TBRI® Across Our Community

Our TBRI® Team is providing 10-minute TBRI® mini-lessons for the youth involved in the juvenile justice system who are waiting for their court hearing to start in CCL6. Three days a week, a member of our team talks about emotional regulation using the Engine Plate and teaches the youth a breathing or stress-relief technique. The youth have a 30-minute waiting period in between their arrival at the courthouse and when court begins. Our hope is they can learn new strategies to regulate emotions at court, detention, and home. As with many teens, we never know when they are really listening or not, but we do have their attention, and many are engaged. Each session, several youth practice the techniques with us, ask questions, or give feedback on how “their engine” is running while they wait. We will continue to offer these lessons in 2025 as we try to connect with as many juveniles as possible to help reduce recidivism. The team presented to 96 youth in November and 69 youth in December.

We continue to offer individual TBRI® coaching to families who want to participate. In November and December, we averaged 34 coaching cases. We have seen an increase in coaching requests from our JIY cases the past two months.

We are also providing TBRI® training to two child placing agencies. Each agency hired Child Advocates Community Education division to train their foster families.

We are excited for our new training opportunities as we spread awareness about the effects and childhood trauma and hope for how we can reduce its effects. We conducted 10 trainings in November for a total of 685 participants, including teachers, parents, school nurses, and foster parents. In December, we held two trainings for 14 participants, including foster agency staff, foster parents, and respite caregivers.

Retirement from Child Advocates of Montgomery County

On another note, I wanted to share the news that I will be retiring from full-time work to spend more time with my family. My almost 14-year journey with Child Advocates of Montgomery County has been immensely rewarding and fulfilling. My last day in my current role as the Director of TBRI® and Community Education will be January 24, 2025. Although I am stepping back, I hope to continue contributing to the organization as needed on a part-time basis.

I began as a CASA volunteer in 2011, inspired by my college studies years before and a deep desire to be part of an organization like Child Advocates. After advocating for over a dozen children, I felt driven to contribute even more and joined as a full-time Case Supervisor in 2017. Soon after, I became a TBRI® Practitioner, discovering a profound passion for this work. In 2022, I was promoted to TBRI® Manager, and in 2023, I took on the role of Director of TBRI® and Community Education. These positions allowed me to transition from case management to focusing on family and community education, a shift I have deeply enjoyed. Whether training large groups or coaching small teams, every experience has been meaningful.

Volunteering and working for Child Advocates of Montgomery County has been my passion and privilege over these past 14 years. While I will miss the daily interactions, I am excited to spend more time with my family and welcome my first grandchild soon.

Thank you all for your support and camaraderie over the years. For any future needs, please reach out to Camille Davis, Senior Director of Programs and Services at camille@childadvocatestexas.org.