AHIF Programs and Services in 2020
Like many of us, AHIF's Programs and Services looked a little differently for much of 2020 due to COVID-19.  But, AHIF is proud that we were able to continue providing the majority of our support services to clients...throughout the year...by being flexible and creative. 
Resource Coordination
AHIF used its network of eight Resource Coordinators across the state to check in on clients throughout this pandemic, to help stabilize the lives of newly injured individuals transitioning home, and to meet the long-term needs of TBI survivors as they adjust to their new reality of living with the effects of a TBI or SCI. 
Watch this video of Aubryon, an AHIF client you helped us support by building a wheelchair ramp
Respite Care
In a time when family and friends who typically try to help caregivers of TBI survivors were not able to, AHIF's Respite Care Program stayed active and gave caregivers a brief break, even if just to sleep or step outside, during a time of social distancing and quarantine when it was otherwise difficult to find.  AHIF partners with numerous Home Health providers across the state and offers vouchers to more than 60 families each year for more than 40 hours of free respite care. 
Mental Health Counseling
With a population already dealing with the devastating emotional effects of social isolation, which remains the greatest complaint of survivors of TBI, 2020 saw an increased demand for AHIF's Mental Health Counseling voucher program, allowing more than 30 clients and/or caregivers to receive counseling services at no cost during the year.  AHIF has partnered with Katie Beaugez of Katie Bee Counseling to provide these much needed services. 
AHIF client Alison discusses her experience with our Counseling Program
Recreation and Therapy-Based Camps
Sadly, 2020 brought the cancellation of all three of AHIF's recreational TBI Camps (Camp ASCCA and Camp McDowell).  It also brought the cancellation of all six of the university-based Bright Ideas TBI Camps offering therapy-based opportunities for our clients across the state.  Fortunately, AHIF was able to reach out to our university partners, and their commitment to finding opportunities for their students and their ability to think "outside the box" with us led to some incredible opportunities in 2020! 
UA Partnerships
AHIF was able to work with our partners in the UA Speech Therapy Department and the Nutrition/Dietetics Program to provide Zoom support group meetings over the summer.  AHIF also partnered with our friends in the UA Music Therapy program to provide multiple 13-week music therapy clinicals in Fall 2020.  Finally, AHIF was proud to work with two UA Social Work doctoral students, Kirsten Laha-Walsh and Zee Suntai, who provided a special 15-week Caregiver Support Group programs to caregivers of TBI survivors. 
Auburn Partnerships
AHIF was able to work with our partners in the Auburn Speech Therapy Department to provide on-line speech therapy opportunities for clients throughout the Summer and Fall semesters.  AHIF also partnered with the Auburn School of Social Work whose students provided a series of Zoom support groups throughout Summer and Fall 2020. 
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Claire facilitated an 8-week support group session on friendship based on the characters of Toy Story
UAB Partnership
AHIF partnered with UAB's "We Can Do It Program" to involve 26 clients in a nine-week program with students from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology and Nutrition to provide on-line sessions between students and clients to help them find ways of improving their overall health and quality of life.  
AHIF further partnered with the University of South Alabama Recreation Therapy Program and Faulkner University Speech Therapy Program to provide additional support group options for our clients throughout Summer and Fall 202.  USA Recreational Therapy students also "adopted" 13 AHIF clients who expressed an interest in having a bi-weekly check-in call and someone to talk to during this time of isolation. 
Support Groups
COVID-19 forced AHIF to cancel all of its "in-person" support groups, offered at 15 locations across the state.  However, AHIF was able to immediately pivot and began offering Zoom Support Groups by the end of March 2020 and has now offered more than 75 Zoom Support Groups in the months since.  To see a sampling of the programs and topics we have covered, please click here.  
AHIF client Katie discusses her experience with Zoom Support Groups