Empowering Teens to Thrive (ET3)

After going through a violent event, it's normal for youth to feel anxious, alone, angry, or sad. It's also common to replay the event and have trouble sleeping, focusing, or doing daily tasks.

Some teens may start to feel better in a week or two. But for others, symptoms can last longer and get in the way of their daily activities.

The Empowering Teens to Thrive (ET³) program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is for youth who have suffered violence. We're here to help you get back to feeling healthy and happy.

Contact ET³ at UPMC Children's Hospital at 412-692-6526. Ask for the ET³ program or the violence prevention social worker.

What Is ET³?

The ET³ program partners with the Violence Prevention Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health to:

Support teens who come to UPMC Children's Hospital after violent injuries.
Provide education and mental health services.
Link youth and families to support in their own neighborhoods.

Our vision is a world where all youth are healthy, safe, and thriving.

How Can ET³ Help?

ET³ provides services to youth after violent injury to promote healing and prevent re-injury.

From a strengths-based, healing-centered approach, ET3 team members work together with youth and their families to meet their needs. This can include collaborative support in some of the following ways.

Medical follow-up.
Victim's assistance.
Emotional support for traumatic stress.
Brief trauma-focused counseling.
Connection to community-based mentors.
Referrals to community-based services:
- School support.
- Legal advocacy.
- Food, housing, and transportation resources.
- Connecting with community.

ET³ Mentoring Program

The ET³ program's team of skilled mentors provides:

One-on-one mentoring to teens injured or impacted by violence.
Community-based, healing-centered mentorship for young people and their families.

We work closely with our mentees to help them achieve their personal goals.

Our Youth Violence Prevention Experts

Lauren Stoner, LCSW, MSW, MPIA, Therapist, Lead Violence Prevention Specialist
Alison Culyba, MD, PhD, MPH, Program Director, Division Director of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
Keona Blankenship, Lead Mentor, Violence Prevention Program Coordinator
Joyce, Eveleth, LSW, Social Worker, Violence Prevention Specialist
Morgan Tanilli, MSW, Social Worker, Violence Prevention Specialist