Project THRIVE: MSU launches $250K initiative to transform teen mental health in Flint

FLINT, Michigan — In 2024, nearly one in four Genesee County high school students (23.2%) reported seriously considering suicide in the past year — a reminder of the ongoing mental health crisis facing Flint’s youth. In response, Michigan State University (MSU) is launching Project THRIVE, a $250,000, community-driven initiative aimed at transforming how mental health support is delivered to teenagers in Genesee County.

The two-year project, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, equips trusted Flint residents with the tools to provide evidence-based mental health support in familiar, community spaces.

Leading the initiative is Dr. Crystal Cederna, a pediatric psychologist and associate professor at MSU’s Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. After 14 years serving more than 4,000 youth and families at Hurley Medical Center as a clinician, Cederna says she’s seen firsthand how the current system leaves too many young people behind.

“Our current mental health care system is failing our kids and families,” says Cederna. “The number of times I’ve heard a child say, ‘I’ve never told anyone this before’ has stuck with me. Our kids don’t have safe spaces to be heard and to get the help they need, and that’s not a reality I can accept.”

Unlike traditional top-down programs, Project THRIVE is being built with Flint residents, not for them. Every team member is a Flint resident, parent, caregiver, educator, and advocate who understands the realities young people face.

“Residents of Flint have been involved in everything from naming the program and choosing its setting to shaping the activities,” Cederna explained. “This is about co-constructing a program with the community so it truly reflects their values, needs, and hopes for their teens.”

Programming will take place at Church Without Walls Ministries, a longstanding faith-based community hub known for its youth engagement. Cederna says this decision was intentional.

“Spiritual support spaces are a prominent source of wellness in the community,” she says. “People already go there regularly, and barriers to access are lower than in traditional healthcare settings. Partnering with Church Without Walls allows us to break down stigma and normalize talking about mental health.”

She adds that Project THRIVE aims to make discussing mental health as natural as talking about “what’s for dinner.”

“Youth face complex social and environmental stressors, some of which we can’t quickly eliminate,” she said. “We’re involving teens directly in developing and evaluating the program, asking what stress, depression, and anxiety look like for them and what thriving means in their eyes.”

That feedback loop, she added, will continue throughout the program to ensure Project THRIVE evolves alongside the community it serves.

Over the next two years, the project will measure outcomes such as reduced depression and anxiety, increased help-seeking behavior, and improved access to care. But Cederna says success isn’t just about numbers.

“I’m a researcher, but I’m really a clinician, a mom, and a Genesee County resident first,” she says. “We’ll evaluate what matters most to residents, how the program changes lives, and how we can sustain it long-term.”

If the model proves successful, Project THRIVE could become a blueprint for community-based mental health nationwide.

“Every child deserves accessible, high-quality, culturally responsive mental health care,” Cederna says. “The sky’s the limit for how far we can go if we continue building programs that meet youth where they are.”