Healing veterans and first responders through research
May 26, 2025
Jason P. Mihalik, a professor in the department of exercise and sport science and director of the Matthew Gfeller Center, helps veterans and first responders as chief executive officer of the THRIVE Program (photo by Jeyhoun Allebaugh/UNC-Chapel Hill).
In 2021, Carolina researcher Jason P. Mihalik launched the THRIVE (Transforming Health and Resilience in Veterans) Program in the College of Arts and Sciences to provide intensive, holistic care to veterans and first responders.
Established within the Matthew Gfeller Center thanks to a $12.5 million gift from the Avalon Action Alliance, the THRIVE Program 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. The THRIVE Program has helped nearly 300 participants since its inception, and its ever-expanding slate of activities aims to benefit many more in the coming years.
We recently talked with Mihalik about how the program has evolved since 2021, where it’s headed and how research about veterans’ health has played a crucial role in shaping the programming.
Q: To date, the THRIVE Program has served close to 300 participants. What does this milestone mean to you?
A: 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.
Q: What new information regarding research and programs can you share with us?
A: 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. We’re asking: Can we meaningfully shift neurobehavioral symptoms? Once symptoms improve, can we maintain those gains as our participants reintegrate into life, family and community? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we make those solutions scalable for others who aren’t yet able to access programs like the THRIVE Program and those we partner with in the Avalon Action Alliance?
Q: How have new insights gained from research on the lived experiences of veterans and first responders contributed to the care you can provide through the THRIVE Program?
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 (polytrauma) that many of our participants face as they move into retirement.
Q: Since its inception, the THRIVE Program has helped spawn auxiliary projects, including SALUTE and the Vets for Words book club. How are those initiatives going?
A: Both initiatives are thriving. SALUTE (Spouses and Loved Ones United Through Encouragement) 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.
Q: You now have a waitlist for services. What does that signal about the demand for programs like the THRIVE Program, and 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.
To learn more about the THRIVE Program, including its eligibility requirements and ways to support the initiative, visit the THRIVE Program web page.
Interview by Calley Jones, College of Arts and Sciences
