Rooted Tuscaloosa

10/09/2026

Liz and Jessica loved celebrating the grand reopening of the Betty Shirley Clinic at University Medical Center yesterday!

Access to quality mental healthcare makes such a difference for individuals and families in our community. We’re excited to see the lives touched by this expanded space and look forward to opportunities for Rooted to partner in the future. What a wonderful investment in West Alabama! 💚

10/09/2026

10/06/2026

Rooted is heading into year three!

We’ve been a little quieter on social, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy behind the scenes. We started with conversations about the things we wished existed for families needing a little extra support. At some point, we stopped wishing and started building.

Since then, we’ve grown through partnerships, events, conversations and a community that keeps showing up.

We’re excited for what year three brings and for some of the big dreams we’re finally starting to put into a plan. What’s your favorite Rooted memory so far? 🌿

09/30/2026

Spent the morning at Huntington Place Elementary for their Passion Project Fair!

Huntington Place has been named a National School of Character for the second year in a row! They’re not just teaching kids to be kind but teaching them to notice needs, think critically, care about their community, and believe they can help solve problems.

We talked with students about inclusion, belonging, and the small ways they can make space for someone else.

There is so much value in raising children to be civic-minded, solution-focused, lifelong learners who understand that they have a role to play in making their community better.

Thanks for letting us be a part of it, Wildcats 😻💙🤍

09/22/2026

After seven weeks away, Mandy is finally coming home. She’s walking again with support and has made so much progress.

This week is for being home, resting, and settling back in before easing into school next week. We’re so grateful for how far she’s come and for everyone who has loved and prayed for her along the way.

We will be dancing together soon!

09/04/2026

It’s that time of year again. ❤️🏈

If gameday gets a little too loud or overwhelming, come find our Sensory Activation Vehicle on the Quad in front of Carmichael Hall on Colonial Drive.

Take a quiet break, reset, or check out a sensory bag (not allowed in stadium).

Gameday should feel accessible for everyone!

07/22/2026

That’s a wrap on our summer programming 🌊🌞Thank you to TPL Children's and Teens Kristen Amerson Fdn., Inc. Tuscaloosa City Schools Barnes YMCA for partnering with us as we learned to ride the wave of big feels back to calm!

Interested in having us this fall? Email [email protected] as we begin planning our next year!

06/23/2026

Riding the wave of summer with Rooted 🌊☀️

We’ve enjoyed being in our Tuscaloosa City Schools and community like TPL Children's and Teens talking about all things related to big feels. Thank you for partnering with us Kristen Amerson Fdn., Inc..

pause 🫶 say it 🫶 go through it 🫶 express it 🫶

05/04/2026

People love to call mothers of children with disabilities “strong” but very few ask what that strength is costing them.

Caregivers of children with special needs experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout than the average parent.

Research is clear: caregiver mental health directly impacts the wellbeing of the child and entire family yet most systems focus only on treating the child while ignoring the person holding everything together.

This Mother’s Day, during Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to do something tangible about that.

The Rooted Family Support Fund can be used for support not only for the child, but for the caregiver too including therapy, respite, and other family-centered care.

Because whole family support matters.

Applications open through May 20.
Apply at rootedtuscaloosa.com/family-support-fund

05/02/2026

Most families raising children with additional needs are carrying more than anyone sees, and paying for more than anyone realizes.

So we did something about it.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we wanted to launch our Rooted Family Support Fund. This offers practical financial support for the therapies, equipment, programs, and care that families are often left to cover alone.

Because support should be more than awareness. It should be tangible.

Huge thanks to the Community Foundation of West Alabama for funding this pilot and believing in the families we serve. Our hope is to grow this program and help families across our community and beyond 🌱.

Applications are open now through May 20. rootedtuscaloosa.com/family-support-fund