Silly sting and water balloon fights provided great opportunities for campers to practice “asking permission” with their peers and buddies.

Crossroads Connection Camp

Last summer, Crossroads launched our first TBRI® Connection Camp for foster/adoptive families. Thanks to the support of partners like First Baptist New Orleans and Volunteers for Youth Justice, we were able to host this camp again in June and it was a huge success! TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention®) is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® was developed by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KP-ICD) to educate and equip caregivers with knowledge and skills that empower them to provide healing care for a child who has experienced trauma.

Since 2015, Crossroads has used TBRI® in all our foster parent trainings, and through partners around the state, we’ve had the opportunity to expand these trainings across Louisiana. However, what we learned from camp is that the best way to learn TBRI® is to put it into practice, so we were excited to have the opportunity to host a second camp and expand on what we learned in year one.

At the start of the week, campers were paired up with a “buddy” – an adult trained in TBRI® who would be their companion throughout the week’s activities. This strategy allows the kids to build a connection with a safe, caring adult who can work directly with them as they learn new skills through fun activities.

Here’s what our camper’s parents had to say about TBRI® Camp:
“I learned a lot and K* learned some great coping skills.”
“It’s a safe space for kids from hard places and it’s so fun!”
“It was a great experience for our little one and great reminders for adults at the ‘Lunch and Learn.’”
“The ability to learn coping skills through play along with other children was invaluable.”

Campers and their buddies “checked their engines” throughout each day, learning how to identify their current energy level and then self-regulate.

Throughout the week, our campers and their buddies had a blast with water balloons, crafts, games, silly string, and more – all while learning new skills for connecting with others, empowering themselves, and navigating tricky behaviors. In addition to the morning camp sessions, parents attended a daily “Lunch and Learn,” which included TBRI® training and discussion, helping equip them to keep implementing these skills with their families well beyond our week of camp.

Camp was an incredibly full and fun week – but even more, it helped bring hope and healing to kids and families by empowering them with the skills they need to thrive.

We are so thankful for our partners, donors, and volunteers, and the investment you have made in Crossroads over the years! Your gifts and prayers are helping to bring hope and healing to kids and families in our community, and we could not do this life-giving work without you!

TBRI® in Schools

By age 19, youth who age out of foster care are 2x as likely NOT to graduate high school as their peers and only 3% have earned a college degree by age 26*. Through TBRI® training and coaching, Crossroads comes alongside teachers and administrators to help students become successful in the classroom. Throughout the summer, Crossroads has continued offering training and support to schools throughout Louisiana. Teachers, counselors, and administrators have attended TBRI® Friday trainings via zoom and Crossroads staff have trained on school campuses as well. Recently, Crossroads hosted over 40 school administrators from around the state for a TBRI® Implementation in Schools meeting, with key speaker, Joseph Cipollone. Mr. Cipollone is the principal at Rowley Alternative School, a school that is in its third year of partnering with Crossroads. During the meeting, Mr. Cipollone shared key focus areas for success in implementing TBRI® on school campuses. One area of focus included finding ways to say yes to students as well as teachers. Giving a yes whenever possible gives voice, meets a need and builds trust, which is the foundation for healthy relationships. Mr. Cipollone challenged administrators to find ways to give a yes in their school. He stressed the importance of change starting with leadership and added that a great way to begin promoting classroom success is to begin giving a yes whenever possible.

*Courtney, M. E., Dworsky, A., Brown, A., Cary, C., Love, K., & Vorhies, V. (2011). Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 26. Chapin Hall Center for Children , 20.

Crossroads NOLA is dedicated to serving vulnerable children and families in Louisiana by recruiting a community of people – foster parents, caregivers, and professionals and equipping them with tools to help children overcome trauma and grow up in whole and thriving families.