TBRI Animate: Human Trafficking

“Relationship-based trauma must be healed relationally.”

– Dr. Karyn Purvis

Over the past twenty years, our institute has seen TBRI®, applied across various communities of care and practice. Through a partnership with the Office of the Texas Governor Child Sex Trafficking Team, our Institute is currently involved in a statewide project focused on implementing TBRI with professionals who support survivors of sex-trafficking and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

(more…)

Connected Educators Episode 8

Andi West

We continue our series on Connected Educators with Sarah Mercado, and Andi West, who serves as Mental Health Coordinator with the Coeur d’Alene School District in North Idaho. In this role, Andi plans and facilitates district wide implementation of social and emotional learning and trauma sensitive practices. Andi is a TBRI Practitioner, TBRI Mentor and the co-founder of the North Idaho Trauma Care Collaborative. Andi’s passion for helping children feel safe really comes through in this episode, and we’re so happy she could share her wisdom with us. (more…)

Connected Educators Episode 7

Amy Abell

Episode 7 of our Connected Educators series features a conversation with Amy Abell, who is a TBRI Practitioner, TBRI Mentor, and the owner of HopeAlight, LLC. This conversation is full of compassion for teachers, administration, students, and parents as we all try to navigate the start of school this year. Amy gives practical tips on how to apply trust-building, connected strategies with every person in the school system, resulting in a cohesive, trauma-informed learning environment. (more…)

Connected Educators, Episode 6: Kristy Hernandez

Kristy Hernandez

Episode 6 of our Connected Educators series features a conversation with Kristy Hernandez, who serves as the Director of Student Services for Moore Public Schools in Moore, OK. Kristy talks about creating felt-safety with staff and students around COVID-19, and also gives great tips for meeting sensory needs while social distancing. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kristy! (more…)

Connected Educators, Episode 1

Trauma-Informed Classrooms with Dr. Casey Call

This episode kicks off our first series: Connected Educators. We’ll talk with teachers, school counselors, administrators, and parents about the importance of creating a connected, trauma-informed classroom, especially in light of the back to school season during a pandemic. From virtual learning to socially distanced in-person instruction, fostering rich connections in the classroom is more important than ever. 

(more…)

Connected Communities: What is TBRI®?

Our second episode of Connected Communities features a conversation between our host and KPICD Training Specialist, Sarah Mercado, and Dr. Casey Call. Dr. Call is the Assistant Director of Education at the institute and also serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the TCU Department of Psychology. Before we dive into our first series, we wanted to give a brief overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention. In this episode, Dr. Call shares from her rich experience and deep knowledge of TBRI. If you’re new to TBRI, this episode is the perfect place to start.

LISTEN HERE

Show Notes

Linked References from this episode

About Our Guest

Dr. Casey Call is the Assistant Director at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KP ICD) and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the TCU Department of Psychology. She serves in various capacities at the Purvis Institute including research, training, and outreach connected to Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). Casey also teaches, advises, and mentors TCU students in the Child Development undergraduate and graduate programs. Casey is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and is a registered Circle of Security® parent educator. She has also received training in Theraplay® Level One and in scoring the Strange Situation Protocol.

Casey earned her B.S. in psychology from the University of North Texas in 1997 and then worked as a milieu therapist in the in-patient psychiatric unit at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas before returning to school. She earned a M.Ed. in Elementary Education from TCU and worked as an elementary school teacher in Coppell and Ft. Worth. After teaching for several years, Casey returned to TCU to earn her M.Ed. in Counseling and then worked as a middle school and high school counselor in Birdville I.S.D. Through these experiences in the education field, Casey developed a passion for teaching, learning, and improving educational systems.

Captivated by the work of the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, Casey returned to TCU once again and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology under the direction of Drs. David Cross and Karyn Purvis. Through her work at the KP ICD, Casey combines her passions of serving children and families from hard places and bringing trauma-informed interventions into systems of care.

Casey is married to Brian, a lieutenant in the Fort Worth Fire Department. They have two children, Beckett and Betsy.

About the Host

Sarah Mercado is a Training Specialist with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD). As training specialist, Sarah’s main focus is instructing professionals working with children who have experienced trauma, in Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). TBRI®, a holistic, attachment-based, and trauma-informed intervention designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children, offers practical tools for caregivers to help those in their care reach their highest potential.

Sarah earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Sweet Briar College in Virginia. She began her career as a direct care staff working with adolescent boys living in a Residential Treatment Center (RTC). After serving in the RTC for several years, she shifted her focus to foster care, where she was Regional Director for a foster and adoption agency.

Sarah spent 20 years serving youth and families within residential and foster care settings as a direct-care worker and trainer before beginning her work with the Purvis Institute in May 2016. Sarah lives near Austin, TX with her husband, AJ, and their two children.