ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDNews) — Veterans, National Guard members and others living with the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries now have a new resource closer to home following the opening of Alabama’s third Traumatic Brain Injury Center in Enterprise.
The City of Enterprise and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services celebrated the center’s opening Friday, Aug. 21, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Enterprise Civic Center, where the new center is located.
Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper joined state and local officials, veterans, community partners and members of the Patriot Guard for the opening.
“On behalf of the City of Enterprise and the Enterprise City Council, it is our honor to welcome the TBI Center to our community,” Cooper said. “There is something meaningful about gathering here today to celebrate a center dedicated to helping those who have experienced traumatic brain injury. We are not here to celebrate the injury. We are here to celebrate what comes after it.”
“We celebrate hope. We celebrate recovery. We celebrate the opportunity for someone to find the resources and support they need to move forward. And most importantly, we celebrate the people.”
The Enterprise Civic Center already hosts meetings, events and activities throughout the year. Available office space will now provide a home for the TBI Center, giving the facility another role in serving the community.
“Every day, people come through these doors for meetings, events and activities,” Cooper said. “Now, this space will also serve our veterans and their families by providing access to important services and support close to home.”
Enterprise has a long connection to the military and veterans, and city officials said its proximity to Fort Rucker made the community a natural fit for one of Alabama’s five planned TBI centers.
“The City of Enterprise and City Council were proud to support bringing one of Alabama’s five TBI Centers here because access matters,” Cooper said. “With our strong military and veteran community and our proximity to Fort Rucker, Enterprise is a natural home for a center that connects Veterans, service members and others living with the effects of traumatic brain injury to valuable resources and support.”
The TBI Centers of Alabama initiative expands the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services’ existing TBI services through strategically located centers designed to make specialized support easier to access.
The Enterprise center will be staffed by a TBI services navigator, a veteran peer mentor and a master’s-level counselor. Services will include screening, education, peer mentorship, clinical evaluations and care coordination. The center will also help provide coverage for the state’s TBI Helpline.
ADRS Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw said the centers will provide a local resource while complementing health care and mental health care veterans already receive through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“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,” Burdeshaw said.
ADRS State TBI Program Director April Turner said the Enterprise opening follows years of planning and collaboration among state leaders, veterans, service members, advocates and community partners.
The statewide initiative began during the 2024 legislative session with the establishment of the Veterans’ Mental Health Steering Committee. The committee was tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to address the needs of Alabama veterans.
Turner recommended expanding TBI services through strategically located centers, resulting in a $2.5 million state investment to establish the statewide network.
Enterprise is the third of five planned TBI Centers of Alabama locations. The first opened in Mobile, followed by Opelika. Additional centers are planned for Birmingham and Huntsville.
“Today, we celebrate a center,” Cooper said. “But more importantly, we celebrate what will happen here. We celebrate hope. We celebrate healing. And we celebrate a community coming together to make sure those who have given so much to our country know that their community is here for them.”
“Enterprise is honored to be a part of this important work.”
