Trust-Based Relational
Intervention
Building Trusting Relationships That Heal
Children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect need caring relationships where they feel safe, supported, and truly connected. Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) offers caregivers practical, compassionate tools to respond to challenging behaviors in ways that build trust, foster resilience, and help meet each child’s core needs.
Introduction
Developed by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU, TBRI® is an evidence-based, trauma-informed approach rooted in the science of attachment and designed to support healing and connection. It focuses on three core principles:
• Empowering Principles for physical needs
• Connecting Principles for attachment needs
• Correcting Principles to manage fear-based behaviors
TBRI® emphasizes connection, drawing on research in attachment, sensory processing and neuroscience. It includes training and consultation for birth parents, relative parents, resource parents, staff, and external entities like schools and juvenile justice facilities.
MACF'S Role and Growth
Since June 2019, MACF has been implementing TBRI® with six practitioners and one specialist, providing in-home, phone and virtual consultations. We have expanded external training requests, reaching various care facilities and schools.
MACF has been approved to use the TBRI® Caregiver Curriculum, a 24-hour training for licensed relative and resource parents.
Key TBRI® Strategies
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Connecting Principles: Focus on Mindful Awareness and Engagement, using behavioral matching, playful interactions, eye contact, healthy touch and an authoritative voice to foster healing through nurturing relationships.
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TBRI® Camp Connect: Is a camp aimed at fostering connection between caregivers and teenagers, addressing sensory needs, and teaching behavior regulation. Pre-camp training prepares caregivers to implement TBRI® effectively.
Ongoing Support and Approach
MACF continues to support caregivers through responsive services, new parenting techniques and behavior management strategies. We prioritize relative/kinship caregivers and use wraparound services to improve placement stability. There’s a 24/7 crisis number for placement providers and a focus on good communication and youth involvement in decision-making.
