THRIVE Research and Intervention Center
The [[thrive, THRIVE Research and Intervention Center]] exists to deepen our understanding of the factors that help individuals and communities recover from adverse life and social circumstances and promote the use of evidence-based tools that support thriving.
The Thrive Center is based on the premise that individuals have the capacity to learn how to cope effectively with life challenges and to transform suffering and despair into personal well-being and meaningful action. We also contend that targeted interventions and appropriate levels of social support can facilitate this transformation. Conversely, individuals who are unable to identify positive pathways to transform their pain will likely transmit it to others through violence and destructive action, which creates a cycle of despair and violence across generations. Developing the capacity to THRIVE has become a critical public health issue and a growing concern for society. It is our hope that the Thrive Research and Intervention Center can help to stem this public health concern and foster flourishing and well-being especially in communities that are historically disenfranchised, vulnerable, at-risk, and currently experiencing significant challenges.
We carry out this mission by:
- Conducting interdisciplinary research on thriving, especially as it relates to life meaning, social purpose, and the recovery from traumatic experiences
- Creating change agents by providing an institute and programming to train others in the best approaches to developing thriving and community change
- Developing collaborative partnerships to address the needs of vulnerable populations domestically and internationally
- Providing an avenue for research dedicated to community restoration. This center will serve as a catalyst and incubator for interdisciplinary action research
- Helping evaluate and develop mental health capacity and community well-being in developing communities nationally and internationally
- Providing research evaluations of curricula designed to foster thriving
- Advocating for local, national, and international initiatives that improve individual and community well-being
