Veterans Collaborative Launches HEADS UP VET™ Coalition to Expand Early Detection and Community Support for Head Injury
Active Deployment Image Courtesy of Natalie Worthan, Founder & CEO of Veterans Collaborative
Veterans Collaborative Event Image
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, UNITED STATES, March 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Veterans Collaborative today announced HEADS UP VET™, a national coalition uniting science, service, and community to accelerate early detection, awareness, and community-based support for Veterans and service members living with undiagnosed head injuries.
Traumatic brain injury and cumulative head impacts remain a widespread and often invisible challenge across the military-connected population, with many injuries going undetected for years and symptoms surfacing long after the original impacts. HEADS UP VET™ is designed to help close that gap by strengthening the earliest and most trusted pathways to care, before brain health challenges become crises.
Led by Veterans Collaborative and convened in partnership with Bonterra and powered by AWS technology, HEADS UP VET™ brings together community leaders, researchers, and technology innovators to improve awareness, screening, and support for Veterans and families navigating the effects of undiagnosed head injury. The coalition is centered on a simple truth: community is the missing link in early brain health detection, because many Veterans seek help first through local organizations they already trust.
On Thursday, March 19, 2026, Veterans Collaborative will formally announce HEADS UP VET™ at AWS Imagine for Nonprofits during the session Architecting the Future of Social Impact: Unlocking 3% of GDP by 2033, at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. As part of the event, the coalition will also spotlight the talk Tackling Undiagnosed Head Injury Together.
HEADS UP VET™ is building a “Veteran Passport to Connected Resources” across four focus areas: expanding awareness and education, developing early self-recognition tools, improving resource navigation to trusted local services, and advancing research collaboration that strengthens early detection and community based support. The initiative also connects the key parts of a working ecosystem: community organizations, secure technology and referral pathways, clinical and innovation partners, and funders so solutions are not just discussed, but are implemented in local communities.
Veterans Collaborative is inviting cross-sector partners to join the coalition and participate in its monthly coalition sessions to strengthen community awareness, develop practical tools and resources, and advance the HEADS UP VET™ pilot and national model.
“Brain health is increasingly recognized as critical to long-term well-being and readiness, yet many Veterans never receive early screening or awareness of potential symptoms,” said Natalie Worthan, Founder & CEO Veterans Collaborative. “Care systems are complex, and HEADS UP VET™ is committed to strengthening local partnerships that recognize and respond to brain health challenges earlier so Veterans and families can move from uncertainty to clear next steps with fewer barriers.”
To join the coalition, complete the Coalition Interest Form on the Veterans Collaborative HEADS UP VET™ page found at www.veteranscollaborative.org/headsupvet.
Veterans Collaborative is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Veterans, service members, and their families by strengthening access to critical resources, opportunity, and community support through a centralized network. Through community-first partnerships, fiscal sponsorship, advising, and collaborative programs, Veterans Collaborative helps local leaders and mission-driven initiatives build practical solutions that improve lives and expand impact.
About Bonterra: Bonterra is technology for the greatest good — helping nonprofits, charitable foundations, and socially responsible companies raise more, give more, and get more for their missions. With leading solutions across fundraising and engagement, strategic philanthropy, and impact management, Bonterra is innovating with a higher purpose: to increase giving to 3% of U.S. GDP by 2033, creating $573 billion more in global impact every year.
Ali Craig
Victor + Valor
ali@victorvalor.org
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