Pickleball for Heroes

Since 2000, more than 7,200 Veterans in Colorado have returned from conflict with traumatic brain injuries from exposure to combat-related blasts and trauma to the head. For those with this serious yet often invisible injury, the transition to civilian life can be especially difficult. To meet the needs of Veterans with TBI, Operation TBI Freedom (OTF), a donor-funded 501(c)(3) program of Englewood's Craig Hospital, offers individualized, relationship-oriented case management with certified brain injury specialists. The OTF staff provide Veterans with crisis and suicide prevention counseling; emergency funding; employment and education assistance; mental and medical health referrals and support; outdoor recreation/therapy and adaptive equipment; and a variety of psychosocial educational programming, including financial management and parenting classes. Since its founding in 2008, OTF has assisted more than 1,800 service members.