The goal of this project was to develop a tool to assess community-level resilience factors that serve as benchmarks for the Leading Health Indicators of Healthy People 2010. From 2002 - 2004, THRIVE was developed and pilot tested in New York City (East Harlem, South Bronx, and Central Brooklyn), Del Paso Heights (Suburban Sacramento, CA), and in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. These sites reported strong value in using the framework to emphasize resilience, increase participation by community residents, and help communicate health impacts to multiple sectors. The process and outcomes were documented in The American Journal of Public Health (Dec. 2005; Vol. 95, No. 12).

A diverse national expert panel provided guidance throughout the process. The pilot process confirmed the tools utility in rural and urban settings and for community members as well as practitioners and local policy makers. The pilots confirmed that THRIVE can help local decision-makers close the health gap. It includes collateral materials such as training materials and a 5-step process to translate the THRIVE results into concrete changes in local policies, programs and priorities.

THRIVE is a framework to understand how structural drivers play out at the community level to impact community conditions, and consequently, health, safety and health equity. It also helps us to understand how community change can push back against the structural drivers. The overarching goal of THRIVE is to promote health and safety and reduce health inequities. THRIVE is an opportunity to identify effective investments that are prioritized by and resonate with community members.

THRIVE is designed for local initiatives led by community health workers, community development corporations, community-based service providers, community organizers, health clinics, hospitals, public health professionals, and other health equity advocates interested in sustainable community-driven efforts to advance health equity.

The U.S. Office of Minority Health funded the initial development and piloting of the tool in the 3 U.S. locales mentioned above. The California Endowment provided resources for the initial research and conceptualization of the THRIVE factors, as well as for subsequent modifications to reflect language that was less research based and more community friendly. The Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC) provided resources to translate the factors and other information and resources into a web-based tool that makes health-equity approaches available to the public in general and to underserved communities in particular. CTFC helps underserved communities secure social justice, access, and equity through the application of information and communications technologies.