Book Club at Community Rehab Care
Book Club is a wellness program at CRC that is focused on helping members improve their memory and communication, with a focus on reading comprehension, story recall, critical thinking, and conversation skills. This group is lead by a licensed Speech Therapist and meets weekly on Zoom and in the clinic.
What is Book Club like at CRC?
In our Book Club at CRC, we meet once a week to discuss that weeks' chapter from the book. Our discussions are based on a mix of guided questions directly about the chapter's events, and application-based questions to help our group members connect more deeply with the book and the themes that relate to our members.
Our goal is for our members to feel comfortable participating in our discussions, so we encourage our members to use memory and communication strategies they have developed or are currently practicing and give them extra time to do so.
What areas do you focus on during Book Club?
Book Club focuses on the following areas:
Memory: Members are encouraged to take notes, highlight text, and summarize information to help them remember the main points of each chapter.
Expressive and Receptive Language: All Book Club members are encouraged to participate in the chapter discussion. We aim to give everyone an opportunity to contribute, and make sure that members are given enough time process questions and come up with their own answers.
Social Communication: Our group discussions give our members that opportunity to practice social communication skills, including topic maintenance and turn taking.
Connection/Social Interaction: Through our Book Club sessions, our members get to know each other well. Members have the opportunity to connect with other individuals recovering from a variety of brain injuries. We have seen members develop friendships and find support within this group, which can be especially helpful when many people are still feeling isolated due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Through Book Club, I am making new discoveries and learning, through my own first hand experiences, of what I need to do in order to improve my ability to recall and participant, and I am able to put my strategies into practice” - CRC Client Sharon
Who is this group for?
This group is designed for anyone with a brain injury who enjoys reading, and wants to work on their memory and communication skills in a friendly and welcoming environment.
What types of books do you read?
We typically read books that are related to brain injury, including fiction, nonfiction, self-help, and more.
How do you choose the books you read?
Group members vote on the book they would like to read. Book options are presented by the Book Club facilitator (the Speech Therapist) and the group members themselves, and group members are always encouraged to share book recommendations with the group.
How much time do you spend on each book?
Depending on the length of the book, we usually spend 2-3 months reading and discussing each book. We typically read 1-2 chapters each week, but we may read more or less depending on the group’s preferences.
Am I responsible for purchasing books for Book Club?
Our members are encouraged to either purchase books or borrow them from the library. On occasion, CRC is able to provide group members with copies of books as needed.
How big is the group?
We usually have 6 people attending, but our weekly attendance may vary any given week.
How much does it cost?
Book Club is partially funded by the Statewide Head Injury Program (S.H.I.P), and members pay $8 per session
Do I have to wait for a new book to start before joining?
No! Although we recommend joining at the start of a new book, new group member are welcome to join us whenever they are interested!
I’m interested in learning more about Book Club. What should I do?
Contact the clinic via phone or email and request to observe a session! Depending on your preference, we can send you a Zoom link to join virtually, or you can come join a session in person at the clinic. Once you’ve tried out a session, you can then decide if you would like to officially join the group.
I’m interested in joining! What should I do?
Contact the clinic via phone or email to let us know you are interested in joining! We will send you a contract that outlines the payment process.
Join CRC’s Book Club!
Book Club is partially funded by the Statewide Head Injury Program (S.H.I.P.), and is available for anyone with an acquired brain injury.
The cost of the group is $8/session. If you are interested in joining Book Club, call the clinic at 617-744-8300.