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Renew Living Solutions
Case Study | May 26, 2026
Case Study | May 26, 2026
Arukah: A Hub for Healing
Developing Structured Initiatives to Drive Greater Mental Health Efforts & Mindset Transformation with Impactful Programs
Detroit has one of the highest chronic disease rates within the United States, with an emphasis on declining mental health across SE Michigan counties.
Across Detroit and the greater Southeast Michigan area, a quiet mental health crisis is unfolding—from anxious teens to burned-out caregivers. Arukah Restores is reshaping care by bringing it into everyday spaces through trusted community members—restoring connection, dignity, and hope while proving that compassionate, scalable programs can transform lives and strengthen communities.
- >19individuals and families reached
- >87.5%demonstrated strong understanding and application of emotional regulation concepts
- 5–12xSROI generated
The Challenge
Arukah has been challenged to help Detroiters navigate a maze of realities and obstacles to spark change in the current mental health landscape. Recently, the non-profit has found itself responding to – rather than driving – the narrative for the industry.
According to 2019 research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 1.3 million adult Michiganders have a mental health condition. About 38 percent of these individuals are not receiving adequate care. Nearly one in five Michigan youth have at least one mental health condition, and in Michigan, where the prevalence of mental health disorders mirrors national figures, 13 percent reported having a depressive episode in 2017. Of those experiencing depression, fewer than half have been able to access care.
Arukah and Renew Living Solutions (RLS) are no strangers to this problem, as our collective efforts are geared toward enriching and equipping our community with foundational support, actionable tools & skills, and real-world scenarios that spark real change here in Detroit. Before the program officially began, there was also significant consideration given to how Renew Detroit would be received within the community. One of the greatest challenges during development was navigating the uncertainty surrounding participation and engagement. Conversations around mental health, emotional healing, and trauma can still carry stigma, particularly within communities where survival often takes priority over emotional processing. There were concerns about whether families would feel safe enough to participate openly or whether they would fear judgment.
According to 2019 research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 1.3 million adult Michiganders have a mental health condition. About 38 percent of these individuals are not receiving adequate care. Nearly one in five Michigan youth have at least one mental health condition, and in Michigan, where the prevalence of mental health disorders mirrors national figures, 13 percent reported having a depressive episode in 2017. Of those experiencing depression, fewer than half have been able to access care.
Arukah and Renew Living Solutions (RLS) are no strangers to this problem, as our collective efforts are geared toward enriching and equipping our community with foundational support, actionable tools & skills, and real-world scenarios that spark real change here in Detroit. Before the program officially began, there was also significant consideration given to how Renew Detroit would be received within the community. One of the greatest challenges during development was navigating the uncertainty surrounding participation and engagement. Conversations around mental health, emotional healing, and trauma can still carry stigma, particularly within communities where survival often takes priority over emotional processing. There were concerns about whether families would feel safe enough to participate openly or whether they would fear judgment.
The potential: Families and caregivers see the value in mindset transformation but don’t know where to start
Arukah believes that restoration must begin in the mind. RLS believes that The nonprofit's guiding principle for the program is that a thriving mindset is an empowering approach to life characterized by resilience, growth, and proactive engagement, seeing challenges as opportunities, believing abilities can develop, taking ownership, and focusing energy on controllable, meaningful actions rather than being limited by fear or perfectionism. "I believe many people recognize that there are areas within themselves that need healing or patterns that need to change, but uncovering wounds, trauma, unhealthy narratives, or limiting beliefs can feel overwhelming in itself." says Lauren Slade. Awareness alone does not automatically create transformation. In many cases, individuals are able to identify the existence of emotional pain or unhealthy thought patterns but lack the support systems, tools, and guidance necessary to address those issues in a healthy and sustainable way.
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At Arukah, we understand that everything begins in the mind. We needed someone who could help our families recognize the power of their thoughts and understand how shifting their mindset can transform their families for the better.
Our Solution
Renew Living Solutions helped Arukah develop & facilitate a 9-week mindset restoration program, created a data-collection & community engagement system to deliver compelling data and stories about the community, and outlined an ongoing approach to tracking participant and community data. From the earliest stages of development, collaboration played a central role in shaping the program. A major priority was ensuring that everyone involved in the creation process genuinely aligned with Arukah’s mission for families while also bringing the professional expertise necessary to responsibly support communities impacted by trauma and chronic stress. Because Renew Detroit was designed around mindset restoration and emotional wellness, it was essential that the program be developed with both compassion and clinical awareness.
"From the beginning, I knew I wanted to work with someone who had experience supporting communities impacted by trauma and who would genuinely be able to see, understand, and support our families," says Lauren Slade, founder and president of Arukah Restores. This intentional approach led to the collaboration with Amber Colvin, Renew Living Solutions' principal consultant, whose experience supporting individuals through healing and mindset transformation helped provide structure and direction for the vision. Amber's previous work contributed to creating a framework that centered emotional restoration while remaining practical and accessible for families. "That is what led me to reaching out to Renew Living Solutions and collaborating with Amber. Her knowledge, experience, and approach to healing made her a great fit for helping us build out the vision for Renew Detroit." In addition, Crystal, a licensed counselor, was brought into the development process to ensure the program approached emotional healing in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner. Her involvement helped guide the mental health considerations of the curriculum while ensuring that the program followed appropriate regulations and best practices related to emotional wellness and trauma-informed care.
"From the beginning, I knew I wanted to work with someone who had experience supporting communities impacted by trauma and who would genuinely be able to see, understand, and support our families," says Lauren Slade, founder and president of Arukah Restores. This intentional approach led to the collaboration with Amber Colvin, Renew Living Solutions' principal consultant, whose experience supporting individuals through healing and mindset transformation helped provide structure and direction for the vision. Amber's previous work contributed to creating a framework that centered emotional restoration while remaining practical and accessible for families. "That is what led me to reaching out to Renew Living Solutions and collaborating with Amber. Her knowledge, experience, and approach to healing made her a great fit for helping us build out the vision for Renew Detroit." In addition, Crystal, a licensed counselor, was brought into the development process to ensure the program approached emotional healing in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner. Her involvement helped guide the mental health considerations of the curriculum while ensuring that the program followed appropriate regulations and best practices related to emotional wellness and trauma-informed care.
Arukah Founder & President Lauren Slade explains Renew Detroit volunteer responsibilities & class content to Andre during one of the program days. All photography by Amber Colvin.
Mental health challenges do not discriminate by age. Across Detroit, people are struggling; older adults are carrying something just as heavy: trauma, loneliness, depression, and the same things for the children they care for. Until recently, there were few places for people to turn for timely mental health support. Long waiting lists and limited specialist capacity has meant help often comes too late—if it comes at all. The goal of Renew Detroit is to expand access to evidence-based mental healthcare through partnering with trusted clinical and non-specialist providers (people already embedded in daily community life) including our trauma informed practitioner Amber Colvin and Lincoln Behavioral Services to deliver structured, clinically-proven interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and problem-solving therapy under specialist supervision. Arukah is focused on helping families overcome mental barriers and cultivate mindsets that support long-term growth and healing.
Every Saturday afternoon for two hours, 9 families residing in Detroit came to gather and take part in a program that promised to give them to tools they needed to cultivate healthier mindsets within their families. Arukah made sure the Renew Detroit Program left no stone unturned when it came to the family experience. Fresh, full, healthy meals at the beginning of each session from a local caterer, family celebration time to cultivate trust and positive reinforcement, and the general camaraderie made every moment worth it for each family. The smallest details matter, and the families expressed it through the changes they've made in their families.
Every Saturday afternoon for two hours, 9 families residing in Detroit came to gather and take part in a program that promised to give them to tools they needed to cultivate healthier mindsets within their families. Arukah made sure the Renew Detroit Program left no stone unturned when it came to the family experience. Fresh, full, healthy meals at the beginning of each session from a local caterer, family celebration time to cultivate trust and positive reinforcement, and the general camaraderie made every moment worth it for each family. The smallest details matter, and the families expressed it through the changes they've made in their families.
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I don't believe my job in this program is to "teach" anyone here anything new. My job here is to show you what you already have inside of you.
“Sometimes our kids bring us conflict and we don’t know what to do, what to say, how to help.
This program gave me the tools to allow my daughter to have a safe space to open up."
- Shamyka Hubbard, Renew Detroit Participant
This program gave me the tools to allow my daughter to have a safe space to open up."
- Shamyka Hubbard, Renew Detroit Participant
Parents also shared gratitude for the positive impact of this program: “Sometimes our kids bring us conflict and we don’t know what to do, what to say, how to help." Says Shamyka Hubbard, an active member and participant of both Renew Living Solutions and Arukah's programs. Shamyka commits much of her time completing programs and attending events that allow her to grow and learn skills to move toward a better life overall.
"This program gave me the tools to allow my daughter to have a safe space to open up. Thanks to the program, we now have a better way to communicate. I look back months before now, I would have faces certain conflict with my daughter much differently than I do now.”
"This program gave me the tools to allow my daughter to have a safe space to open up. Thanks to the program, we now have a better way to communicate. I look back months before now, I would have faces certain conflict with my daughter much differently than I do now.”
Scaling Beyond Detroit
Renew Living Solutions and Arukah Restores are becoming strong examples of how community-centered organizations can address growing emotional wellness and mindset restoration needs within families and underserved communities. Through the development of programs such as Renew Detroit, both organizations have demonstrated the importance of combining trauma-informed care, community collaboration, and mindset transformation to create safe spaces where healing and personal growth can take place. Their work highlights how emotional wellness programming can move beyond traditional approaches by integrating lived experience, relational support, and practical tools for sustainable change.
To support the continued expansion of healing-centered programming in other communities, the development process behind Renew Detroit offers a framework for how organizations can intentionally build programs that address emotional wellness in accessible and culturally responsive ways. Drawing from collaboration between Renew Living Solutions, Arukah Restores, mental health professionals, and community voices, the program illustrates the importance of creating environments where families feel supported rather than judged as they navigate healing and mindset transformation.
The Renew Detroit model emphasizes several key conditions necessary for long-term impact and sustainability. These include strong partnerships with trauma-informed practitioners and licensed mental health professionals, community trust-building, incorporation of lived experiences into program design, and the creation of spaces that prioritize emotional safety and relational connection. The program also demonstrates the importance of addressing mindset, communication, emotional regulation, and healing from past experiences as foundational components of strengthening family systems and promoting healthier communities.
To support the continued expansion of healing-centered programming in other communities, the development process behind Renew Detroit offers a framework for how organizations can intentionally build programs that address emotional wellness in accessible and culturally responsive ways. Drawing from collaboration between Renew Living Solutions, Arukah Restores, mental health professionals, and community voices, the program illustrates the importance of creating environments where families feel supported rather than judged as they navigate healing and mindset transformation.
The Renew Detroit model emphasizes several key conditions necessary for long-term impact and sustainability. These include strong partnerships with trauma-informed practitioners and licensed mental health professionals, community trust-building, incorporation of lived experiences into program design, and the creation of spaces that prioritize emotional safety and relational connection. The program also demonstrates the importance of addressing mindset, communication, emotional regulation, and healing from past experiences as foundational components of strengthening family systems and promoting healthier communities.
Our Experts
- Amber ColvinFounder & Principal ConsultantKnown for her steady, reliable, rejecting-the-status-quo demeanor, Amber is a strategic advocate for holistic health implementation, driven by a deep-seated belief that our highest performance is rooted in the simplest of our habits.