Since 2009, Aurora Residential Alternatives has been providing community-based living solutions and innovative brain injury care in Colorado.

Our homes offer a safe and stimulating environment where individuals are encouraged to achieve their highest level of independence and well-being.

Woman At Colorado Assisted Living Home Playing with Dog

Colorado Residential Options

  • Residential support for individuals with brain injuries, strokes, and dementia in a serene, natural setting.
  • Focused on fostering independence, physical well-being, and social engagement.

​The Pinery is located close to the town’s shops and restaurants, but has the feeling of a more secluded and serene rural area. There is wildlife, beautiful trees, and stunning views. We provide support and programming for up to 5 participants. The Pinery is staffed 24-hours per day.

The Pinery Assisted Living

In the warm, comfortable surroundings of The Pinery, we provide high quality residential treatment for individuals with brain injuries, strokes, and dementia. Our highly skilled staff at The Pinery assist our participants in being as independent as possible. We also provide training for individuals in the areas of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs. This significantly increases both the quality of life and the ability for participants to maintain their overall health and well-being. We believe that an important part of life is feeling the satisfaction of being able to have some level of independence and a sense of purpose. Our service model is based on the individual person. We design and deliver support and services around his or her abilities, needs, and desires.

Some examples of program components include training in the following areas:

  • Cognitive skills, including memory, speed, comprehension, sequencing, etc.
  • Activities of daily living, such as hygiene, dressing, etc.
  • Household tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, etc.
  • Fine and gross motor skills development
  • Exercise, balance, and strength
  • Money management, stress management
  • Behavioral support
  • Social skills
  • Community integration led by the individuals specific interests

For a printable 8.5″ x 11″ flyer of ARA at The Pinery, click here.

  • Customized support for individuals in shared living environments with 24-hour assistance.
  • Individualized programs supporting cognitive, emotional, and daily living skills.

Supported Living Services

Each person has unique strengths, expectations, and needs. Our highly trained and qualified support staff are available 24 hours a day to assist with the completion of activities of daily living – such as household tasks, appointments, daily community involvement – and to support each person’s individualized program plan. This support service model is available for 1 to 4 individuals within the front range area of Colorado. Homes are set up around the participant’s needs and desires and in the best location for them.

An example of our Supported Living option is one of our homes in Colorado Springs that is shared by two people who have experienced brain injuries. This model enables flexibility within the living environment and the services provided. Each participant has their own apartment within the same home, enabling them to lead their own individual lives while utilizing the same support staff.

Some examples of program components:

  • Fine and gross motor skill development
  • Cognitive work, including memory skills training, speed, comprehension, etc.
  • Household tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, etc.
  • Exercise and strength-training programs
  • Medication management
  • Social skills development
  • Money and stress management
  • Behavioral support programs
  • Community integration
  • Activities of daily living training, such as hygiene, dressing, etc.

“I love this place. I have grown a lot…physically, emotionally and mentally. I can breathe. I feel safe here!! I am free!! I am loved!! I am happy in this home. This home lets me have independent choice. I am my own person. I matter here!! Life has been positive here. I LOVE being here.”
​E.V., Supported Living Participant


“Living at the Aurora facility is really nice, especially because of the staff. I always feel safe and confident with them. We laugh with each other and most of the time we joke around. I was asked once if I would go back to my former life and I said, ’If I could I would, but I’d rather stay in this one because I like my personality better.’ I think the staff had a lot to do with that. I remember saying, ‘It’s the best place I’ve ever lived.”
​C.B., Supported Living Participant

  • Collaborative care plans that integrate health practitioners, therapists, and support staff.
  • Emphasis on individualized healthcare team selection and goal-driven progress.

For more than 30 years, Aurora Residential Alternatives has developed services to create a more normalized environment and life for our participants. We work to utilize our resources and knowledge to create the best possible team of health practitioners and therapists to support each individual’s unique needs and path to recovery.

As any person living in the community chooses their own team of therapists, doctors, etc., our participants have the same choices and can select their own health care team. We help our participants identify the most appropriate doctors and therapists that are best suited for each individual, recognizing that any one specific doctor or therapist may not necessarily be the most appropriate for every person.

Important to an individual’s recovery after a brain injury is a transdisciplinary approach that may include the following therapies:

  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Art therapy
  • Hippotherapy
  • Music therapy
  • Counseling and other health care professionals

A transdisciplinary team is one in which members come together from the beginning to jointly communicate, exchange ideas, and work together to identify solutions.

Our Case Management program provides services to our participants to ensure that all of their needs are addressed. Our staff, working closely with each participant and their entire team, coordinate a tailored service plan. They identify and connect with service providers and regularly review the support plan to ensure that each individual receives the highest level of customized service possible. Each person is unique; therefore, each plan of support is created to reflect their specific needs and desires.

Case Management Services

“I love this place. I have grown a lot…physically, emotionally and mentally. I can breathe. I feel safe here!! I am free!! I am loved!! I am happy in this home. This home lets me have independent choice. I am my own person. I matter here!! Life has been positive here. I LOVE being here.”
E.V., Supported Living Participant
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for the exemplary care you have been providing my client. I realize how difficult she can be at times, and I appreciate the ongoing effort to meet her daily needs and ever-challenging behaviors. I appreciate the enormous effort that your team provides to follow up on goals set by the therapists involved with my client as well as their creativity to promote compliance. It is certainly evident in my client’s continued gains that she is in the best possible setting and that your staff is incredibly dedicated to providing a therapeutic environment while maintaining a warm, comfortable home.”
Robin D., MSN, CCM, CMC, Life Care Solutions, Inc.

“Living at the Aurora facility is really nice, especially because of the staff. I always feel safe and confident with them. We laugh with each other and most of the time we joke around. I was asked once if I would go back to my former life and I said, ’If I could I would, but I’d rather stay in this one because I like my personality better.’ I think the staff had a lot to do with that. I remember saying, ‘It’s the best place I’ve ever lived.”

C.B., Supported Living Participant
“The staff are wonderful, caring, and professional. The consumers are quite pleased with all the services, and I would recommend Aurora to anyone who required the services.”
S.F., RN, BSN
“I suffered a traumatic brain injury 9/6/06. I know that because that is a date that will forever be etched in my mind. I am writing this letter to say that the company with whom I stayed throughout part of my rehab and recovery, which was managed and run by Mandi Mouw, helped me in so many ways I can’t even begin to list them all. Mostly, they helped me manage my ‘anger issues.’ When I got to the Springs, I was mad at the world for me being the way I was. I didn’t necessarily show it, but I was. Mandi’s staff helped me immensly. They showed me that it was possible to lead a regular life after a serious injury, like I was dealing with. During my time with them, my wife filed for divorce (adding insult to injury, so to speak), my boss when I got hurt made it official that I wasn’t ‘needed’ anymore, the list goes on and on. Through all that, I knew that the staff and Mandi were there for me. There to whine to, lending their ears to all of my personal problems (which they didn’t have to do). More than anything, I just want it to be known to the whole world that Mandi and her group of ‘counselors’ made all the difference to my recovery. Without them, it is hard telling where I would be today. Not as far along as I am, of that I am positive.”
J.O., Past Participant

“I have been specializing in traumatic brain injury since 1991 and have worked in a variety of specialized settings for TBI. The continuum of care is essential for the patient, and the transition into the community is essential for overall quality of life. Aurora Residential Alternatives is a state-of-the-art facility that gives our patients a home. Aurora provides trained staff that are caring, passionate, and flexible with goal planning and implementation, which is critical with the TBI population. It is my philosophy that functional cognitive therapy within the home setting is critical for positive outcomes with TBI, and the Aurora team is extremely effective in connecting the clinical goals within the home environment. The Aurora team works hard at integrating care and schedules staffing throughout each year. The staffings allow the patient to have a voice in their goal planning, and the teams to share ideas and progress. The patient feels empowered from the staffing because they are allowed to give input, and the staffings are instrumental on keeping everyone ‘on the same page’. Thank you to the Aurora team for making my job easy!”

Susan G. A., M. S., CCC-SLP , Neurocognitive Therapist, American Speech and Hearing Association, Colorado Speech and Hearing Association, Past Co-Chair of the Brain Injury Association
Abstract Bokeh Leaf Representing Health and Wellness

Our Approach

  • Person-Centered Care: Tailored services to meet unique needs.
  • Experienced Support Team: Trained professionals with expertise in brain injury rehabilitation.
  • Community Integration: Encouraging active participation in meaningful community activities.
  • Funding Options
  • Residential services in Colorado are funded through various programs, with private pay options available.

Funding Options

Residential services in Colorado are funded through various programs, with private pay options available.

Our People

At Aurora, our experienced and compassionate team is dedicated to empowering participants to lead happy, healthy, and independent lives. Our life skills trainers specialize in acquired brain injuries, mental health challenges, and behavioral support. We carefully select staff based on their expertise, warmth, and compassion—fostering meaningful relationships that build trust and interpersonal skills. Our goal is to create a comfortable, home-like environment where participants feel welcomed and have a voice in their daily lives, from meals to activities.

Our support staff benefit from ongoing training led by professionals with 30+ years of experience in areas such as:

  • Brain injury rehabilitation and behavioral support
  • Cognitive stimulation and skill development
  • Conflict resolution and social skills
  • Health, hygiene, and emergency response

Our Leadership Team

With over 20 years of experience in disability services, mental health, and brain injury care, Mandria is committed to empowering individuals through personalized support, skill development, and community integration.

Mandria is the Regional Coordinator and Administrator for Aurora’s Colorado program. She has worked with individuals with disabilities, mental health challenges, and brain injuries for more than 20 years. Mandria has spent time working one-on-one with these individuals, in addition to developing programs and behavioral support for each of these populations to help them to develop skills to improve their quality of life, become more independent, and to cope with the emotional and physical challenges that come with having a disability.

Mandria obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation with a Concentration in Counseling from the leading university in Vocational Rehab, UW-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. She also held a certification as a Brain Injury Specialist for several years. Mandria has 20+ years of experience and training on brain injury and mental health, and continues to expand on her knowledge while dedicating her life to helping others.

Mandria has worked in several different capacities with individuals with disabilities, including beginning as a personal caregiver or direct care professional, a recreational planner, a behavioral support planner, a vocational assistant, a job coach, life skills therapist, a house manager, program supervisor, etc. Mandria has written numerous behavioral support programs and individualized care plans for participants with brain injuries, and has successfully helped many individuals to attain their goals of independence, decrease severe behaviors, and have the ability to live with minimal or no assistance after completing a residential program.

Mandria’s education in counseling and vocational rehabilitation, as well on-going experience with helping individuals to improve interpersonal relationships, is a major focus in our work. Mandria and Courtney, along with our other staff, work one-on-one with our participants to help them to find solutions to their issues, as well as to build skills and improve in every area of their lives.

Mandria is also a certified yoga and barre instructor, and group fitness trainer, which plays an important role in helping individuals to increase their physical strength and endurance as well as increasing their cognition through the important addition of exercise and health programs.

Mandria’s interests include traveling, cooking, and various types of fitness activities, such as yoga, barre classes, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Mandria lives with her husband and two children in Castle Rock.

Courtney’s expertise in psychology and mental health fuels her passion for providing individuals with coping strategies, emotional regulation skills, and personalized care plans to enhance quality of life.
Courtney received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Washington State University. During her attendance at Washington State, she gave guest lectures on multiple mental health subjects, was a member of the Psychology Department Mentor Program, and assisted in Prevention Science research.

Courtney’s background has contributed to her passion in providing mental health assistance to individuals with disabilities and has served as a Program Manager and Life Skills Coordinator prior to becoming Program Director. Her main objectives are to provide individuals with healthy coping strategies, emotional regulation skills, and mindfulness training. Courtney has experience in creating care plans, assisting in community integration, and hosting group workshops on a variety of topics to help increase coping skills and lead emotionally healthy lives. Courtney works one-on-one with our participants to help them to attain their best life and highest level of success.

Some of Courtney’s interests include: Painting, baking, playing basketball, and attending Rockies games.

Discover Personalized Care Tailored to Your Needs

At Aurora Residential Alternatives, we’re committed to providing compassionate, community-based living solutions that empower individuals to thrive. Whether you’re exploring assisted living options for yourself or a loved one, our dedicated team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Contact us today by email or phone to learn more about our residential programs, schedule a tour, or discuss your unique care needs.

Email us or call Mandi Mouw, Regional Coordinator, at (303) 877-7965 to learn more, schedule a tour, or speak with our team about how we can support you or your loved one.

Aurora Residential Alternatives
7822 Windwood Way
Parker, CO 80134
fax: 720.328.9793