Meet Dr. Danica Knight!

The TBRI® Podcast | Season 5, Episode 1

This episode not only kicks off a new season of the podcast, but also the start of new era at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU. Effective January 1, 2023, Dr. Danica Knight stepped into the role of Rees-Jones Director of KPICD. In this episode, you’ll hear all about Dr. Knight’s journey to the Institute, her connection to Dr. David Cross, and what she hopes for the future. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Show Notes

About our guest:

Dr. Danica Knight is Rees-Jones Director of the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU. As director, her primary responsibility is to ensure that Dr. Purvis’s dream of “bringing hope and healing to children around the world” is realized through the institute’s mission of research, education, and outreach. In her role as professor, Dr. Knight mentors graduate students working toward their PhD in Experimental Psychology, leads the institute’s undergraduate research lab, and teaches courses in developmental psychology. She has authored numerous scientific articles on trauma-informed prevention interventions, improving substance use and mental health outcomes, and strategies for supporting successful implementation of new practices. Her most recent NIH/NIDA-funded grant, Leveraging Safe Adults (LeSA), examines the effectiveness of Trust-based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) in preventing substance use among justice-involved youth as they transition home after secure residential care. Dr. Knight also serves as Project Director for KPICD’s Center for the Adaptation and Implementation of TBRI (CAIT), funded as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

 

About our 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.

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