BRAVE Program

03/16/2026

💥🧠 Brain Injury Awareness Month Fact:
mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) is one of the most commonly missed injuries in trauma-exposed populations.

💥Because mTBI doesn’t always show up on scans.
💥Because loss of consciousness isn’t required to count.
💥Because fire service, law enforcement, EMS, and combat culture normalize “shake it off and keep going.”

But repeated jolts and impacts, even ones you didn’t think were serious can change how the brain functions.

✔ Many TBIs are never reported
✔ Symptoms are written off as “stress”

And when PTSD and mTBI overlap, symptoms don’t just add up....... they compound.

Importantly: This is not weakness. It’s neurobiology.

📊 Veterans and first responders carry some of the highest cumulative exposure to both trauma and impact injuries.

Which means the risk is not theoretical. ➡ It’s real.

At BRAVE, we get it. We specialize in evaluating and treating the full picture. Not just pieces of it.

03/13/2026

🧠 Fast Facts Friday🧠

You can’t out-discipline a brain injury.
You can’t mindset your way through untreated mTBI.
And you can’t fully heal PTSD if the neurological injury underneath it isn’t addressed.

When mTBI and PTSD overlap, symptoms compound:
• Irritability
• Sleep disruption
• Memory & focus issues
• Emotional reactivity
• Hypervigilance
• Fatigue

🔔A “bell rung.”
💥Blast exposure.
👊A hit you never got checked.

Even years later it can still matter.

If the brain injury isn’t treated, trauma therapy alone may not be enough.

At BRAVE, we address both. Because healing requires both.

If you’re a Veteran or First Responder and something still feels “off,” it’s worth a conversation.

03/11/2026

🧠 March is Brain Injury Awareness Month🧠

In the U.S., millions of people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. A traumatic brain injury leads to an ED visit roughly every 10–15 seconds.

But for veterans and first responders the risk isn’t just a statistic.

Studies show that 15–20% of post-9/11 veterans have experienced a TBI, and many more have likely had unrecognized injuries from blast exposure, impacts, or training trauma.

And first responders face repeated occupational exposures that increase both trauma and risk. Not just from a single event, but from years of hits, jolts, crashes, and high-stress impacts.

For those who serve and protect:
✔ Your brain absorbs what the job exposes.
✔ You don’t have to black out for it to count.
✔ Symptoms don’t always show up immediately.

❎ Short fuse.
❎Poor sleep/ Nightmares.
❎Brain fog.
❎Anxiety
❎Feeling Depressed
❎Headaches.
❎Emotional numbing.
❎Fatigue
❎“Not feeling like yourself.”

▶️ Those are real.
And they may be signs of undiagnosed TBI. Especially when paired with trauma exposure.

This Brain Injury Awareness Month, let’s normalize the conversation, support early identification, and make sure all who serve- veterans, first responders, and their families have access to the care they deserve.

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

03/09/2026

Green Bay ---We Are Coming Your Way.

BRAVE will be at the Wisconsin State Firefighters Association (WSFA) Conference
📍 KI Center | March 12–14
📌 Booth #10
If you’re attending, stop by and say hi.

We’ll be talking all things BRAVE - brain health, “getting your bell rung,” mTBI, trauma overlap, and why early identification matters in the fire service.

🚒Firefighters take hits.
🚒Hard falls.
🚒MVCs.
🚒Training injuries.
🚒Years of cumulative impact.

You don’t have to black out for it to count.

If something feels off - sleep, focus, fuse length - let’s talk.

We’re proud to support Wisconsin’s Fire Service and grateful for the work you do every single day.

➡➡Come find us at Booth 10.

03/05/2026

What a GREAT few days at the WI DOJ Peer Support Conference at the Kalahari!

We had the absolute best time networking, meeting community partners, learning, and connecting with people who are doing the hard work of standing up Peer Support programs in their departments or strengthening the ones they already have.💪

Law Enforcement.
Fire.
EMS.
Corrections.
911 Dispatch.

Huge shout out to Stacy Lenz and her conference crew for running and growing this outstanding conference.

If your agency is thinking about launching a Peer Support team, or trying to figure out how to do it better this is the conference to be at.

BRAVE believes in what you’re building. We want to be a trusted, vetted referral when your peer team needs more than just a conversation. Early identification matters. Having somewhere solid to refer someone is what really matters.

➡Peer Support protects careers.
➡It protects families.
➡It protects lives.

If we connected this week -THANK YOU.
If we didn’t - let’s change that.

03/02/2026

Over the past two weeks, we had the privilege of hosting Matt, a Navy veteran and third-year medical student, for a rotation with BRAVE.

Matt brought curiosity, thoughtfulness, and a genuine respect for the veterans and first responders we serve. His lived experience as a Navy vet added depth to the conversations and care happening in our space.

It’s always encouraging to see future physicians who not only understand the science of brain health and trauma, but also appreciate the human side of it.

Matt, we wish you the very best as you move on to your next adventure in medical school. Keep asking questions. Keep listening deeply. Keep leading with integrity.

You’ll always have a place to visit here at BRAVE.

Fair winds and following seas. ⚓

02/27/2026

📣Where is BRAVE going now? In just a few days, we’ll be heading to the 4th Annual Wisconsin DOJ Peer Support & Wellness Conference March 2–4, 2026 at the Kalahari Resort!

This event, hosted by the WI DOJ, brings together first responders, peer support teams, wellness leaders, and service providers from law enforcement, fire, EMS, 911 dispatch, and civilian support staff to connect, learn, and strengthen the support systems that protect those who protect us.👮👩‍🚒📞🚑🚓🚒

🧠Why does this matter:🧠
First responders are facing a mental health crisis. Decades of research show elevated rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and su***de in our communities. Rates that far exceed the general population. The stressors of repeated traumatic exposure, long shifts, and cultural stigma around help-seeking contribute to very real wounds that aren’t always visible.

That’s why BRAVE is honored to be there. Ready to connect, support, learn, and contribute solutions that help first responders and veterans navigate trauma, brain injury, burnout, and the mental health challenges that too often go unspoken.

If you’re attending: Come say hello.
If you’re not- follow along with us for updates, insights, and resources shared from the conference floor.

Together, we can shift the culture from surviving to thriving. 💪➡💪

👉 Register / Learn more about the conference here: https://wisdoj.cventevents.com/event/2026peersupport/summary

02/27/2026

Yesterday marked Day 1 of the MCW Neurotrauma Symposium, and BRAVE was proud to be part of this powerful gathering of minds focused on advancing care, research, and understanding of neurotrauma. 🧠

This event, hosted by the Medical College of Wisconsin, brings together experts, clinicians, and innovators to share insights that improve outcomes for people affected by brain injury and related conditions.

A huge shoutout to our own Program Manager, Jenna, who served on the planning committee. The event was seamless, thoughtful, and filled with outstanding speakers. Incredible work.🔥

We were especially honored to hear from speakers like BRAVE’s Medical Director, Dr. Greg Burek, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Associate Professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, and one of the voices pushing the field forward with both expertise and lived understanding.💪

BRAVE is incredibly proud of our staff! And we are grateful for this opportunity to engage, learn, and contribute to discussions that shape brain health care for veterans, first responders, and trauma-exposed populations nationwide.

Day 2 is underway and the momentum continues.

Thank you to everyone who brought passion, curiosity, and commitment to the table today. We look forward to what tomorrow brings.

02/25/2026

Back-to-back days at MATC’s Veteran Benefit Resource Fairs!
Milwaukee Campus and Oak Creek Campus- what a great couple of days it was.

BRAVE was proud to host an information table, connect with student veterans, families, and community partners, and be part of an event that truly centers those who have served.

Amanda also had the opportunity to deliver two breakout presentations on the BRAVE Program. Sharing how we support veterans and first responders navigating traumatic brain injury, trauma, and overlapping symptoms. The conversations that followed were meaningful and real.

A huge thank you to MATC for hosting and for the continued investment in supporting your veteran students. Events like this matter. Access matters. Awareness matters. Care matters.

It was also great to learn more about the many organizations showing up for veterans across our community. Collaboration makes the difference.

Grateful to be part of it.

02/23/2026

On Saturday, BRAVE had the honor of attending the Yellow Ribbon Pre-Deployment Event for the 128th Air Refueling Wing.✈

We were grateful to host an information table, connect with service members and families, and meet incredible partners from local organizations who are committed to supporting our military community.

Events like Yellow Ribbon absolutely matter. They remind deploying members and their families that they are not alone. Resources, support, and community stand behind them before, during, and after deployment.

To the Airmen preparing to deploy:

Thank you for your service and your willingness to step forward. We hope for a safe mission, steady leadership, strong connection to home, and a healthy return. Your well-being during and after service matters.

Grateful to stand alongside those who serve.💙

02/20/2026

🧠 Fast Fact Friday: Brain Injury Is More Common Than We Think

In the U.S., a traumatic brain injury leads to an emergency department visit roughly every 10–15 seconds.

Now consider veterans and trauma-exposed professions.

At least 15–20% of post-9/11 veterans sustained a documented TBI during service. And that number likely underestimates lifetime exposure because many mild TBIs are never formally reported.

But concussion can still impact sleep, mood, focus, reaction time, and emotional regulation, especially when layered with trauma.

If something feels “off,” it might not be just stress.

Early identification changes outcomes.

Watch the video. Share it. Start the conversation.

Send a message to learn more

02/19/2026

Last week, we had the opportunity to welcome Congressman Scott Fitzgerald to the BRAVE Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Traumatic brain injury and trauma-related conditions remain some of the most underrecognized injuries among veterans and first responders. Many are living with symptoms that impact sleep, mood, cognition, and relationships, often without realizing a brain injury may be part of the picture.

BRAVE was created to address exactly that.

We are the Midwest’s first program dedicated to treating mTBI in veterans and first responders, using coordinated clinical care rooted in neuroscience.

If you’re in law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, or are a military veteran and something feels off do not wait for it to escalate.

Reach out. Start the conversation. Support the ones who serve.