THRIVE program approaches 300-participant milestone
Researcher Jason P. Mihalik discusses how insights from service members, veterans and first responders shape the program’s treatment.
In 2021, Carolina researcher Jason P. Mihalik launched the Transforming Health and Resilience in Veterans program in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences.
THRIVE, established in the Matthew Gfeller Center with a $12.5 million gift from the Avalon Action Alliance, treats veterans, first responders and active-duty service members experiencing traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress or related disorders. Qualified applicants undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation followed by a three-week intensive outpatient program focusing on physical and mental healing.
In this interview, center director Mihalik talked about how THRIVE has evolved since 2021 and its future.
What does the milestone of serving close to 300 participants mean to you?
Reaching nearly 300 participants is both humbling and motivating. Every number represents a veteran, first responder or active-duty service member who trusted us to walk alongside them in their healing. It’s a powerful reminder that there is a real, ongoing need for brain health and trauma-informed services tailored to this population — and that our model, grounded in research and compassion, is meeting that need in meaningful ways.
What’s new with your research and programs?
We’re currently translating our research interests in the clinical work we conduct into a full-scale clinical trial focused on chronic traumatic brain injury in the populations we serve. That effort will be bolstered by private foundation funding support and will allow us to rigorously evaluate outcomes and refine our care pathways.
At the same time, we’re expanding our partnerships and integrating new health assessments that capture the complexity of lived experiences across brain, body and behavior. Our upcoming trials will examine how targeted, interdisciplinary rehabilitation affects long-term outcomes in individuals with chronic brain injury.
How have new insights gained from the lived experiences of veterans and first responders contributed to the care you provide through THRIVE?
The stories we hear and the data we collect are inseparable. Our research has shown that when we listen closely — through both structured assessments and personal narrative — we uncover important gaps in traditional care models. These insights help us prioritize individualized treatment, address stigma head-on and ensure our interventions reflect the complexity of invisible wounds, difficult transitions and the intersection of multiple traumas that many of our participants face as they move into retirement.
THRIVE has spawned auxiliary projects, including Spouses and Loved Ones United Through Encouragement and the Vets for Words book club. How are those initiatives going?
Both initiatives are thriving. SALUTE is becoming a critical space for family members to find community, validation and strategies for navigating the journey alongside their veteran, first responder or active-duty service member. In the Vets for Words book club, English teaching professor Hilary Lithgow has used her skills and experience over the last decade to create space for thoughtful reflection and shared identity. We embed this as part of formal “reading group” sessions during the THRIVE program’s intensive outpatient program. These auxiliary programs remind us that healing isn’t just clinical — it’s relational, reflective and communal.
Demand for programs like THRIVE means you have a waitlist. How are you navigating that challenge?
The waitlist underscores both the trust the community places in Carolina and its THRIVE program and the lack of available services elsewhere that match this level of care. It’s a sign of urgent and unmet need. We’re actively working to increase capacity — through new hires, expanded facilities and strategic partnerships — but this can only be made possible with the generous philanthropy of Carolina supporters. We’re also advocating at the systems level for broader change. No one should have to wait to heal.
