About The After Collective
Harnessing psychological science and technology to reduce suffering and support recovery after disaster
Our Mission
The After Collective is dedicated to democratizing access to resources, tactical guidance, and mental health support after disaster. We believe that every person affected by disaster deserves immediate, compassionate, and science-based support to heal and rebuild their lives.
Our approach is built on four core principles: (1) Co-design WITH survivors, (2) Public and Free access, (3) Informed by Scientific Evidence, and (4) Ethically Responsible AI.
Our Vision
We envision a future where The After Collective offers the first AI recovery coach integrated into official disaster response channels—bridging the gap between immediate relief and long-term resilience. Our product will help prepare communities around the globe for more rapid and equitable responses to future disasters.
Co-Founders
Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist, Trauma and Resilience Research & Co-Founder
Dr. Heinz is a clinical research psychologist at the VA National Center for PTSD, Public Digital Health Innovation Program and Stanford University School of Medicine. Her family and community in Healdsburg, California have been repeatedly impacted by devastating megafire disasters (Tubbs 2017, Kincaid 2019, Wallbridge 2020).
Adrienne became an accidental disaster mental health specialist when she co-founded the Sonoma Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative to democratize access to free mental health support via technology, trauma-informed yoga programming, and training the workforce to deliver disaster care. She serves as a National Science Foundation Climate and Health Scholar and is an appointed member of the California Disaster Mental Health Coalition. She is also an advisor for After the Fire, and regularly deploys for field work and delegations to support disaster-impacted communities in the long-term recovery process.
Adrienne's lived experience of disaster, along with years of working alongside Veterans, first responders, and communities impacted by crisis has shaped her conviction that we can innovate and do better by survivors.
Abhi Jha
Product & Engineering Expert & Co-Founder
Abhi brings extensive digital health and AI-based product development experience in healthcare, along with experience building startups from the ground up and scaling them. His expertise in product and engineering has been instrumental in developing innovative solutions for disaster recovery and mental health support.
With a background in building and scaling healthcare technology solutions, Abhi focuses on creating accessible, user-friendly platforms that can reach disaster survivors where they are, whether through mobile apps, messaging platforms, or community integration tools.
Stanford Research Team
Shannon Wiltsey-Stirman, Ph.D.
Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine and Psychologist at the VA National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division. Co-lead of the Stanford Mental Health Innovation and Technology Hub and the Center for AI for Mental Health.
Britt Wray, Ph.D.
Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. Founder and director of CIRCLE, focused on Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership and Emotional wellbeing. Author of “Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety.”
Our Story
The After Collective is committed to reimagining how families and communities recover from disaster. The seeds for our organization were planted during the devastating 2017 Tubbs megafire in Northern California. Neighbors stepped up to help each other evacuate and stay safe, navigate resources, and manage extreme stress while smoke choked the sky. But disaster recovery is a long game and the path to getting back home is rife with challenges. It became clear that people impacted by a disaster aren't just coping with profound loss—they're also required to become instant case managers, rebuilding experts, and advocates.
Disaster doesn't just destroy homes, it shatters daily routines and precious community ecosystems. After the headlines fade, survivors face a second wave of challenges: navigating fragmented aid systems and bureaucratic red tape while still processing trauma and grief. For too many, every day post-disaster can feel like walking through wet cement: exhausting and disempowering.
Abhi and Adrienne co-founded The After Collective to turn those moments of overwhelm into a step towards reclaiming agency. Our flagship tool—the AI-powered Disaster Recovery Coach—delivers free, 24/7 coaching with compassionate psychological support, curated resources, and personalized guidance so that survivors will never have to walk the journey alone.
Our Approach
Trauma-Informed Design
Our AI coach is trained in evidence-informed protocols including Psychological First Aid, Stress First Aid for First Responders, and Skills for Psychological Recovery.
Survivor-Focused
Every interaction prioritizes survivor needs, safety, and dignity with comprehensive logistical support for insurance claims, housing assistance, and rebuilding resources.
First Responder Support
Specialized technology and protocols to support emergency personnel with crisis intervention tools and dedicated mental health resources for high-stress environments.
Community Integration
Designed to work within existing support networks and community channels, creating private spaces for peer support and problem-solving.
Multi-Platform Access
Available across web, mobile apps, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and Slack to meet survivors where they are.
Privacy-First
Enterprise-grade security ensures conversations remain private, with data handled in encrypted states and used only for personalization.
Collaborators & Advisors
Arishka Jha
Senior at The Nueva School
Arishka is supporting The After Collective with website development and technical research, bringing valuable expertise in modern web technologies and user experience design. She also provides the crucial teen perspective, ensuring our platform resonates with younger users who may be experiencing disaster-related trauma and need age-appropriate support and resources.
We are building a network of collaborators and advisors to strengthen our mission. This section will be updated as we expand our team with additional researchers, clinicians, community leaders, and subject matter experts who share our vision for democratizing disaster recovery support.