
Mariellen Jacobs
Family Member/Caregiver Peer Support Lead Liaison
- Shepherd Center Main Campus Family & Peer Support
Journey to the peer support program
After my son’s brain injury and stroke led us to Shepherd Center, I had the opportunity to come back several times in a volunteer role to meet with families who found themselves navigating the long, exhausting road of brain injury and rehabilitation. I found it was cathartic to share our journey with others to help them find their own way through the many challenges experienced in trauma and recovery.
Role and tenure
Employed since September of 2019, I am the ABI Family Peer Support Lead Liaison. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet with families and help them develop their brain injury survival skills!
Favorite thing about the program
I think the most important thing we do for our caregivers and families is normalize the vast range of emotions you experience from the initial trauma to transitioning back to home and community. Knowing that someone else truly understands how you feel is priceless.
Life outside Shepherd Center
I love spending time with my husband and our two grown children. Playing tennis and working out help to keep me healthy and energized. My son’s injury from a loft bed fall on campus also created an opportunity to get involved in college safety advocacy, a role that is both exciting and challenging.