Exposure to Traumatic Events
There is a surge in mental health challenges globally, significantly impacting individuals of all ages, affecting their health, well-being, and overall prosperity. This concerning trend is fueled by the unmet needs of individuals and communities grappling with traumatic events, ranging from extreme weather conditions driven by climate change (such as floods, forest fires, and extreme heat) to interpersonal incidents (such as violence and sexual assault) and other events like transportation and workplace accidents. These traumatic events disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, migrant populations, and communities facing higher rates of poverty.
The EMPOWER Intervention
EMPOWER is committed to addressing the unmet mental health needs resulting from traumatic experiences. Our primary goal is to develop a single-session solution for peritraumatic stress, targeting immediate relief and long-term resilience.
Early single session encounters have proven to not only be effective but have demonstrated sustained benefits for addressing psychological distress among youth, and supporting individuals who have experienced trauma.
Building scalable support after acute traumatic stress
The EMPOWER Single Session Intervention project focuses on designing and evaluating BRIGHT, a brief, transdiagnostic intervention for individuals exposed to acute traumatic stress. BRIGHT is being developed to offer immediate relief while supporting longer-term resilience for people facing traumatic experiences, including interpersonal violence, climate-related events, conflict, and other forms of acute adversity.
About BRIGHT
BRIGHT is a single session intervention designed to support individuals experiencing psychological distress after a traumatic event. The intervention brings together evidence-informed strategies that can be delivered in a brief, structured format by trained frontline providers.
The goal of BRIGHT is to provide timely support during a critical period after trauma exposure, helping individuals manage acute distress, strengthen coping, and begin building pathways toward recovery and resilience.
Project partners
This project is being developed in collaboration with Baylor Scott and White Health System and the University of Texas at Arlington, with support from the Tepper Foundation.
Together, the project team is working to design, refine, and prepare BRIGHT for implementation through a digital training platform for frontline providers.
Current progress
The project team has completed foundational work to inform the BRIGHT intervention design, including evidence review and stakeholder engagement.
In 2026, the team will move into the next phase of development. This will include filming curriculum videos, finalizing knowledge and competency assessments, and beginning the process of piloting the digital training platform with frontline providers.
BRIGHT will contribute to EMPOWER’s broader mission of building a scalable mental health workforce by preparing frontline providers to deliver brief, evidence-informed support in moments of acute need.