The City of Milwaukee is struggling with an increase in violence, crime, social unrest, and substance abuse, and as a result, trauma-related mental health issues among its youth. However, mental health care is not readily accessible to many local youth due to a shortage of providers in the area, financial constraints, and the stigma associated with mental illness. The STRONG Milwaukee Center is the only day treatment program in the central city of Milwaukee that serves children younger than 9 years of age. STRONG serves youth with significant mental health disorders that are affecting their behavior, interactions with others, and ability to learn and grow.

At STRONG, we use an evidence-based practice called Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), developed by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. TBRI is an attachment-based, neurological intervention designed to meet the complex needs of children who have experienced adversity, early harm, toxic stress, and/or trauma.

The TBRI Model pays particular attention to the child’s background to identify best strategies for increasing healthy attachment patterns, which in turn improves behavioral outcomes.

Connecting: TBRI engages the entire treatment team – mental health professionals, parents/guardians, and teachers – into the process of connecting with the child (a trust-building, attachment-healing process).

Empowering: Once a connection is established, the focus shifts to empowering the child (gaining confidence in leaning on trusted adults for assistance while gaining confidence in their own abilities).

Correcting: After connecting and empowering have established newer, healthier neuropathways, correcting principles are introduced to help disarm fear-based behavior.

We introduced the TBRI model to STRONG in 2020 and because of the overwhelmingly positive outcomes, we are working to share the model with other child-serving agencies. We present TBRI at schools and professional organizations throughout the state.

Thanks to a grant from the Charles E. Kubly Foundation, we are now able to offer TBRI classes to parents and caregivers of students in our STRONG program. Through these classes, we work to strengthen relationships and help families develop the skills needed to help their children heal.

The results of TBRI are long-lasting and generational. Helping a child become more emotionally and behaviorally stable today means they can stay in school, function within their households, and have better hope for a healthy, balanced future.

Dr. Ashley Schoof is the Senior Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Day Treatment Programming at Christian Family Solutions