Teens come to Project Patch from all different backgrounds – from multiple foster placements, a divorced family, being a victim of sexual assault, bullying, or having lost a primary caregiver. The common factor among them is that almost everyone has experienced trauma of some kind in their short life. They arrive with depression, anxiety, aggression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, or a slew of other issues that the family didn’t feel they were equipped to handle. Thanks to a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Project Patch is even more prepared to help these teens with an attachment-based and trauma-informed approach called Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI).
TBRI was developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross to address the complex needs of children suffering from the effects of trauma, abuse, and/or neglect and the social, behavioral, and emotional issues that come with it. Over the last seven months, two of our staff have been trained as TBRI Practitioners. They have subsequently trained 86% of our direct care staff as TBRI Caregivers through 24 hours of training in which they teach the three key principles of TBRI that focus on connecting with the child and seeing the need behind the behavior.
Staff in TBRI Training
When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible. – Dr. Karyn Purvis
Win Scott, our Clinical Director and one of our TBRI Practitioners, says, “When we start looking at the child instead of the behavior – it makes us more compassionate, understanding, and patient.” We are accomplishing this through the following TBRI principles:
1- The Empowering Principle meets physical needs (e.g. water, sleep, nourishment, exercise). With this principle, we are empowering our teens to meet these physical needs in multiple ways. We have implemented transition times so they know what is coming, started offering a healthy evening snack to stabilize blood glucose levels to ensure a good night’s sleep, and have begun tracking water intake to avoid dehydration.
2- The Connecting Principle meets attachment needs (e.g. playful engagement, smiling eyes, safe touch, undivided attention). This principle creates a connection that disarms fear, gains trust, and encourages learning. When one of our girls recently experienced a difficult phone call from home and was becoming emotional (dysregulated), our staff took the opportunity to connect by bringing some Legos over and sitting on the floor with her. The time together built trust between them and allowed her time to calm down. Another time, one of our staff brought a backpack of activities and would let the teen select one for them to do together. These connections have also been witnessed between our staff and teens kicking a soccer ball, taking a walk, or swinging together. Every moment is an opportunity to build connections and re-teach our teens what a safe, healthy, and trusting relationship is.
3- The Correcting Principle disarms fear-based behavior (e.g. IDEAL response – Immediate, Direct, Efficient, Action-based, Leveled at behavior). With this principle, correction is addressed immediately, with the child being a part of the solution. A second chance or re-do is offered to make the wrong-doing right. However, when a consequence is required, a choice might be given, and a compromise found, so that the staff and child can move forward with connecting rather than arguing over the consequence. This negotiation not only allows the child to have a voice in their consequence but is also an opportunity for the child to practice autonomy and build the capacity to make decisions in the future.
Staff Connecting with Teens
It has been said that connection is the heart and soul of TBRI. Dr. Karyn Purvis says of this connection, “In every way that I make time and space; that I give touch, eye contact, and I give words—I’m going to empower this child to go back to the beginning of what he or she should have experienced in the arms of a loving parent.” Stephanie Ross, our Youth Program Executive Director and second TBRI Practitioner, is excited about implementing TBRI into our program and believes it makes good sense. She shares that “when we know better, we are tasked to do better,” but is up for the challenge and says, “we are in this for the long run.”
TBRI has been well received by our staff. They have said it has given them the opportunity to “connect with the kids in a playful way” (connecting principle) and has helped them “see what the real need is and not just focus on the behavior” (empowering principle). They enjoy focusing on the relationship and the trust that comes with it, and believe that “when kids trust you, they will want you to lead them and will seek your wisdom.” With this trust, teens that started out needing help regulating their emotions (through co-regulation provided by our staff) can learn self-regulation, which is a key component of the TBRI Empowering Principle and a primary skill we aim to teach. And when the time arises when correction is necessary, our staff now know to “connect before you correct” (correcting principle) because, as Dr. Purvis said, “When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible.”
Irwin Rogers joined our board in 1995 and served faithfully for the next 26 years. Irwin lived a full and purposeful life. He grew up in Boise when it was a small town, was a baker in the army, and later started his insurance company, where he worked with his son and daughter. His best stories were about countless short-term mission trips. He once wore half the clothes for the trip on a flight in Africa because “they may weigh the bags, but they don’t weigh the passengers.”
He was deeply involved behind the scenes at Patch. He’d show up on Sabbath afternoons to deliver Creation Illustrated magazines. He provided a copier for our office in Idaho and assisted with our workman’s comp insurance. He helped kids get into Patch and shared information with many other families with struggling teens. He also had the most complete binder of board notes and was prepared for every meeting.
Irwin walked the Project Patch property before we owned it. He wrote the insurance on our property when it was a ranch, outfitter, and horse camp. His voice would break as he shared how amazing God was to transform the property into what it is today.
Though Irwin passed away on December 9, 2022, he has left a lasting impression on Project Patch and the thousands of teens we have served during his years as a board member.
Tribute by Chuck Hagele, CEO of Project Patch
I am really sorry to hear about Irwin. He provided a tremendous service for Patch for so many years. I am shocked to hear about his passing. He was my personal friend, a very wise, gentle, caring, and thoughtful man.
Tom Sanford, Founder of Project Patch
YOUTH PROGRAM HAPPENINGS
Ropes Course with the BoysClean Up with the BoysWeeding with the GirlsCrossnet with the Girls
PROJECT PATCH ALUMNI
One of our favorite parts of the job is hearing from our alumni about how life is going post-Patch – the good, the bad, and everything in between. We love to celebrate with them when life is going well, help them find hope and resources when life is challenging, reminisce about Patch days gone by, and remind them that we are always praying and cheering for them no matter what.
Krystle at Project Patch now
We recently heard from Krystle Knight, a 2005 Patch graduate. She shared memories of singing and hiking with the girls, learning to be a good friend and leader from staff, and of the lifelong friends she made while here that have “never walked away.” Her life journey has had ups and downs since Patch, but she has found hope knowing that “through Christ, all things are possible.” She is excited about her future and dreams of being a business owner. You can rest assured that we are praying and cheering for her every step of the way.
If you are a Patch alum, call or message us, we would love to hear how your life is going! And if you are interested in sharing your story for our Alumni Spotlight, contact Kari Wallingford at (360)690-8495 or kwallingford@projectpatch.org.
A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
Maranatha Volunteers International is a life-changing ministry and long-term partner of Project Patch. Officially, this Christian-based non-profit organization works in conjunction with the Seventh-day Adventist Church to organize volunteers around the world. The groups of volunteers build and renovate “strong, dignified structures for worship and education.” Project Patch has been the lucky recipient of their volunteer efforts over twenty times, dating back to the early 1990s.
This May, about 30 Maranatha volunteers were on our campus in Garden Valley, strengthening and refreshing our school, office, and chapel. Now our chapel, dorms, core building, office, school, and pump house all match! Wainscotting was also added to the school and office to protect them from winter snowstorms so common in the mountains of Idaho. And the roof of the school was repaired and reinforced, ensuring a safe place to learn. The love and care these volunteers put into our buildings is a truly inspirational sight to see.
Maranatha came to our campus with the primary goal of ensuring our buildings are stronger and ready for the storms to come, but their work ethic, diligence, long hours, and commitment to work as a team helped them accomplish an even greater secondary goal. Our teens are also stronger and more prepared for the storms that lie ahead from witnessing the love and care our volunteers gave our buildings, and to them. In every building on campus, they have daily reminders that there are people who care enough about them to spend two weeks working on their campus, and even when something might not look new and strong anymore, a little work, especially alongside a friend, can completely change things.
The Maranatha website calls projects like this “short-term mission trips” that are “life-changing service experiences” for the volunteers. This is especially moving because, while they are making our place of education and worship “strong and dignified,” they are profoundly changing the lives of our teens while they are at it.
We look forward to having Maranatha volunteers back on our campus next year. If you are interested in serving, please watch for our next project details at www.projectpatch.org/maranatha. Or to learn more about the life-changing work Maranatha does and the projects they have scheduled, see www.maranatha.org.
This year during the 24-hour event, with the help of 19 donors, we were able to raise almost $5,500 for Sports & Recreation for our teens!
THANK YOU to everyone who donated and/or shared!
JOIN OUR PRAYER TEAM
The power of prayer is undeniable. Also undeniable is the number of struggling teens and families that need our prayers. This SMALL commitment of your time can make a HUGE impact on the lives of others!
SIGN UP AT www.ProjectPatch.org/PrayerTeam
PIECING IT TOGETHER By Chuck Hagele, CEO
Actions speak louder than words. It’s easy to say I love you, but showing it is often more challenging. Our teens need more than our good intentions. This issue of PatchWorks captures some of the work being done to help teens discover hope, learn skills, and most importantly, know they are loved.
Many teens (and adults) believe that having to work hard means you are doing it wrong. There is a myth that effortlessness is a sign of excellence, and that our job is to find what we are naturally good at rather than working to improve. At Patch, we don’t lecture teens or shame them about their work ethic; instead, we show them the importance of hard work and the satisfaction of improvement.
Teens new to our program are surprised when a staff member picks up a shovel, rake, or dishcloth and works alongside them. They can’t understand why anyone would choose to do work they aren’t required to do. By watching our staff, they learn work ethic, initiative, and service.
There is a myth that effortlessness is a sign of excellence.
Our teens are stunned when they hear Maranatha Volunteers consider it a “vacation” and “fun” to spend six days a week working to improve our campus. I’ve overheard conversations where volunteers flatly shared what they did for their careers but excitedly shared all the new skills they were learning during the project.
Our teens have noticed as staff have gone through the 24 hours of TBRI® training. They’ve watched as staff try new approaches and new skills. Change is never easy, but they’ve personally experienced the rewards of staff development.
Girls Dorm 5K Fun Run
The girls recently trained for a 5K Fun Run. Shari, one of our girls’ dorm assistant directors, organized the race and assisted the girls in training. Shari enjoys training and racing, even if she doesn’t win races. The girls have been inspired by her growth mindset and love of running.
These are just a few examples of how we are showing our teens the importance and impact of hard work.
We know many of you make sacrificial donations to make it possible for kids to attend Project Patch and get the help they desperately need. Your care and generosity are helping teens value work and discover the satisfaction from learning and a job well done.
PROJECT PATCH WISH LIST
For those who prefer to give toward a specific project, the following list contains items that are needed, yet are not a part of the operating budget. Please make sure to note on your gift if you would like it designated for a specific Wish List item or the highest need Wish List item. If the item has already been purchased, we will contact you for further instructions.
To donate via credit card: please call our office at 360-690-8495 or use the button below To donate via check: please mail to Project Patch, PO Box 820209, Vancouver WA 98682
PatchWorks Summer 2023
TRUST-BASED RELATIONAL INTERVENTION®
Teens come to Project Patch from all different backgrounds – from multiple foster placements, a divorced family, being a victim of sexual assault, bullying, or having lost a primary caregiver. The common factor among them is that almost everyone has experienced trauma of some kind in their short life. They arrive with depression, anxiety, aggression, ADHD, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, or a slew of other issues that the family didn’t feel they were equipped to handle. Thanks to a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Project Patch is even more prepared to help these teens with an attachment-based and trauma-informed approach called Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI).
TBRI was developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross to address the complex needs of children suffering from the effects of trauma, abuse, and/or neglect and the social, behavioral, and emotional issues that come with it. Over the last seven months, two of our staff have been trained as TBRI Practitioners. They have subsequently trained 86% of our direct care staff as TBRI Caregivers through 24 hours of training in which they teach the three key principles of TBRI that focus on connecting with the child and seeing the need behind the behavior.
When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible. – Dr. Karyn Purvis
Win Scott, our Clinical Director and one of our TBRI Practitioners, says, “When we start looking at the child instead of the behavior – it makes us more compassionate, understanding, and patient.” We are accomplishing this through the following TBRI principles:
1- The Empowering Principle meets physical needs (e.g. water, sleep, nourishment, exercise). With this principle, we are empowering our teens to meet these physical needs in multiple ways. We have implemented transition times so they know what is coming, started offering a healthy evening snack to stabilize blood glucose levels to ensure a good night’s sleep, and have begun tracking water intake to avoid dehydration.
2- The Connecting Principle meets attachment needs (e.g. playful engagement, smiling eyes, safe touch, undivided attention). This principle creates a connection that disarms fear, gains trust, and encourages learning. When one of our girls recently experienced a difficult phone call from home and was becoming emotional (dysregulated), our staff took the opportunity to connect by bringing some Legos over and sitting on the floor with her. The time together built trust between them and allowed her time to calm down. Another time, one of our staff brought a backpack of activities and would let the teen select one for them to do together. These connections have also been witnessed between our staff and teens kicking a soccer ball, taking a walk, or swinging together. Every moment is an opportunity to build connections and re-teach our teens what a safe, healthy, and trusting relationship is.
3- The Correcting Principle disarms fear-based behavior (e.g. IDEAL response – Immediate, Direct, Efficient, Action-based, Leveled at behavior). With this principle, correction is addressed immediately, with the child being a part of the solution. A second chance or re-do is offered to make the wrong-doing right. However, when a consequence is required, a choice might be given, and a compromise found, so that the staff and child can move forward with connecting rather than arguing over the consequence. This negotiation not only allows the child to have a voice in their consequence but is also an opportunity for the child to practice autonomy and build the capacity to make decisions in the future.
It has been said that connection is the heart and soul of TBRI. Dr. Karyn Purvis says of this connection, “In every way that I make time and space; that I give touch, eye contact, and I give words—I’m going to empower this child to go back to the beginning of what he or she should have experienced in the arms of a loving parent.” Stephanie Ross, our Youth Program Executive Director and second TBRI Practitioner, is excited about implementing TBRI into our program and believes it makes good sense. She shares that “when we know better, we are tasked to do better,” but is up for the challenge and says, “we are in this for the long run.”
TBRI has been well received by our staff. They have said it has given them the opportunity to “connect with the kids in a playful way” (connecting principle) and has helped them “see what the real need is and not just focus on the behavior” (empowering principle). They enjoy focusing on the relationship and the trust that comes with it, and believe that “when kids trust you, they will want you to lead them and will seek your wisdom.” With this trust, teens that started out needing help regulating their emotions (through co-regulation provided by our staff) can learn self-regulation, which is a key component of the TBRI Empowering Principle and a primary skill we aim to teach. And when the time arises when correction is necessary, our staff now know to “connect before you correct” (correcting principle) because, as Dr. Purvis said, “When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible.”
HONORING IRWIN ROGERS – 1927-2022
Irwin Rogers joined our board in 1995 and served faithfully for the next 26 years. Irwin lived a full and purposeful life. He grew up in Boise when it was a small town, was a baker in the army, and later started his insurance company, where he worked with his son and daughter. His best stories were about countless short-term mission trips. He once wore half the clothes for the trip on a flight in Africa because “they may weigh the bags, but they don’t weigh the passengers.”
He was deeply involved behind the scenes at Patch. He’d show up on Sabbath afternoons to deliver Creation Illustrated magazines. He provided a copier for our office in Idaho and assisted with our workman’s comp insurance. He helped kids get into Patch and shared information with many other families with struggling teens. He also had the most complete binder of board notes and was prepared for every meeting.
Irwin walked the Project Patch property before we owned it. He wrote the insurance on our property when it was a ranch, outfitter, and horse camp. His voice would break as he shared how amazing God was to transform the property into what it is today.
Though Irwin passed away on December 9, 2022, he has left a lasting impression on Project Patch and the thousands of teens we have served during his years as a board member.
Tribute by Chuck Hagele, CEO of Project Patch
YOUTH PROGRAM HAPPENINGS
PROJECT PATCH ALUMNI
One of our favorite parts of the job is hearing from our alumni about how life is going post-Patch – the good, the bad, and everything in between. We love to celebrate with them when life is going well, help them find hope and resources when life is challenging, reminisce about Patch days gone by, and remind them that we are always praying and cheering for them no matter what.
We recently heard from Krystle Knight, a 2005 Patch graduate. She shared memories of singing and hiking with the girls, learning to be a good friend and leader from staff, and of the lifelong friends she made while here that have “never walked away.” Her life journey has had ups and downs since Patch, but she has found hope knowing that “through Christ, all things are possible.” She is excited about her future and dreams of being a business owner. You can rest assured that we are praying and cheering for her every step of the way.
If you are a Patch alum, call or message us, we would love to hear how your life is going! And if you are interested in sharing your story for our Alumni Spotlight, contact Kari Wallingford at (360)690-8495 or kwallingford@projectpatch.org.
A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
Maranatha Volunteers International is a life-changing ministry and long-term partner of Project Patch. Officially, this Christian-based non-profit organization works in conjunction with the Seventh-day Adventist Church to organize volunteers around the world. The groups of volunteers build and renovate “strong, dignified structures for worship and education.” Project Patch has been the lucky recipient of their volunteer efforts over twenty times, dating back to the early 1990s.
This May, about 30 Maranatha volunteers were on our campus in Garden Valley, strengthening and refreshing our school, office, and chapel. Now our chapel, dorms, core building, office, school, and pump house all match! Wainscotting was also added to the school and office to protect them from winter snowstorms so common in the mountains of Idaho. And the roof of the school was repaired and reinforced, ensuring a safe place to learn. The love and care these volunteers put into our buildings is a truly inspirational sight to see.
Maranatha came to our campus with the primary goal of ensuring our buildings are stronger and ready for the storms to come, but their work ethic, diligence, long hours, and commitment to work as a team helped them accomplish an even greater secondary goal. Our teens are also stronger and more prepared for the storms that lie ahead from witnessing the love and care our volunteers gave our buildings, and to them. In every building on campus, they have daily reminders that there are people who care enough about them to spend two weeks working on their campus, and even when something might not look new and strong anymore, a little work, especially alongside a friend, can completely change things.
The Maranatha website calls projects like this “short-term mission trips” that are “life-changing service experiences” for the volunteers. This is especially moving because, while they are making our place of education and worship “strong and dignified,” they are profoundly changing the lives of our teens while they are at it.
We look forward to having Maranatha volunteers back on our campus next year. If you are interested in serving, please watch for our next project details at www.projectpatch.org/maranatha. Or to learn more about the life-changing work Maranatha does and the projects they have scheduled, see www.maranatha.org.
GIVING DAY 2023 RECAP
This year during the 24-hour event, with the help of 19 donors, we were able to raise almost $5,500
for Sports & Recreation for our teens!
THANK YOU to everyone who donated and/or shared!
JOIN OUR PRAYER TEAM
The power of prayer is undeniable. Also undeniable is the number of struggling teens and families that need our prayers. This SMALL commitment of your time can make a HUGE impact on the lives of others!
SIGN UP AT www.ProjectPatch.org/PrayerTeam
PIECING IT TOGETHER By Chuck Hagele, CEO
Actions speak louder than words. It’s easy to say I love you, but showing it is often more challenging. Our teens need more than our good intentions. This issue of PatchWorks captures some of the work being done to help teens discover hope, learn skills, and most importantly, know they are loved.
Many teens (and adults) believe that having to work hard means you are doing it wrong. There is a myth that effortlessness is a sign of excellence, and that our job is to find what we are naturally good at rather than working to improve. At Patch, we don’t lecture teens or shame them about their work ethic; instead, we show them the importance of hard work and the satisfaction of improvement.
Teens new to our program are surprised when a staff member picks up a shovel, rake, or dishcloth and works alongside them. They can’t understand why anyone would choose to do work they aren’t required to do. By watching our staff, they learn work ethic, initiative, and service.
There is a myth that effortlessness is a sign of excellence.
Our teens are stunned when they hear Maranatha Volunteers consider it a “vacation” and “fun” to spend six days a week working to improve our campus. I’ve overheard conversations where volunteers flatly shared what they did for their careers but excitedly shared all the new skills they were learning during the project.
Our teens have noticed as staff have gone through the 24 hours of TBRI® training. They’ve watched as staff try new approaches and new skills. Change is never easy, but they’ve personally experienced the rewards of staff development.
The girls recently trained for a 5K Fun Run. Shari, one of our girls’ dorm assistant directors, organized the race and assisted the girls in training. Shari enjoys training and racing, even if she doesn’t win races. The girls have been inspired by her growth mindset and love of running.
These are just a few examples of how we are showing our teens the importance and impact of hard work.
We know many of you make sacrificial donations to make it possible for kids to attend Project Patch and get the help they desperately need. Your care and generosity are helping teens value work and discover the satisfaction from learning and a job well done.
PROJECT PATCH WISH LIST
For those who prefer to give toward a specific project, the following list contains items that are needed, yet are not a part of the operating budget. Please make sure to note on your gift if you would like it designated for a specific Wish List item or the highest need Wish List item. If the item has already been purchased, we will contact you for further instructions.
YOUTH PROGRAM
Updated June 2023
COST EACH
AMOUNT NEEDED
** These items can also be purchased directly from Amazon at www.projectpatch.org/AmazonWishList
To donate via credit card: please call our office at 360-690-8495 or use the button below
WISH LIST DONATION
To donate via check: please mail to Project Patch, PO Box 820209, Vancouver WA 98682
Share this:
Next seminar/presentation
Replanted Preconference: Helping Impulsive Kids Make Better Decisions
Hooray!