BRAVE program prepares to launch Midwest hub in Wisconsin

WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin will soon be home to the Midwest hub of the BRAVE program.

It’s the Midwest’s first program designed to treat traumatic brain injuries and PTSD in veterans and first responders. The Medical College announced the arrival of the program back in spring of this year.

BRAVE, which stands Building Resilience through Action in Veterans and First Responders, is an intensive, three-week, outpatient program designed to treat the needs of veterans and first responders dealing with brain injuries and mental health crises.

It is being funded by the Avalon Action Alliance, which donated $12.5 million to kick start the program. Officials said they hope to start taking patients for the program at the end of December.

Dr. Greg Burek serves as the medical director of BRAVE.

“When you have a program like this, and you do it right, you do it with a culture in mind. It becomes a focal point within the veteran community,” Burek said.

Burek is a Marine veteran who is no stranger to the silent wounds of war. He said it’s one of the many reasons why he became a psychiatrist and wanted to be a part of this new programing.

He said being a veteran and treating veterans can make a large impact on patient outcomes, simply by having a better understanding of what they are going through.

“It’s really important for the vet and first responder to feel understood,” He said. “You have to understand that culture in order to feel understood.”

BRAVE Executive Director Dr. Michael McCrea specializes in clinical care and research on traumatic brain injuries at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

“For us to be in a position to give back and dedicate our specialty in traumatic brain injury to providing this intensive treatment to these individuals who have served and restore them to the best forms of themselves is a real honor,” McCrea said.

(Spectrum News 1/Megan Marshall)

As of November, the final details were being put into place and hiring was almost complete. Burek said he is looking forward to the impact this program will make in the near future.

“We are going to be able to do a lot of things we wouldn’t be able to do in a regular clinical setting,” Burek said. “We are going to be able to add in art therapy, music therapy, yoga, equine therapy.”

He said this program will work alongside what’s being done at the VA and allow for further care to be provided to veterans and first responders in need.

Those interested in learning more about BRAVE can email the team at BRAVE@mcw.edu.