TBRI Camp Comes to Rockerville

You may have heard the term TBRI being used at CHS, but what does it actually mean? Trust–Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a training model designed to help caregivers, professional and others to support children who’ve experienced trauma, abuse or neglect.

At the end of last month, CHS hosted our first-ever TBRI Camp in Rockerville. It was a day filled with fun, connection and plenty of teachable moments.

BHCH Unit Supervisor April Roselles, a certified TBRI practitioner, led the event. She shared that a great deal of preparation went into bringing the camp to life.

“Freddy asked me a couple months ago to organize a camp like this,” said April. “Even though I’m a TBRI practitioner, I still had to complete a camp certification through the TBRI Institute before CHS could host one.”

On the day of the camp, everyone got involved—teachers, residential youth counselors and nursing staff. Each child was paired with one adult partner, and the pairs rotated through activities designed to build attachment, connection, trust and self-regulation skills.

In the gym, kids and staff had a blast! Each pair could choose from a variety of sensory activities such as jumping on a trampoline, tossing beanbags, or rolling around on scooters for the popular game of “crash and bump.”

“The activities in the gym were all focused on play—building connection and trust through shared fun,” said April.

Other classrooms focused on specific skill-building activities. In one room, students played “feeling charades,” acting out different emotions and scenarios in a safe place to practice identifying feelings. In another, kids had fun dancing to classic songs like the “Macarena” and “Hokey Pokey.”

“The dance room was a blast!” exclaimed April. “Kids and their adults did multiple structured dances, which helped developed important skills like following directions and accepting guidance.”

In the nurture room, children and staff explored ways to recognize and respond to both physical and emotional pain. Each child asked their adult about an ailment and placed a Band-Aid on them. Then the adult asked the child about their pain and returned the same care.

“The nurture room really focused on how to receive and give care,” said April. “That can be challenging for anyone who experiences trauma.”

The camp was such a success that April hopes it will become a regular event.

“I asked a few kids how they liked the camp, and one child gave me two thumbs up and said it was so much fun,” she said. “Watching them, you could see how much they enjoyed spending one-on-one time with their adults. With the positive feedback we received from students and staff, I hope to host one or two camps each year going forward.”