TBI Survivors
People living with the effects of traumatic brain injury, whether the injury happened last year or decades ago, whether anyone else can see it or not.
About the Initiative
More thana diagnosis
I Belong Here TOO is an initiative dedicated to the people our communities too often overlook, and to the simple, radical idea that every one of them deserves a place to belong.
Our Mission
A place where people
know they belong
We support individuals affected by the life-altering consequences of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. We stand with people transitioning home from prisons, jails, and hospitals, and with anyone living through isolation, stigma, and the exhausting work of feeling unheard, lost, or misunderstood.
We provide a safe and supportive environment where people come together to share their experiences, express their emotions, process their pain, ask questions, receive encouragement, and be heard.
Behind every diagnosis is a human being with a story, a heart, a purpose, and a need for connection. That belief is not a slogan for us. It is the whole foundation.
Why the Name
The word ‘too’ is
doing the heavy lifting
Most people never have to say it. Their belonging is assumed. They walk into rooms and no one questions whether they should be there.
But if you have lived with a brain injury, a diagnosis, or a record, you know the other experience. The pause before people respond to you. The label that walks into the room before you do. The quiet feeling of being tolerated instead of welcomed.
The name is an answer to all of that. Not a request. A statement.
I am more than my mistake. I am more than my diagnosis. I am more than my injury. I still have value.
The Quiet Crisis
Suffering in silence
is still suffering
Our communities are facing a growing mental health crisis, and it does not check anyone's age, income, or zip code on the way in. Mental health challenges affect people of all ages, including youth and young adults who are still learning who they are.
When support is missing, people learn to hide what they carry. They get very good at saying they are fine. And the longer the silence lasts, the heavier it becomes.
The goal of I Belong Here TOO is to help prevent people from suffering in silence, and to build bridges among survivors, families, communities, service providers, and the systems that support mental wellness.
Our Young People
The kids are
not always fine
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health concerns among young people have increased significantly. Recent national data indicates that approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents in the United States experience a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder in a given year.
Among high school students, many report persistent sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, and emotional distress. Behind each of those numbers is a young person sitting in a classroom, or a bedroom, working hard to look okay.
These statistics demonstrate the urgent need for early support, understanding, and safe spaces where young people and families can receive encouragement and meaningful connection before a struggle becomes a crisis.
Who We Support
If any of this is you,
you are welcome here
Mental Health Diagnoses
Individuals living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions that the world still misunderstands.
Returning Citizens
People coming home from prisons, jails, and hospitals who deserve a real chance to heal, rebuild, and belong in their own community.
Families & Caregivers
The parents, partners, siblings, and children who love someone through mental illness and trauma, and carry their own weight while doing it.
Youth & Young Adults
Young people seeking support and understanding early, before silence has years to do its damage.
Anyone Feeling Unseen
People navigating daily life while feeling unheard, lost, or misunderstood. You do not need a diagnosis to need a place to belong.
What Members Gain
What happens when
someone finally listens
- Share your experiences in a safe and supportive environment
- Learn from others who have walked a similar road
- Develop healthy coping strategies that actually fit your life
- Build confidence and strengthen community connections
- Feel valued, respected, and accepted, exactly as you are
Beyond the Circle
We build bridges,
not just rooms
Belonging cannot stop at the door of a support group. So we also carry survivor voices into the places where decisions get made about survivors' lives.
We train criminal justice agencies, schools, employers, faith communities, and service providers in mental health awareness, trauma-informed care, TBI awareness, crisis response, and de-escalation. Because education, patience, effective communication, and appropriate crisis intervention protect lives and strengthen communities.