Synapse at the University of Washington is a student-led traumatic brain injury support group. They host peer support groups for individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), in addition to social events and social skills workshops. Their student members are an integral part of the organization, mostly participating through the Buddy Program which pairs them to an individual with a TBI. Buddy pairings are meant to foster a close friendship that helps reduce the barriers of social isolation often faced long-term post-injury for people with TBIs, and gives students interested in careers in healthcare an opportunity to work closely with this under-served community and invaluable experience interacting with this vulnerable population outside of a clinical setting. Buddy pairs commit to personal meetups ideally around twice a month, getting to know each other through casual social activities in addition to Synapse-organized events.
Apply to the Buddy Program here: https://goo.gl/forms/aEOfRPSedr7iAWzq2
If you have any questions, please each out to them at brainuw@uw.edu or contact Grace Wang, the director of the Buddy Program at gracenw@uw.edu.
