Heinz Named to TIME100 Climate for Disaster Recovery Work
News related to:The After Collective · 3 min read
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Clinical psychologist and disaster recovery innovator Adrienne Heinz, PhD, has been named to the TIME100 Climate 2026, TIME's annual list of the 100 most influential leaders in climate. The After Collective, the nonprofit organization she co-founded, is advancing long-term climate resilience by combining clinical science, survivor experience, and technology to support survivors navigating the complex path to recovery from climate disasters.
Heinz's work at The After Collective is centered on leveraging technology to create trauma-informed tools that address the emotional and practical demands of rebuilding after a disaster. These tools, such as the SMS-based Disaster Recovery Coach, are designed to help survivors manage distress and navigate insurance, housing, financial assistance, and other recovery-related tasks. The Coach is currently in beta and is set to be launched publicly soon.
Heinz's background includes 15 years at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she worked on developing and evaluating free, evidence-informed digital mental health tools for Veterans and the public. This experience has informed her focus on using technology to build durable public resources that expand access to trauma support. At The After Collective, Heinz is applying this foundation to create tools that can strengthen disaster recovery efforts around the world.
"We are thrilled with the result," said Heinz, referring to her TIME100 Climate 2026 recognition.
The After Collective's commitment to co-designing its recovery tools with survivor and stakeholder voices in mind is evident in its research collaborations with organizations such as Altadena Girls, a youth organization whose feedback is helping to inform the design of the Disaster Recovery Coach. Support from Direct Relief and pro bono legal services from Orrick have also been instrumental in advancing this work.
Heinz will be attending the TIME100 Climate honoree gathering in Antalya, Türkiye this week, where she will participate in a discussion about disaster mental health. The discussion will examine the role of psychological well-being in climate resilience and the barriers to making recovery support more widely available.
The After Collective is a nonprofit organization advancing the future of disaster recovery through free, ethically responsible AI-enabled tools that help communities move from crisis to long-term resilience and healing. Co-founded by Heinz and healthcare technology innovator Abhi Jha, the organization combines clinical science, survivor insight, and technology to make trauma-informed recovery support more accessible. Its vision is to responsibly integrate sustained recovery tools into disaster response systems, helping communities recover more rapidly, equitably, and resiliently.
For The After Collective, Heinz's TIME recognition brings visibility to a central challenge of climate resilience: psychological well-being is integral to navigating the practical demands of recovery. Trauma and cognitive exhaustion can make complex recovery tasks harder to manage precisely when survivors must make consequential decisions. Heinz's TIME100 Climate 2026 nomination underscores her pioneering work in the field of climate mental health, combining her lived experience of disaster with her training as a clinical psychologist to innovate new solutions for survivors.
The After Collective's work is also supported by research collaborations with organizations such as Altadena Girls, whose feedback is helping to inform the design of the Disaster Recovery Coach. Support from Direct Relief and pro bono legal services from Orrick have also been instrumental in advancing this work. Heinz's TIME100 Climate 2026 recognition highlights her as a climate leader pioneering a new field, climate mental health, by combining her lived experience of disaster with her training as a clinical psychologist to innovate new solutions to the long and arduous journey of disaster recovery.