Learn about our Team

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist providing consultative services to national and state organizations. She has clinical experience in working with adults experiencing homelessness to improve quality of life and engagement in their preferred communities. She has studied and developed clinical and program resources to address the intersection of homelessness, poverty, traumatic brain injury and mental health, and their impact on health and community living.

Maria Crowley, MA, CRC

Maria Crowley, MA, CRC, serves as NASHIA’s Director of Professional Development, planning and coordinating programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of the brain injury community, focusing on state government needs. She is also serves as a primary consultant for the TBI Technical Assistance and Resource Center, funded by the Administration for Community Living, supporting State TBI grantees and other stakeholders. She has worked in the disabilities field with state government for 30 years, and specifically in brain injury since 2000, to help individuals with disabilities reach their maximum potential in home, community, and employment. Maria was the State Head Injury Program Director for the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), designated lead agency in Alabama for traumatic brain injury (TBI) services, for 14 years.

Maria has Certification in Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC), a BS in Psychology an MA in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She served as the Project Director for the current HHS/ACL TBI State Partnership grant, and coordinated the statewide Head Injury Task Force, Head & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Advisory Board and the Alabama Head & Spinal Cord Injury Registry and Service Linkage System. 

Maria started working in the rehabilitation field as a job coach, then later as a Business Relations Consultant with ADRS, facilitating the job placement of individuals with a wide variety of disabilities and providing customized employment training and consult for businesses statewide.  In addition to conducting a wealth of training over the past 30 years on numerous issues related to traumatic brain injury, she has trained rehabilitation, social service and employment professionals on a wide array of topics, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, employment law, disability awareness/etiquette, specialized placement and accommodations.  

Specific to TBI, she has led a number of initiatives and provided technical assistance related to juvenile justice, advocacy, concussion management, intimate partner violence, employment, trust funds, advisory boards, service coordination and trauma/surveillance registries within business, state government, nonprofits and partner organizations. Her experience also includes budget operations, grant writing, pediatric and adult staff supervision, program guidance and grant project administration.

Maria is Past-President of the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA). She has served on the NASHIA Board of Directors as Chair, and member, of the State of the States National Conference Planning Committee since 2003.  She has served on other statewide committees including the Governor’s Opioid Council and UAB/Children’s of Alabama Concussion Task Force. She collaborates with many of Alabama’s partners in brain injury: Alabama Head Injury Foundation; UAB TBI Model Systems; State Independent Living and Title V programs; UAB/Children’s of Alabama; and Alabama’s Disability Advocacy Program.  

Haleigh Cushen, MEd, CRC, CVE

Haleigh Cushen is NASHIA’s Director of Program Management. She has worked within the field of working with people with disabilities beginning in 2007. Her background includes private, public, and non profit work within Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation. Haleigh spent three years as a traumatic brain injury care coordinator within the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. She continues to hold certifications as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Certified Vocational Evaluator.

Haleigh’s role at NASHIA includes managing membership and NASHIA programs to include REAP and OBISSS.

Haleigh received a Master of Education (M.Ed) from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama in Rehabilitation Counseling.