About Us

A Stronger Community

for Brain Injury Survivors

Our History

The Best Community for TBI Survivors and Their Families

How We Started Our Journey

The Alamo Head Injury Association began in 1983 as a small circle of families in San Antonio who were searching for something they could not find anywhere else: long‑term support after a traumatic brain injury. At a time when rehabilitation resources were limited and follow‑up care was rare, caregivers and survivors started meeting in living rooms, church basements, and hospital waiting areas simply to help one another navigate the road ahead. Those early gatherings created a lifeline of shared experience, practical guidance, and hope.



Over the next decade, the group grew steadily as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and community partners began referring families to this grassroots network. What started as informal peer support evolved into a trusted community resource for survivors, caregivers, and professionals across South Texas. In 1994, the group formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization, becoming the Alamo Head Injury Association (AHIA). Incorporation allowed AHIA to expand its programs, strengthen partnerships, and build the foundation for the survivor‑centered services we continue to offer today.

More than forty years later, AHIA remains one of the oldest continuously operating brain‑injury support organizations in Texas. While our programs have grown, our mission is still rooted in the same values that shaped those first living‑room conversations: compassion, connection, and the belief that no one should face brain injury alone. Every support group, outreach effort, and community partnership we build today carries forward the legacy of the families who started AHIA — families who turned their own challenges into a source of strength for others.

Alamo Head Injury Association services eight counties in Texas. 

Bexar County is centrally located in South Texas and is bordered by seven surrounding counties: Kendall and Comal to the north, Guadalupe and Wilson to the east, Atascosa to the south, and Medina and Bandera to the west.

If you live in these areas and need resources, support or financial assistance, please contact us.

Our LEADERSHIP

Team Partners

Executive Director

Maureen DeFelice

Programs Coordinator 

Jenna Norris

Advancement Coordinator

Now Hiring

Board of Directors

Officers

Members At Large

Survivor Representatives

Mission

The mission of Alamo Head Injury Association (AHIA) is to improve the quality of life and well-being for survivors of brain injury (traumatic or non-traumatic), their caregivers, and their family members.

AHIA exists to assist survivors and their caregivers to cope with the changes in their lives by providing a forum for networking through our monthly support groups, identifying helpful resources, providing recovery process education, and offering funds to qualified applicants.

Vision

A community where every brain injury survivor and caregiver has the support, dignity, and opportunity to thrive.

Values

Community and Collaboration: We build strong relationships with survivors, caregivers, partners, and one another so no one faces brain injury alone.

Integrity and Accountability:  We steward our resources responsibly and operate with transparency to earn and maintain public trust. We hold ourselves and one another accountable to maximize our impact for survivors and families.

Empathy and Compassion: We listen with empathy and respond with compassion, recognizing that every journey with brain injury is unique and often complex. We treat each person with dignity, kindness, and respect.

Learning and Openness: We are lifelong learners. We create welcoming spaces where survivors and caregivers can access education, support, and community — and where our organization continues to grow, adapt, and improve.

Respect: We engage with honesty, humility, and authenticity. When we make mistakes, we acknowledge them, learn from them, and recommit to serving survivors and families with care.

Inclusion and Integration: We recognize that individuals, like healing journeys, are multidimensional. Many of our dedicated Partners and Advocates are also Survivors and Caregivers who pursued education, vocational training and volunteerism to transform their lived experiences into contributions to help others. We believe Survivors are more than their brain injuries, Caregivers also deserve care, and Advocates & Partners provide value beyond their titles. We define ourselves by our commitment to serving the brain injury community. 

Donate

Your Donation Matters

Donations make it possible for AHIA to provide consistent, compassionate support for brain injury survivors and their families. Every gift helps keep support groups running, expands outreach across South Texas, and ensures survivors have access to the resources and community they need to heal and thrive. When people give, they’re not just funding programs—they’re standing with survivors and strengthening a community built on hope, dignity, and connection.

We want to Hear from You

Have Any Questions?

Need help with resources, support or modifications to your home?  Want to learn more about Alamo Head Injury?  Contact us today.