Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center Wins International Identity & Impact Award

Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center (BRAC) is honored to be named the inaugural winner of the Identity & Impact Award, presented by Stroke Onward and Aphasia Access at the 2025 Aphasia Access Leadership Summit.

Established in 2025, the Identity & Impact Award recognizes individuals and organizations that incorporate identity-focused approaches to aphasia care. BRAC emerged as a trailblazer in this space, recognized for its dedication to fostering community, empowering identity and transforming the lives of those living with aphasia.

Honoring Innovation in Aphasia Rehabilitation

Aphasia is a communication disorder, usually caused by a brain injury or stroke, that can affect a person’s ability to speak, read, write or understand language. Aphasia does not affect a person’s intellect but can have lasting effects on their identity.

“When you lose your language and can’t communicate due to aphasia, you can also lose your identity. You might not be able to be a lawyer anymore. You might not be able to be a teacher anymore. You can’t communicate with your family in the same way you did before,” said Jodi Morgan, CCC-SLP. Director of Aphasia Programs at Brooks Rehabilitation. “Identity renegotiation is a major focus for us at the BRAC. Helping our friends with aphasia rediscover who they are again after their stroke or brain injury is a significant challenge we sought to address.”

Finding a New Voice

Since opening its doors in 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida, the BRAC has served more than 1,000 individuals and their families through programs grounded in the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA). That includes both a community (social communication) group and a six-week Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP). Zoom conversation groups and satellite programming extend BRAC’s reach across Florida and globally.

BRAC team members, left to right are: James Derisse, certified mental health counselor; Lauren Bush, program coordinator; Kayla Collard, speech-language pathologist; Jodi Morgan, CCC-SLP, director of BRAC and speech-language pathologist; Joellen Gilbert, speech-language pathologist; Alyssa Zunic, speech-language pathologist and Nicole Liggins, speech-language pathologist.

The BRAC was nominated for the award by two of its current members who highlighted some of their innovative work:

• Aphasia expertise: Members have access to a team of professionals, students and volunteers who are highly trained in stroke, aphasia and ways to help with recovery of the whole person. A full-time mental health counselor is also on site and has been instrumental in improving self-confidence, reducing anxiety and increasing sense of self in some of the most vulnerable members.
• Empowering Community: BRAC supports expression of identity by encouraging members to take leadership roles as peer mentors, group leaders and ambassadors, fostering self-confidence and purpose.
• Identity Development: Book clubs and narrative storytelling groups provide members with tools to redefine and reclaim their identities with aphasia.
• “Story of Me” Group: Over the course of 12 weeks, a BRAC member meets with other members to help them create and share their before, during and after aphasia stories with the group and at family-centered events.
• “Identity Theft” Book Club: By reading and discussing Identity Theft- Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke by Debra Meyerson and Danny Zuckerman, along with the accompanying aphasia-friendly modules, BRAC members are able to explore questions that help to redefine their identity.

“We incorporated the book and modules into the BRAC back in 2019 and it’s been wonderful. Every time we run the book club, we discuss the most stimulating questions like, ‘Who am I now? How did you feel after you realized that you couldn’t do this? Where can you see yourself going?’” said Morgan. “It’s honestly been one of the most profound book clubs we have ever run. And at the end, we were honored to have the authors join us over Zoom to talk more about it.”

Looking Ahead

Winning the Identity & Impact Award reinforces BRAC’s dedication to its mission of providing exceptional, identity-centered aphasia care. The center will continue to innovate, inspire, and empower its members while advocating for greater awareness and inclusivity within the broader community.

“There are so many deserving individuals and programs, so to be selected as the inaugural winner still feels like a dream. Our team was incredibly honored”, said Morgan. “Our members are at the heart of everything we do and we will continue to advocate for them every day. They show us all what courage and resilience looks like.”

To learn more about Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center, visit their website, email [email protected] or call (904) 345-6780.