In March, our Chief of Staff, Chris Thomas, wrote about how utilizing the DiSC assessment impacts our organization. He also pointed out how it supports our TBRI® centered culture. This month we want to take a deeper look at this culture.
TBRI®, or Trust-Based Relational Intervention, is an evidence-based, holistic, child-centered approach to care. The program was developed by the Karen Purvis Institute at Texas Christian University and continues to be heavily researched and applied in a variety of settings. TBRI® was initially created to support children and youth who have experienced trauma but has since been successful at impacting and shifting entire organizational cultures. At Goshen Valley Foundation, we have chosen TBRI as the overarching lens through which we view at each person who works at or is cared for by the organization.
In 2017, the leadership knew Goshen Valley Boys Ranch needed a programmatic approach to how we were parenting the residents. After exploring multiple options, we selected TBRI due to the promising evidence, the simplicity of the approach, and the lack of a prescriptive nature. As a state-licensed facility, we have many regulations and rules that everyone must follow, but we wanted to allow for flexibility for each individual house parent or foster parent to exercise their personalities and gifts. TBRI allows people to learn the overarching principles and then choose where they want to lean in and apply them, gradually increasing application until it permeates the culture of the home or agency.
As we began to introduce the concepts of TBRI, we realized that training tends to be quickly forgotten if not intentionally implemented, and we began a deeper investment by selecting a staff member to become a Practitioner in 2020, which requires far more intensive training. The learning and implementation of TBRI is a never-ending journey, and we began the process of carefully teaching the entire 24-hour Caregiver Package and finding new ways each year to deepen training and apply the information. As we did this, we found success in applying TBRI to our staff as much as our kids. In recent years, we have been able to invest further by selecting at least one leader from each agency within the organization to become Practitioners, and we have trained all full-time staff members in the Goshen Valley Foundation.
While DiSC provides us with a benchmark for hiring staff who are significantly different as people but altruistic in nature. TBRI® reinforces the need for all employees within the organization to understand the need for connection in personal and professional relationships. This has created an opportunity for our staff to grow by acknowledging and exploring their own histories and behaviors as much as it has given them methods to improve relationships with the kids in their home.
Trauma-informed care is knowing trauma exists. Trauma-responsive care actively applies that knowledge to meet individual needs and promote healing. One of the core tenets of TBRI is recognizing the “5 Bs.” When someone experiences trauma or toxic stress, it inevitably affects five key aspects of their life- Brain, Body, Biology, Beliefs, and Behavior. Most often, we initially realize we have an issue when we notice behavior- i.e. aggression, defiance, self-harm, withdrawal. However, we often fail to address the many effects happening under the surface; the brain is operating in survival mode and there is no longer access to rational thought, cortisol levels are through the roof, they are questioning their own sense of self-worth. When our staff members are able to identify and address these effects in themselves and in the children we serve, we are able to reach much deeper levels of change. The creator of TBRI®, Karen Purvis stated, “You cannot lead a child to a place of healing if you do not know the way yourself.” With that in mind, Goshen has determined to build an environment that supports trauma-wise care for our clients, youth and staff.
Trauma-wise care includes three interconnected strands – connection, regulation, felt-safety – that work together to create a strong braid. This interconnection allows us to function at our best as a team. Each of these strands can be found in the three principles of TBRI®.
One of the primary tenets of the TBRI® Connection principle is self-awareness or mindfulness. It requires us to consider what we are bringing with us when we interact. These may be assumptions or fears based on our own histories, or information based on our current state. Mindfulness also encourages us to be attuned to the needs of the people with whom we work each day, as well as the environment around us. Increasing self-awareness and mindfulness allows our leaders to be better managers, our people to work in felt safety and our clients to learn how to co-regulate.
Goshen has committed to ensuring that TBRI® is not a check the box tool. It is an investment that Goshen has made in its people and culture. This commitment looks like continuous coaching around how we engage with TBRI® principles, colleagues, residents and clients. The return on this investment can be seen in the morale of the employees. The second TBRI® principle, Empowering, promotes people finding their voice, being heard and negotiating needs. For 5 years, Goshen has been awarded the AJC Top Workplace 2021-2025. This award is determined through an anonymous survey and based on the answers provided by the employees. The work environment provides employees with space that meets both physical and ecological needs from ergonomic desks to favorite snacks to taking a walk for mental breaks. In addition, the Empowering Principle informs the ways in which we stock the food pantries in our homes, plan our recreation opportunities, and furnish the waiting rooms in our offices. We continue to listen to feedback and seek new and creative ways to meet the needs that arise. “I LOVE using the framework of TBRI as the basis of the relationships I have with the boys and feel so blessed to have the structure it offers.” – Rachel Schmalzriedt, TBRI® Practitioner
The third TBRI® principle of Correction provides a framework to remind us of the necessary balance between the relational and industrial mindset. Our mindset determines how we respond or react to difficult situations. TBRI encourages us to consider shifting from an assumption of willful disobedience to survival. Most people respond from their core needs and fears when they are under stress, and if we can see and address those needs, we can de-escalate situations in ways that are safer, more efficient, and more effective. We must ask, “are we automatically assuming the worst in every situation or are we curiously exploring whether the necessary tools are present for this person/group? What story are we telling ourselves about each situation?” Being open to considering these options allows us to identify and meet needs, ranging from reassurance to teaching new skills.
TBRI® creates a culture that drives us to look at ourselves and our responses in the same way we examine those of our clients. How are we showing up in our conversations and interactions with each person around us? Are there ways that we can adjust to be better heard, have more understanding, and meet our own needs as well as the needs of others? This personal growth allows us to lead our youth to healing and maintain our own regulation on the journey. “We know that healing takes place in the context of relationship. That layer of emotional safety in our settings is pivotal for deeper and long-lasting healing.” – Jennifer Cooper, TBRI® Practitioner
If we are asking this of the youth in our care, isn’t it necessary to require the same thing of ourselves? “I believe the value of TBRI has not only impacted my work with the boys at Goshen but also my personal life and the relationships I have with my wife, son, extended family, friends and coworkers. Having the mindset of attempting to identify the need behind the behaviors of others has greatly enhanced my level of patience and empathy during my interpersonal relationships.” – Matt Singletary, TBRI® Practitioner