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719-255-8227   grit@uccs.edu

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About us

The Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at UCCS

The Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at UCCS (the Institute) was established in 2002, originally as the Trauma, Health and Hazards Center. The mission of the Institute is to advance human resilience to adversity by designing evidence-based solutions through interdisciplinary research, healing therapies, and community training and empowerment.

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Evidence-Based, Cross-Disciplinary Trauma Research

Through evidence-based, cross-disciplinary research, the Institute’s goal is to better understand the impact of trauma on mental health to create cutting-edge therapies to help individuals heal from trauma. The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary research, healing therapies, and community training and empowerment to address the complex mental health needs of those impacted by traumatic events in our local communities and worldwide.

Building Capacity in Yourself and the Community

The Institute empowers the community through peer support, resilience-based training, and a step-care model for trauma-specific treatment. This paves the way for more resilient individuals and communities.   Given the proper tools, we all have the ability to be more resilient during times of disaster and stress. 

Learn How to Help Yourself and Others

Through social support and trauma-informed resilience training, GRIT Coaches can have regular, health-promoting conversations to improve the lives of themselves as well as those around them. The Institute has worked to understand trauma, empower individuals to help those close to them, and create a pool of resources when others need resilience-related information.

Countries with GRIT Coaches

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LIFE HAPPENS. BE READY. The Greater Resilience Information Toolkit (GRIT) is a free online self-guided resilience training that can be utilized within your own social networks after your community has experienced a trauma.

GRIT TRAINING

“I had one conversation with an 11-year-old girl. I am a physician. She has been my patient for many years. She and her mother came to [the] clinic for an asthma follow-up appointment and with COVID questions. I asked her about ‘worry’ or anxiety in her life and she said ‘yes.’ We had a conversation. I gave the mother GRIT info and we discussed other resources. Also at my office we have offered our employees (about 30 people) time on the clock to do 5-6 hours of GRIT training and shared the website info with them.”

“I feel like I was able to connect with a peer and a staff member. While the meeting remained professional, I feel like I connected with them in a more personal or meaningful way. It wasn’t all about ‘work,’ it was about how they are doing.”

“I was able to reach out to my community partners during a meeting last week. Our last couple of meetings had been canceled due to COVID and I was able to arrange a zoom meeting. I organized a check in with everyone and they all spoke about what their agencies were doing related to COVID to help their clients, consumers, patients, etc. I spoke about the importance of taking care of ourselves, that we cannot continue to help others if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. I was able to share the information about GRIT training with them.”