Executive Board 2022-2023
Ruchika Gadagkar
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Sindhu Narayanan
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Bill Young
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Chapter Advisor
Chapter Mentor
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Desiree Douglass
Desiree Douglass is the founder and executive director of HeadStrong, a non-profit organization that serves youth, young adults, and families rebuilding their lives after brain injury. She founded HeadStrong with other parents in 2006 after her son sustained a severe brain injury in a pedestrian-car crash in Seattle. HeadStrong is founded on the understanding that building a network of positive people and providing wholesome opportunities after brain injury is critical to recovery and rebuilding a healthy identity in our communities. Ms. Douglass works with the HeadStrong Board and volunteer team to implement HeadStrong programs, including Outreach Totes at Harborview, Social Outings for youth and families, and Mentor Trainings. She co-authored HeadStrong’s Mentor Training Manual and leads the trainings at universities and community organizations. HeadStrong is proud to collaborate with numerous organizations, including Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Children’s, Outdoors for All, Camp Korey, Synapse, BEST, and BIAWA to support families with children who are recovering from brain injury. Ms. Douglass has attended trainings at the World Congress on Neurorehabilitation, Community-Based Recovery for TBI, and Behavioral Dysregulation after TBI. She has served on the Washington State Governor’s Council for Brain Injury as a family representative. Ms. Douglass presents at numerous conferences and trainings, including the International Association for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, National Conference on Patient-Centered Care, the Washington State TBI Conference, the Washington State Crisis Intervention Training, the Washington State Students of Color Conference, and Harborview’s Pediatric Safety Conference. |
