District Judge Anastasia Wiley and her team hosted a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) training at the Winnfield Civic Center on Oct. 1, drawing child representatives, officers, attorneys, judges and community leaders from Winn, Grant and LaSalle parishes.

The training was led by Bobbye Mathews, a certified TBRI practitioner and instructor, whose direct yet approachable teaching style encouraged open discussion and steady participation. Mathews walked participants through how trauma shapes behavior, noting that many challenges stem from unmet needs and relational trauma.

TBRI is a trauma-informed approach designed to help caregivers and professionals meet the needs of vulnerable children by building trust and strengthening relationships through three principles: connecting, empowering and correcting. These principles focus on forming secure relationships, ensuring physical and emotional safety, and guiding children toward positive behavior through nurturing responses.

Mathews also introduced tools like the IDEAL Response: Immediate, Direct, Efficient, Action-based and Leveled, as well as the use of “redo” opportunities to help children practice healthier reactions after missteps.

The course showed that TBRI is not limited to one field but can be applied in homes, schools, treatment centers and court systems. It is particularly effective for children who have experienced neglect, multiple placements or violence, but its principles benefit all children by promoting understanding and structured support at home and in the community.

As the training concluded, Wiley outlined plans to contact participants about future sessions and related developments, adding that an update on the Children and Youth Planning Board is forthcoming with the hope of adopting TBRI as the framework for the developing collaborative.