BRAVE Program

04/13/2026

👀Behind the scenes at BRAVE 👀

Last week took us:
🐴 To an Equine Therapy Farm (where we learned a TON and met some incredible horses… and Bella the cow 🐄)
🛒 On a supply run to keep our participants fed, hydrated and supported
🎮 Back to the clinic where the Peer Support Gaming Team from Veterans Path to Hope stopped by-and yes, our Program Director even jumped in to test it out!

This is the kind of work that doesn’t always get seen.

Finding new ways to support healing.
Building connections.
Creating community.

We’re excited for what’s coming next:
👉 Potential Equine Therapy
👉 Alumni Gaming Night this Fall

BRAVE is doing big things-on and off the clinic floor.

04/12/2026

Before the sirens…🚨
before the lights…🚑
before anyone arrives on scene…🚓

There’s a voice.

A 911 dispatcher answering the call.🤳

Talking someone through CPR.
Keeping a caller calm.
Managing chaos -without ever leaving their chair.

This week, we recognize National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 12–18).

Dispatchers carry a different kind of weight...the calls they hear, the moments they sit in, the outcomes they may never know.

At BRAVE, we want you to know:

You are part of the first responder community.
And your health: mental, emotional, and neurological ➡matters too.

Thank you for what you do, every single shift.

04/10/2026

👩‍⚕️We had the privilege of hosting an incredible medical student during her rotation with BRAVE and now she’s onto her next chapter.👩‍⚕️

Kamila, thank you for the professionalism, curiosity, compassion, and steady presence you brought to our team. You showed up ready to learn, asked thoughtful questions, and most importantly, treated every Veteran and First Responder with respect and dignity.💪

Clinical skill matters. But so does heart. And you brought both.🧠🫀

We’re excited to share that Kamila is headed into Internal Medicine! A field that will benefit greatly from her work ethic, insight, and commitment to patient care.

The future of medicine is bright with physicians like her stepping forward.😎

Congratulations, Kamila. We’re proud to have been part of your journey and we can’t wait to see all you accomplish.🙌👏👏👏👏

04/10/2026

🚨 Fast Facts Fri-YAY: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding 🚨

When your mind is racing…
when you feel overwhelmed…
when your system is stuck in “go mode”…

Try this:

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method.
It helps bring you back to the present moment.

👀5 -things you can see
✋4 -things you can touch
👂🏾3 things you can hear
👃2 things you can smell
👄1 thing you can taste

Simple. Practical. Effective.

This isn’t about shutting things off. ....t’s about helping your nervous system reset and reengage.

You can do this:
✔ on shift
✔ in your car
✔ at home
✔ anywhere

At BRAVE, we focus on tools like this because small resets can make a big difference over time.

If something feels off, pause. Breathe. Ground yourself.

You don’t have to stay stuck there.

04/09/2026

Guess where BRAVE is going next week?
That's right! On Monday, April 12th -We will be in attendance for one of Illinois biggest Veteran's Benefits & Resource Fairs! 🤩

Come say Hi!- Learn about how BRAVE is helping Veterans and First Responders!

We are Booth

Join us for the Illinois Veterans Benefits and Resource Fair at the University of Chicago's David Rubenstein Forum. This event connects Veterans, service members, and their families with valuable info on: VA benefits and services, health care resources, employment and education opportunities, and Local community support. This event is open to Veterans, caregivers, and families. We look forward to seeing you there. April 13, 2026, from 8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST at the University of Chicago David Rubenstein Forum 1201 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637

*No DOD ID required* *FREE Parking*

For more information and to register for this event, visit https://discover.va.gov/transition-events/event/fy26_chicago/

04/08/2026

Happy Wednesday!
Speech therapy isn’t just about speech.🧠

It’s about:
🧠memory
🧠focus
🧠processing
🧠communication

At BRAVE, our Speech-Language Pathologists help rebuild how the brain works... not just how we talk.
It’s not just speech.

It’s how your brain works day-to-day.

And when those skills improve, confidence comes back too.💪💪

04/07/2026

🎣 BRAVE Alumni Event Recap 🎣

This weekend we hosted a fly tying event with Joe Harper and his Crew. 🐟🐟
Our alumni learned a new skill, shared a meal, and spent time connecting.

Moments like these remind us that healing happens in community.

Huge thank you to Joe and his Crew for making it happen.

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

04/03/2026

🚨 Fast Facts Fri-YAY 🚨
Quick Stress Resets (Even On Shift)

No time? No problem.

Try these. It’s maintenance.

Small resets = big impact over time.

You don’t have to stay stuck in “go mode.”

04/02/2026

Back for round two! 👏
We’re excited to welcome medical student Matt back to the BRAVE Program for another rotation!
He’s already made a great impression, and we’re looking forward to another round of learning, growth, and supporting the work we do with first responders and veterans.

Glad to have you back, Matt!🧠

04/01/2026

April Showers Bring May Flowers💐- but it is also Stress Awareness Month. 🧠

Stress doesn’t always look like "stress".
Sometimes it looks like:
“I’m just tired.”
“I’m fine.”
“I just need a day off.”

But it shows up in the body as headaches, tension, poor sleep, fatigue, digestion issues.
And over time, it adds up.

At BRAVE, we see this every day.
Because stress, trauma, and even underlying brain injury can all look similar and often overlap.
If something feels off, it’s worth paying attention to.
You don’t have to carry it alone.

Learn more about BRAVE. Reach out. Send us a message. Call us 414-955-1040

04/01/2026

…April Fools 😏

We know the reality looks a little different.

If something feels off - it matters.

And we’re here when you’re ready.

03/31/2026

As we close out🧠 Brain Injury🧠 Awareness Month-
Here’s the stark reality:

First Responders and Veterans are exposed to:
💥high-impact events
💥 repeated jarring exposures
💥physical strain
💥 operational stress
💥 cumulative trauma

And these exposures increase the likelihood of both:
➡ PTSD
➡ mTBI (even if you “didn’t black out”)

Both conditions can exist at the same time and when they do, symptoms often become more intense and more complicated. This is why underdiagnosis happens and why so many people never get the care they deserve.

At BRAVE, we specialize in identifying and treating co-occurring mTBI and trauma , Not just one or the other.

Because healing the brain changes outcomes.

🧠Yes, you can heal.
💪Yes, there is a path forward.
🧠Yes, there is support.

As we wrap up this month let this be the moment someone finally asks the question➡
"What if this isn’t just “stress”?