Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities

02/18/2026

🎓 Meet Our Expert: Kalie Kowalski

Meet Kalie Kowalski, who brings valuable expertise to the Thrive Center through her work as the Cultural and Linguistic Competence–Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Professional Development Associate at the Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC). She also serves as the Director of Training for the Georgetown University Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND).

Kalie's work focuses on supporting training initiatives for diverse audiences, including persons with lived experience of disability, practitioners, and organizations that provide supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. She integrates cultural and linguistic competence as evidence-based practice to facilitate systems-level change that enables youth, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to thrive in their communities.

With an interdisciplinary background as a speech language pathologist, early interventionist, and educator, Kalie is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Maryland-College Park, further deepening her commitment to advancing the field. Kalie’s passion for equity and systems change makes her an invaluable member of the Thrive Center team!

02/12/2026

"It's easy to break something. It's really hard to build and transform something."

Dr. Sunny Patel describes himself as "an incrementalist with radical feelings," pragmatic about building on what works rather than tearing everything down.

In our conversation, he identified concrete paths forward: leveraging EPSDT (a guaranteed benefit for children on Medicaid) to its full potential, learning from state policy experiments, investing in upstream prevention rather than just crisis intervention.

The first principle: children don't exist in isolation. They only exist in the context of caregivers. How do we wholly support that unit?

That's the paradigm shift this moment calls for.

Full episode: link in comments

Onwards,

Matt Biel

02/10/2026

We are excited to share the Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities 2024–2025 Annual Report - our very first annual report, highlighting a year defined by innovation, growth, and collaboration.

Explore the report and learn more about the partnerships, programs, and innovations supporting children, youth, families, and communities.

⬇️ Link in the comments!

02/05/2026

New episode of Thrive Dispatches: Navigating Federal Policy in Extraordinary Times

Listen to Dr. Matt Biel’s conversation with Dr. Sunny Patel, a child psychiatrist who recently served as Senior Advisor at SAMHSA and as a White House Fellow.

Dr. Patel’s unique understanding of both the clinical realities of caring for children and the policy machinery that shapes what care is possible is an asset to anyone navigating a chaotic funding environment.

Just a few years ago, children's mental health was "maybe the one real bipartisan issue." Sunny describes the current moment differently: "chaos and uncertainty."

What does that mean for children and families? Three interconnected challenges: rhetoric planting doubt about well-established treatments, whipsaw funding that makes planning impossible, and massive Medicaid cuts on the horizon.

🎧 Link in comments.

02/04/2026

We're excited to share a new resource from Thrive team member Emily Aron! As part of her private practice work, Emily developed the "Safer-First Phone Guide," which helps parents navigate their child's phone use through strategies that reduce conflict and protect developing minds.

The guide includes clear comparisons of starter devices, practical setup steps for both Apple and Android, layered guardrails that work automatically and prevent arguments, and family modeling strategies that matter more than rules.

Download the free guide on Emily's website at www.emilyaron.com!

02/03/2026

🎓 Meet Our Expert: Lan Le

We're excited to spotlight Lan Le, Research Director for the Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Programs Initiative at the National Center for Education in MCH, a partner of the Thrive Center. In this role, Lan leads a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to developing "What Works Evidence Accelerators" and other vital resources that highlight strategies and promising practices to help Title V programs advance health outcomes for MCH populations. During her career, Lan's research has made significant contributions across multiple critical areas, including children's behavioral health, social emotional development in early childhood, mood disorders in children and adolescents, post-traumatic stress disorder, pediatric oncology, service and systems change, and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes.

Her work reflects a deep commitment to translating research into action, and she is passionate about bridging the gap between evidence and practice to support the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families. Lan's dedication to advancing MCH through rigorous research and practical application makes her an invaluable member of the Thrive Center team.

01/27/2026

We're excited to spotlight MelKisha Knight, who serves as the Project Coordinator for the OPWDD-GU NCCC Partnership for Systems Change project. In this role, MelKisha works collaboratively with team members to provide comprehensive administrative and technical support that keeps the project running smoothly. Her responsibilities span from assisting with scheduling team meetings and tracking action items to supporting the preparation of reports and deliverables. She also monitors the project's email account to ensure timely responses to inquiries and requests. Through her attention to detail and organizational skills, MelKisha helps ensure that work plan activities stay on track and the team remains aligned in their efforts.

MelKisha brings more than a decade of experience as an administrative professional to the Thrive Center, having provided high-level support to teams across various departments throughout her career. Her strengths as a communicator and problem-solver enable her to build positive relationships at all levels of an organization, making her an invaluable team member. We are grateful to have her expertise supporting the Thrive Center!

01/23/2026

Amittia Parker, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Thrive Center, recently participated in the 2026 Annual Social for Social Work and Research Conference, performing an original poem, "Help That Is Stressful", which amplifies Black mothers' experiences navigating racism, inadequate healthcare, and biased support systems while seeking culturally responsive care.

Amittia presented at a session focused on Black mothers' urgent need for peer networks and other supports, as well as social worker training that centers shared decision-making and community-rooted care that honors their voices and lived experiences.

Congratulations, Amittia!

01/22/2026

Sunny Patel, Associate Professor at the Thrive Center, was recently quoted in an article by The Guardian about the federal government's recent decisions to cut, and then reinstate, nearly $2 billion in funding to mental health grants.

Sunny described the reversal as "a good thing for the American people," however, cautioned that "we should view these actions in their whole...this administration has shown its political project to systematically dismantle the behavioral health system.”

Read more of Sunny's comments in the full article here:

Health department unexpectedly announced nearly $2bn in program cuts Tuesday before rolling back decision

01/21/2026

We're so excited about this Forbes article featuring The Thrive Center's Innovation Hub!

Discover how we're transforming children's mental health from awareness into action—partnering with innovators to build evidence-based solutions that combine cutting-edge technology with irreplaceable human connection.

From reducing barriers to care to reaching families earlier, we're building an innovation ecosystem where support doesn't just arrive once—it becomes a foundation.

Access the full article below to see how Thrive Center is scaling solutions that actually reach families!

01/14/2026

"Moving into adulthood is a great time to figure out your boundaries. Stay curious about your feelings and don't be afraid to speak up for yourself. "

The Haven Resource Center's video, “Hot Potato - A Guide for Setting Boundaries” helps young adults understand how to set boundaries, and also provides them with some practical tools for setting their own with their families.

👀 Watch the video here:

Feeling stuck in a never-ending game of emotional hot potato with your family? 🥔😓In our latest animation, "Family Hot Potato: Cooling the Drama with 'I' St...