Project Grant H79SM091353

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $600,000 to the University of Illinois at Chicago on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to establish Project THRIVE, a trauma-informed workforce development initiative.

Project THRIVE, led by the Urban Youth Trauma Center at UIC, will provide specialized training, consultation, and technical assistance to expand evidence-based, integrated treatment for youth and families affected by traumatic stress, interpersonal violence, and co-occurring behavioral health challenges. The initiative will train community mental health clinicians, school-based counselors, juvenile justice staff, police and law enforcement, substance use providers, and community-based youth workers serving high-need populations. THRIVE targets youth ages 11–18 and their families concentrated in high-violence neighborhoods, particularly those presenting with PTSD and trauma-related conditions alongside co-occurring substance use disorders and disruptive behavior disorders, including multi-system-involved youth across mental health, juvenile justice, and school settings. The program will build cross-system workforce capacity to implement evidence-based practice protocols including Trauma Systems Therapy for Adolescent Substance Abuse, Strengths for Trauma Resilience, and Overcoming Growing, alongside community-based prevention programming such as Hip-Hop H.E.A.L.S. and Youth Violence Prevention Engagement. Performance occurs in Chicago, Illinois with plans to extend to partner cities nationwide. The award extends through September 29, 2031.