BY OBSERVER STAFF
OPELIKA — The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Lee County Commission and Auburn University School of Social Work celebrated the opening of Alabama’s second Traumatic Brain Injury Centers of Alabama location Thursday, Aug. 6.
Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new center, located inside the Bennie G. Adkins Meeting Center at 205 S. 10th St. in Opelika.
The center will provide free services and resources to veterans, National Guard members and others living with the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries.
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw said the centers are the first of their kind in the nation.
“We’re the first state to offer state traumatic brain injury services and resources free to veterans, guard members and those living with the long-term effects of brain injury,” Burdeshaw said. “Veterans can continue to access their healthcare and mental healthcare with the VA, but they will now have a program in their local community that can help them with additional supports and needs.”
The Opelika office will be staffed by a TBI services navigator, a veteran peer mentor and a master’s-level counselor. Services will include screenings, education, peer mentorship, clinical evaluations and care coordination. Staff members will also help provide coverage for the state’s TBI helpline.
ADRS State TBI Program Director April Turner said the opening followed approximately two years of planning.
“This is a dream come true for everybody,” Turner said. “Opening this center is very surreal, because it started with a wish list drawn out on a piece of paper two years ago.”
Turner thanked veterans, service members and TBI advocates whose experiences helped guide efforts to expand care throughout Alabama.
The Opelika center is the second of five planned locations. A center recently opened in Mobile, and additional offices are planned for Enterprise, Birmingham and Huntsville.
Plans for the centers began during the 2024 legislative session with the creation of the Veterans’ Mental Health Steering Committee. Turner recommended expanding TBI services, leading to a $2.5 million state investment to establish centers in locations intended to provide easier access for veterans across Alabama.
The Auburn University Social Work Program will partner with ADRS to support education, service and professional training related to traumatic brain injuries.
Dr. Danilea Werner, associate professor and director of Auburn University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, said the partnership will provide students with opportunities for internships, interdisciplinary clinical experiences and statewide professional development.
“Together, Auburn University and the ADRS TBI Program are committed to strengthening services for veterans, National Guard members and individuals in long-term TBI recovery while developing the next generation of leaders in social work and social services,” Werner said.
ADRS is Alabama’s lead agency for coordinating services for residents with traumatic brain injuries.
