The Community Healing Initiative (CHI) was born out of a pilot program, launched in 2021, by a small group of community-based organizations concerned about the mental health crisis among teens exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaborative project intended to build the capacity of individuals and organizations who support Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) families with mental health needs, provide them with tools to respond to increasing suicide rates among teens, and support them in their own healing journeys.

During the pilot phase between 2021 and 2022, we primarily worked through gathering events such as Liberating Minds, Youth Healing Justice Retreats, Circle Keeper trainings, and peer-to-peer suicide prevention trainings. During the retreats, we incorporated ancestral and cultural practices as well as diverse approaches to learning such as somatic practices, community building, art, music, movement, and storytelling. 

Between 2021-2013, the Community Healing Initiative (CHI) and partner organizations conducted 3 Liberating Minds retreats, 4 Circle Keeper trainings, and 3 QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer.) suicide prevention trainings for youth ages 16+. We trained over 100 Black & Latinx youth from across North Carolina during that period. 

Between 2023 and 2026 the initiative was housed at the Education Justice Alliance (EJA) and it was coordinated by Fernando Martinez.

Just as our parents and grandparents sowed, cultivated, and harvested the land, we believe it is now time to sow in a different way, and we have moved to downtown Raleigh, where we hope to grow and cultivate community.