Brain Science and States
This survival-driven brain region takes over during high emotional escalation, putting youth in flight, fight, or freeze mode.
What is the "Downstairs Brain" (or Amygdala, Brainstem)?
This core TBRI mantra reminds staff to build trust before attempting to address challenging behaviors.
What is "connection before correction"?
The phrase used to describe staff staying calm and grounded alongside a youth rather than reacting to their storm
What is "Riding the Wave"?
Instead of viewing challenging behaviors as willful disobedience, staff should reframe them as this.
What are survival responses (or trauma-linked responses)?
A youth yells and slams a door. A trauma-informed staff member's FIRST physical adjustment should be this.
What is lowering body position, softening tone, and uncrossing arms?
This logical, higher-level part of the brain goes offline when a youth is triggered or dysregulated.
What is the "Upstairs Brain" (or Prefrontal Cortex)?
These three nonverbal elements often communicate safety or threat to youth more powerfully than actual words.
What are tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions?
Once a youth reaches a regulated state, they are finally able to express these effectively.
What are their needs (and self-advocacy)?
Correction, teaching, and problem-solving must strictly occur at this stage of an encounter.
What is AFTER regulation (or when the youth is calm/upstairs brain)?
When an escalation happens on shift, staff should still prioritize this over jumping straight to fixing the problem.
What is connection (or establishing felt safety)?
Trying to teach a lesson or issue consequences while a youth is in survival mode fails because they cannot access this type of thinking.
What is reasoning (or logic/higher order executive functioning)?
Instead of jumping to immediate solutions during escalation, staff are encouraged to serve as this type of safe outlet.
What is a regulated, supportive presence (or active listener)?
The process where a calm staff member lends their nervous system to help a dysregulated youth calm down.
What is Co-Regulation?
Replacing immediate punitive solutions with this foundational approach fosters long-term emotional growth.
What is a relationship-based / trauma-informed approach
A youth begins breathing heavily and shuts down. The best initial verbal response from staff is this type of statement.
What is a supportive, non-demanding presence statement (e.g., "I'm right here with you, take your time")?
The neurological state youth are coming from that heavily impacts their daily emotional and behavioral responses.
What is trauma (or hard places)?
The primary ultimate goal of staff connection during moments of intense emotional intensity.
What is helping the youth feel safe, seen and heard?
Instead of reacting to a youth's intense emotions, staff focus on utilizing these internal tools, such as staying calm and grounded.
What are regulation strategies?
The ultimate takeaway and core philosophy behind the team's ongoing TBRI training efforts.
What is prioritizing consistency, nurturing, and responsiveness over immediate fixing?
The three-step order of operations for dealing with an escalated situation according to TBRI principles.
What is Regulate, Connect, and Correct?
Providing this specific type of education about "upstairs" and "downstairs" brain states empowers youth to understand their own reactions.
What is psychoeducation?
Even when this operational factor on shift feels extremely limited, staff must still prioritize connection before correction.
What is time?
Helping a youth move from dysregulation to this specific state is required before they can advocate for themselves appropriately.
What is a regulated state?
Correcting behavior during an escalation is ineffective because the youth's behavior is actually linked to these two underlying factors.
What are trauma and survival?
[DAILY DOUBLE] During a team review, staff look at this specific document to deepen their understanding and guide compassionate responses to a youth.
What are youth assessments?