History

In 2009, after a young man was killed, a group of people in Champaign, IL, gathered and committed themselves to advocating for, promoting, and supporting efforts to increase Champaign County's initiatives to become a trauma-informed community. This was part of a System of Care transformation effort called the ACCESS Initiative.

In 2014, Champaign County applied and was accepted into the National Council for Behavioral Health's Trauma-Informed Care Learning Collaborative. A broad segment of the community participated in that process. The focus was to increase the availability of trauma-specific practices in Champaign County. 

The group’s work ebbed and flowed as the System of Care funding and initiatives concluded. It reemerged as a working group within the Champaign County Community Coalition, with a renewed focus on community-level change and transformation. With grant funding from the Champaign County Mental Health Board, the group focused on training neighborhood leaders, CU Neighborhood Champions, about trauma and trauma-informed care. This neighbor-to-neighbor model aimed to increase the community's capacity to 'take care of its own.' During that first year, we trained 35 individuals.

With new funding, interest in trauma-informed efforts grew, along with awareness of the impact of trauma and the importance of building community resilience. In late 2018, the working group decided to expand its efforts around trauma, trauma-informed care, and resilience. They formed an executive team and agreed to establish a 501(c)(3). The Trauma & Resilience Initiative, Inc. was founded in April 2019. 

In July 2025, we restructured, shifting from a focus on applying for funding to splitting into two distinct branches, including TRU Healing Solutions. Our new model prioritizes education, training, and support for on-the-ground efforts. This change enabled TRI to broaden its national reach, secure funding for ourselves, and support leaders and organizations involved in this important work on a much larger scale.