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
(4) Ethically and Environmentally 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.

Environmental sustainability is part of our responsible AI commitment and we are committed to designing efficient, purpose-driven systems that maximize benefit while minimizing impact.

Co-Founders

Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist, Trauma and Resilience Researcher & Co-Founder

Dr. Adrienne Heinz is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder and Executive Director of The After Collective. She is a trauma and resilience researcher at Stanford University School of Medicine, where her work focuses on the impacts of climate disasters on mental health as well as responsible AI. Her family and community in Sonoma County, California have been repeatedly impacted by megafire disasters, including the Tubbs Fire in 2017, Kincade Fire in 2019, and Walbridge Fire in 2020.

Adrienne became an accidental disaster mental health specialist after co-founding the Sonoma Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative to expand access to free mental health support through technology, trauma-informed programming, and workforce training. She serves as a National Science Foundation Climate and Health Scholar and an appointed member of the California Disaster Mental Health Coalition, and she regularly works alongside disaster-impacted communities navigating the messy middle of long-term recovery. Adrienne spent more than 15 years with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, including the National Center for PTSD's Public Digital Health Innovation Program, where she helped develop and evaluate free, evidence-informed digital mental health tools for Veterans and the public.

Her lived experience of disaster, combined with years of working alongside Veterans, first responders, and communities affected by crisis, has shaped her conviction that recovery systems can be more humane, accessible, and responsive to what survivors actually need.

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.

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-enabled 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.