peer interventions to improved quality of life and enhanced community integration in adults with acquired brain injury (BioMed Central).
Peer-led support also empowers caregivers—lowering stress and depressive distress (ScienceDirect).
Theories of peer support rest on shared lived experience, trustworthy relationships, mutual learning, and the profound healing potential in supporting others (Wikipedia).

What ProjectTBI.org Does Differently

Survivor-Centered Storytelling
We capture authentic voices through interviews and real-world profiles—highlighting raw challenges, unexpected triumphs, and daily resilience.
Peer-Led Community Networks
Survivors mentor survivors. We host peer circles, workshops, and informal gatherings—facilitating deeper connection and shared growth.
Beyond Clinical Models
We build non-medical communities anchored in solidarity—not institutions.
Centering the Multiply Marginalized
From mTBI, Stroke, COMA, Veterans, abuse victims, we prioritize those most overlooked in traditional systems.
Resource & Political Education Hubs
We distribute accessible resources: legal guides, housing directories, systems training, and crisis navigation tools.

What to Look Forward To

Survivor Spotlight Series – Candid interviews where people share how they navigated the chaos, shifted identity, and found community after TBI.
Peer Talks & Roundtables – Sharing strategies that work—peer mentoring models, community integration wins, and DIY care practices.
Resource Launches – Healing toolkits, access guides, advocacy pathways, and more to fuel survivor-led action.

Our Vision

We envision a future where:

Peer-led pathways, not institutional mandates, guided reselience, not recovery.
Survivor voices shape public policy.
Diversity and equity aren’t box-checks—they’re foundations.

Join us: If you've experienced TBI, support someone who has, or simply believe in community-driven healing, welcome. Keep an eye out—our Survivors’ Spotlights series drops soon, and we're gathering peer circles to launch this fall.

Your story matters. Your voice heals. Together, we build care on our terms.

— The ProjectTBI.org TeamIt all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Tony FAlsone