Our Mission
To improve the quality of life for survivors of acquired brain injury and their families and to raise community awareness about the causes and effects of these disabilities.
Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery, previously known as Brain Injury Network of the Bay Area (BINBA), is the only nonprofit, post-acute therapeutic center in the North Bay offering an array of affordable, cutting-edge rehabilitative and supportive services designed to help survivors and their families rebuild their lives after a brain injury. We are located in a sunny center in the heart of Marin County, and we welcome people from throughout the Bay Area.
Brain injuries do not discriminate.
They can happen at any time and to anyone.
The people we serve are “us.” Our clients are professionals, parents, sons and daughters, friends, neighbors, and family members – our local community. Our clients have survived an injury that has dramatically changed their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Originally Schurig Center primarily served traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. However, today over 30% of our clients are stroke survivors and their families.
We serve adults ages 18 and up whose lives have been impacted by an acquired brain injury (ABI). We also serve their families and caregivers. Many of our clients were injured under the age of 18 but are now over the age of 18. An acquired brain injury is an injury that occurs after birth resulting from an accident, stroke, concussion, tumor, virus, or other cause.
Health insurance and finances usually don’t go far enough. That’s where we step in.
Thanks to medical advances, more people than ever before are surviving brain injuries. However, too often, individuals who have suffered a brain injury are released from acute facilities to resume their lives with little guidance and no long-term plan for recovery. Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Geoffrey Manley addressed this issue in a 2012 San Francisco Chronicle article by saying, “We’ve gotten much better at getting people to survive, but we have a lot of work to do to help people recover.”
We believe…
…the brain has amazing potential to recover after an injury.
…increased abilities and independence are possible.
…in the healing power of the arts and community.
…feelings of loss can be replaced with new areas of growth and possibility.
…survivors can find meaning, fulfillment, and joy after brain injury.
…everyone should have access to our services regardless of financial ability to pay.
…in supporting survivors and families to heal after brain injury.
…everyone deserves continued treatment as long as they need it.
…everyone should be accepted as they are.
We Help Survivors and Families Rebuild Skills and Re-Engage in Life with New Purpose
We help brain injury survivors achieve their maximum level of potential through an innovative array of rehabilitative and supportive services based on neuroscience research and best practices in the field of brain injury recovery. Our programs help individuals:
- Increase functional abilities.
- Develop greater independence.
- Discover new interests and increase self-esteem.
- Cope with loss and begin to accept the changes in their lives.
- Reduce isolation and re-engage in their community.
- Decrease re-hospitalization.
We Support Families and Caregivers
In the United States, over 75% of caregiving support is provided by family members, many of whom are struggling to balance work and family responsibilities. We recognize the enormous pressures of family caregiving: burnout, compromised health, depression, and depletion of financial resources. This is a daily reality for millions of American families, and it poses a great strain on the caregiver.
Schurig Center offers support, training, and education to enhance a caregiver’s understanding of the cognitive, emotional, and life changes resulting from a brain injury. We also provide much-needed respite and a community where families can share their experiences with each other and learn to cope with the stresses of caregiving.
We Provide Training and Education for Professionals and the Community
Schurig Center is pleased to offer consultation, training, and educational presentations for Bay Area medical professionals and the community at large. We also offer fieldwork placements and internships for students from Bay Area colleges and universities. For more information, please visit our Education page.
We Are a Community Who Understands
Our services are provided in a warm, welcoming, community-style center where all individuals are accepted as they are now. Our center is a safe place where survivors and the families can share their experiences with one another and learn to cope with the changes in their lives.
Yesterday and Today
Karen Schurig, a Mill Valley single mother of three, founded our center in 1985. Her daughter Lise acquired a life-changing brain injury in a car accident at the age of 14 and her family was challenged in finding resources to support her recovery. Without the perseverance of Karen, the inspiration of Lise, and the support of our community, our center would not exist today. We invite you to read more about our history here.
Thirty years later, Schurig Center has grown to be a trusted hub of services for survivors and their families and a resource for medical professionals and the community at large. Operating with a limited annual budget of approximately $700,000 and a small team of dedicated professionals, the organization impacts over 2,000 survivors, caregivers, and community members a year through on-site services, resource referral assistance, concussion education (concussionmarin.org), and educational presentations.
The Evolution of Our Name
Our organization was incorporated in 1985 as Marin Brain Injury Network, which continues to be our legal name. In 2010, we made the decision to become Brain Injury Network of the Bay Area (BINBA) to reflect the reach of our services throughout the larger Bay Area. Today, we do business as Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery, in honor our founder Karen Schurig and to highlight the healing that is possible after a brain injury. We are honored to carry Karen’s name forward into the community and honor her dedication to the creation of a center that has impacted thousands of lives since 1985.