Welcome to the Brain Injury Association of Maine - Celebrating 25 Years of Service

The mission of the Brain Injury Association of Maine is to create a better future for the people of Maine through brain injury awareness, prevention, education and advocacy.

The BIAME is an independent 501 c 3 non profit organization dedicated to individuals with brain injury, their families and friends, while increasing the community's understanding of brain injury through outreach and education.

Founded in 1982, the Maine Head Injury Foundation started as a collaborative grass roots effort our members consisted of individuals with brain injury, family members, professionals providing brain injury services and other interested community members.

In 1995 we changed our name to the Brain Injury Association of Maine in keeping with our national affiliate, the Brain Injury Association of America. We educate the public and those who work with individuals with brain injury to understand the serious nature of the disability and it's consequences by distribution of relevant materials, conferences and workshops. We strive to prevent brain injury through public awareness, education and legislation.

We exist to assist and advocate for persons with acquired brain injury and their families. We advocate for and with individuals with brain injury and family members by responding to their challenges and representing their concerns through legislative efforts and active support of programs that address their needs. We serve the brain injury community by working to secure community based services, providing information and understanding.

The goals of the BIA include increasing awareness of brain injury, to provide education, information, resources , to advocate on behalf of and with individuals who have sustained brain injuries and their families and to promote prevention of brain injuries in our communities.

 Success Stories

Brain injury changes lives. For Jim, it may have saved his life. He admits we was reckless in his youth; riding motorcycles without a helmet, speeding or getting into fights. Then his whole world was turned up-side down when he sustained a brain injury after an assault. He remembers waking up the morning after; he couldn't walk, or talk. He needed help with simple tasks like dressing or brushing his hair. It was like being a child again. To this day, he still doesn't remember much of that first year. It was during this time Jim fell in love with Danielle. Together they celebrate Jim's successes, such as when he finally figured out how to operate the washing machine....he just needed to remember to put laundry in it! Jim will tell you that a sense of humor is always important. Jim continues to struggle daily with his memory and fatigue, but he pushes himself to learn more and do more in an effort to relearn all that he lost. Jim now looks at his brain injury as a gift. He will tell you, "If I can help one person, give them that little bit of hope that things will get better, then my head injury will not be in vain." Jim Carpenter...Hope in Action.