Gray Matters Alliance

09/15/2026

09/10/2026

September is National Preparedness Month, so here is a preparedness question that does not get asked often enough:

If someone you care for became separated from you during an emergency, would a first responder know how to help them?

Not just their name. How they communicate. Whether they use an AAC device or need extra processing time. What equipment has to stay with them. What makes a stressful situation worse, and what helps them feel safe. Who to call, and where they should be reunified.

For people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, communication differences, mobility limitations, or aging-related needs, those details can change the entire encounter. FEMA's caregiver preparedness guidance says as much: keep need-to-know information ready for first responders, establish contacts, and plan how you will reconnect.

That is why we built Reunification Profiles into the CompassCare Command Center, alongside the FEMA IPAWS alerts it already surfaces. When an alert goes out, caregivers will be able to share person-centered reunification information with the responders on scene. GMA is not a call center. The people who know the person best stay in the loop, with better information.

But this month's resource is bigger than our technology. We wrote a guide to help any family or caregiver build a Reunification Profile and fold it into a larger emergency plan, whether or not they ever use CompassCare.

Because preparedness is not only knowing where someone should go. It is making sure the people helping them understand who they are.

Read the guide: https://graymattersalliance.com/reunification-profiles/

If a responder found your loved one tomorrow, what is the one thing you would want them to know first?

Month

09/09/2026

A major milestone for Gray Matters Alliance, and an important new opportunity to serve military families.
We are proud to announce that Gray Matters Alliance is now a TRICARE West Region provider through TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
This is something our team has worked toward for a long time.
But this is not what matters most to us.
What matters is what it can make possible for the people we serve.
This milestone gives Gray Matters Alliance another pathway to support military-connected individuals and families with person-centered technology, equipment, accessibility solutions, and related services based on individual needs and coverage requirements.
Our approach remains the same.
We start with the person.
We listen to what they want to accomplish.
We look at the environment, the barriers, the people supporting them, and the tools that may help make greater independence possible.
Then we build from there.
Serving those who have served, and the families who stand beside them, is a responsibility we take seriously.
We are grateful to everyone on our team who helped us reach this point, and we are excited about what comes next.
If you are a TRICARE West beneficiary, family member, case manager, healthcare professional, or organization and would like to learn more about how Gray Matters Alliance may be able to help, we would be glad to have that conversation.

TRICARE West, we are ready to serve.

08/31/2026

Deer season is getting closer. So is our September newsletter.

This month, we're talking about something we believe strongly:
The outdoors should be for everyone.

Adaptive hunting isn't just about finding one piece of equipment.

It's getting to the property.
Getting positioned.
Staying warm.
Staying connected.
Planning for weather.
And making sure the support around the person works throughout the entire adventure.

Our September issue of the Gray Matters Alliance newsletter takes a closer look at adaptive outdoor equipment, planning, technology, and practical considerations for getting people back outside.

Subscribe before Issue 02 drops:
https://lnkd.in/gEfcsDWC⁠

08/25/2026

"Can this person be alone?"

It comes up in almost every planning meeting.

What supports would make safe independence possible?

That reframe is why we wrote our latest article. Five signs it may be time to consider remote support:

1. Greater independence is already the goal
2. Support is needed, but constant physical presence may not be
3. The team needs awareness, not more alerts
4. The technology already in place does not work together
5. The current support model may be limiting the next step toward independence

Remote support should never begin with the technology. It begins with the person.

Read all five: https://graymattersalliance.com/signs-time-to-consider-remote-support/

Case managers, provider teams, and families: if you are weighing this for someone right now, we are glad to think it through with you. Reach out today at [email protected]

08/21/2026

Never stop getting better.

That is something we live by at Gray Matters Alliance.

Always keep learning.
Always keep innovating.
Always look for better ways to serve.
Always strengthen the systems, policies, and safeguards behind the work.

Progress is not only about new technology.

Sometimes it is improving a process, refining a policy, listening more closely, strengthening security, or simply asking how we can do better.

This weekend, we are taking a little time to refresh, recharge, and come back ready to keep building.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Keep learning. Keep refining. Keep getting better.