Western Mass Resources

Please let me know if you have information about other resources for our community of stroke survivors.

Some additional support groups for people with stroke and their care partners:

• Encompass Health Brain Injury/Stroke Support Group

  • First Thursday of each month, 2-3 pm 

  • Held in person at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, 222 State St., Ludlow MA in the cafe conference room

  • Contact Deb White-Cabral with questions or to RSVP: (413) 308-3363, deb.white@encompasshealth.com

• Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIAMA) 

  • BIAMA lists many support groups throughout Massachusetts for people with brain injuries, including stroke, on their webpage: https://biama.org/groups. Groups are offered both in person and virtually.

• cOnnecTed minds Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Support Group

  • Western New England University Occupational Therapy Department, Blake Law School Building, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield MA

  • For more information, email bear.paw.center@wne.edu

• Pioneer Valley Stroke and Aphasia Support Group

  • Group meets in person every Thursday from 10 am to 12 noon at the Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine Street, Holyoke MA

  • For more information, contact Wayne Wyckoff at pvstroke@gmail.com or call (413) 322-5625.

• UMass Amherst Never Give Up Aphasia Support Group

  • The Department of Communication Disorders hosts monthly support group meetings

  • For more information, go to https://blogs.umass.edu/APHASIA/  or contact Jacquie Kurland at jkurland@comdis.umass.edu for the days, times, location

Community-based resources - In-person and Online:

• Baystate Health resources for caregivers after stroke: https://www.baystatehealth.org/news/2021/05/tips-for-caregivers

• Bear Paw Center, Western New England University Occupational Therapy Department, hosts weekly occupational therapy sessions. For more information, contact bear.paw.center@wne.edu or call (413) 206-9501. See also wne.edu/pharmacy-and-health-sciences/departments/occupational-therapy/bear-paw-center.cfm 

• Boston University Aphasia Resource Center: https://www.bu.edu/aphasiacenter/ 

• Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIAMA): http://www.biama.org/index.html. This group provides support groups, workshops, and other resources for people with acquired brain injuries, which includes stroke. They also offer frequent workshops and educational events, both in person and online.

• CWMARS library system hosts Overdrive, which provides electronic access to books for anyone with a Western or Central Massachusetts library card: https://cwmars.overdrive.com/?fbclid=IwAR3LEsM-k-MNLaplbjUTC3O9zBpmzhATCdeiqJKfXuZUaGhPdmkLgCAweCk 

• Springfield College Stroke of Inspiration Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167965758688938

• UMass Amherst Department of Communication Disorders Never Give Up campaign webpage is at  https://blogs.umass.edu/aphasia/. In addition to resources and a support group, there are also some opportunities for people with aphasia to work with UMass students as conversation partners

• UMass Amherst Psychological Services Center provides psychotherapy and counseling services to people with anxiety, depression, general mental health problems and issues of life stress. They also conduct reduced fee psychological assessments, including neuropsychological test.  For more information, go to their webpage at https://www.umass.edu/psc/