We are educators and practitioners serving families

The team behind the NeuroRelational Framework

We’re on a mission to improve the assessment and treatment of adults, children, and families with complex diagnoses through data-driven, customized, and collaborative care.

The NRF Institute offers dynamic educational training to cross-sectored communities with at-risk infants, young children, adults, and families, based upon the use of the NeuroRelational Framework (NRF). In addition, we are pursuing scientific research that assesses the outcomes of the child, adult, families, providers, and communities using the NRF.

Our Leadership Team

Connie Lillas
Founder/Executive Director

The team behind the NeuroRelational Framework

Connie Lillas, RN, MFT, PhD, is the founder and executive director of the NeuroRelational Framework (NRF) Institute. She believes overwhelmed practitioners and stressed parents can get cohesive care that cultivates connection and joy.

Connie has a background in high-risk maternal-child nursing, family systems, and developmental psychoanalysis. She specializes in both treating and training within neurodiverse populations and early intervention settings, trauma histories and mental health clinics, child welfare systems, and medical settings.

When she’s not supporting practitioners and parents, you can find her walking her dogs with her husband, spending time with her family playing games, and being on or by the water.

View Connie Lillas, RN, MT, PhD Full Bio

Carole-Anne Hapchyn

Carole Anne Hapchyn, MD, FRCPC is an NRF Trainer and Mentor of practitioners across sectors of care in Alberta, Canada. She is an infant and early childhood psychiatrist who sees children and families at the ElmTree Clinic in Edmonton. Carole Anne is passionate about teaching and is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta.

When she is not at her computer or reading, she is dancing and exercising.

View Carole-Anne Hapchyn, MD, FRCPC Full Bio

Jennifer Hixson

Jennifer Hixson, PsyD, BCBA is a clinical and school psychologist, who also specializes in working with people with Autism and their families. Jennifer has implemented the NRF across the spectrum of settings from outpatient to acute hospitalizations and with ages birth to 99.

Currently, Jennifer applies NRF principles when conducting assessment for people with neurodiversity and those who have experienced trauma, substance abuse, and complex diagnoses.

In her free time, Jennifer likes to relax by any body of water, watch movies with her family, and work in the yard.

View Jennifer Hixson, PsyD, BCBA Full Bio

Betty Peralta

Betty Peralta, MIT, MS-MHC, IMH-E (III) is an NRF Trainer and Consultant for home visitors, early learning and K-12 educators, and parents around Washington. She trains/consults for the state’s Department of Child, Youth and Family, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Office of Public Defense, as well as King County’s Developmental Disabilities Administration.

Other specializations include infant and childhood mental health, K-12 special education, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

In her free time, Betty works on her Vashon Island farm, spends time with family and friends, and travels to learn about different cultures in the US and beyond.

View Betty Peralta, MIT, MS-MHC, IMH-E(III) Full Bio

Jessica Richards

Jessica Richards, MS, MSW, LCSW is an experienced NRF trainer who has provided over 100 NRF trainings and presentations including Zero to Three, WAIMH, and is the primary trainer for Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Jessica specializes in neurodiverse populations, selective mutism, anxiety disorders, and child welfare.

When she’s not supporting practitioners and parents, you can find her running, playing board games, or spending time with her dog.

View Jessica Richards, MS, MSW, LCSW Full Bio

“The NRF looks beyond a behavioral approach and seeks to understand
the infant’s individual differences in processing their world—and then the framework teaches us how to support the challenges.”

– KRISTINE, MA, INFANT FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST

NRF Early Adopter Communities

Bring the shared language to your community

When your local community implements the NeuroRelational Framework, then families have access to a cohesive approach. By joining the NRF communities, you gain competency in your field, increase your energy as you serve others, and families can better support their children.

EDMONTON
Alberta

The GRIT Program, Early Childhood Education
https://gritprogram.ca/

MORE INFO

Every parent wants their child to explore their world, experience meaningful participation and hold a valued role in their community. GRIT builds on the courage and tenacity of families so they can live an ordinary life. Since 1982, GRIT (located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) has been a trusted leader in inclusive early Inzane. our educational teams work alongside families and community partners to évisure = yuyous childhood and the meaningful participation of all children, including those living with a developmental disability, in the everyday places that children live, play and learn, Building on a core value of being a learning organization, our most valued asset is having engaged and passionate practitioners. Together, we learn, seek knowledge, and discover innovative practices for our work. As we aim to strengthen the skills and confidence needed to nurture the well-being of all children, we commit to staying abreast of current research to inform our professional practices. The NRF Guide - Through partnering on the development of the first edition, GRIT staff gained a deeper understanding of the NeuroRelational Framework (NRF). Throughout our learning journey, staffs’ commitment to regularly scheduled “community of practice” sessions over 2.5 years remained high.
These sessions have been co-facilitated by Dr. Carole Anne Hapchyn and a GRIT staff.
The NRF guide has been fully adopted to inform core professional knowledge, to identify essential professional practices, and to create a shared and common language to advance our work in early childhood mental health and family support. Our educational team has unpacked the tools through conversation and real-life examples with a vision to strengthen our intentional interactions with families and the outcomes of all children’s, healthy well-being. The NRF Guide informed our agency wide professional development opportunities by highlighting a holistic, interconnected view of child development and learning supports across multiple sessions. As a result, teams place a greater emphasis on collaboration. The NRF Guide and learning also supported our agency with the transition to a Primary Service Provider approach as the framework provided a united view of how to organize and prioritize services.

Twyla Bruce
Manager, GRIT Early Childhood Services

https://gritprogram.ca/

Alberta Health Services, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the David Schiff NICU at the Stollery Children’s Hospital

MORE INFO

Brandene Lorrain MD, FRCPC

Dr. Lorrain is an infant psychiatrist who has provided assessment and treatment for infants and young children (under age 5) and their families for 8 years in Edmonton and 7 years for preschool and school age children and adolescents in Red Deer, Alberta. Dr. Lorrain consults with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital supporting developmentally informed practices for staff and supporting interventions for infants and their families using NRF guiding principles. She works in private practice and is a Co-Director at the ElmTree Clinic (an outpatient mental health clinic for infants, young children, and their families) and is an NeuroRelational Framework Trainer and Mentor. Dr. Lorrain is a Clinical Lecturer of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.

Children Autism Services Edmonton
https://childrensautism.ca

MORE INFO

“Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton is a non-profit organization providing support services to children with autism and other developmental disorders across Western Canada. Our aim is to provide high-quality evidence-based programming that includes and empowers caregivers as central figures in their child’s care. The NeuroRelational Framework complements our intervention which is guided by The SCERTS Model, translating current neuroscience evidence into family and child friendly resources that highlight the connection between an individual’s neurodevelopment, their emotional, sensory, and physiological regulation, as well as their social relationships with others.
Through parent groups and individualized family education sessions we have been able to use the NeuroRelational Framework to build families’ understanding of how their child’s brain function may be impacting their behaviour and their relational engagement with others. The NRF has provided the theoretical foundation for many of the families we support to build a Regulation Profile for their child. These profiles enable caregivers to more easily identify and share information about their child’s state of regulation (NRF Colour Zone or Awake State) as well as individual triggers of dysregulation and strategies to support optimal regulation and engagement. The Three Steps of the NRF Tree and the Four Brain Systems have provided a helpful framework, common language, and wider shared lens which facilitates clinical collaboration across systems of care and enhances support for families facing complex and often overlapping challenges.”

MILWAUKEE
Wisconsin

Kevin O’Brien, LMFT, LCSW, Children’s Hospital
KO’Brien@chw.org

Margo Camacho, MS LPC, private practice
margocamacho72@gmail.com

Contracts with:

  • Healthy Infant Court
  • Milwaukee United Community Center Head Start
  • Jefferson County WI Head Start
  • HIPPY International

LOS ANGELES COUNTY
California

Charisse Pilar, MSW
Assistant Regional Administrator
County of Los Angeles
Dept. of Children & Family Services
PILACH@dcfs.lacounty.gov

MORE INFO

“Prior to receiving NRF training from Dr. Lillas, my staff did not have a working knowledge of what stress responses are, especially with babies and very young children. Using stress response and stress recovery colors with my staff resulted not only in their ability to identify babies and parents in need of services, it also allowed for more efficient linkage of services.
The colors also allowed my staff to be more reflective by being aware of their own stress responses and how their responses affected the way they engaged the children and families they serve. This common language and approach also facilitated better teaming and understanding amongst the Department and service providers, allowing us to change the culture of how we connect to each other on multiple levels, from our daily work with our families to ourselves.”

Laura Andrade, Ph.D.
Children’s Services Administrator III
Continuous Quality Improvement
Dept. of Children & Family Services
Andral@dcfs.lacounty.gov

Sara Rodas, LCSW, Allies for Every Child
srodas@alliesforeverychild.org

Leslie Ortiz, MSW, Clinical Therapist, ACSW, ECMHS, Outpatient at El Centro Del Pueblo
lortiz@ecdpla.org

Lauren Permenter, LCSW
Laurenpermenterlcsw@gmail.com

CENTRAL VALLEY
California

Key Contacts in Fresno:

Kristine Gose
Touchstone Family Development Center, Inc.
CA Endorsed Infant Family Mental Health
Specialist; CA Reflective Practice Facilitator II
kristinegose@gmail.com

MORE INFO

Mrs. Kristine Gose, MA, IFMHS has 30 years of infant and early childhood educational practice with children, families, adults and professionals as a credentialed Early Interventionist, Consultant, Infant Mental Health Specialist and Educator. She is co-owner of Touchstone Family Development Center, Inc., providing DIR/Floortime, Speech Therapy, Mental Health, and Education — all using the Neuro-Relational Framework lens and strategies. Ms. Gose holds California’s prestigious endorsement for the Infant Family Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Practice Facilitator Il. She is qualified at the Expert Trainer Level of the DIR/Floortime Model of intervention by the
Inter-disciplinary Council on Development and Learning.

She was the recipient of the 2019 CSU Fresno’s Health and Human Services Hero Award which recognizes “heroes” whose actions, thoughts and words have had a transformative impact on California’s Central Valley.

She is a Fellow of the Profectum Foundation and a Faculty Fellow of the Simms Mann Institute for Education and Community Development. Additionally, she is one of the founding organizers of the California Association for Infant Mental Health.

Ms. Gose has consulted, developed, and implemented full inclusion, direct service Early Intervention Programs at several college lab schools. She served as the State Lead Faculty Mentor for the 11 year California Personnel Preparation Project in partnership with California’s Department of Developmental Services, developing and implementing college level Early Intervention Assistant Certificate Programs at 50 of California’s Community Colleges.

Freda Kaprielian, M.A.
RPF Mentor
Director KC KIDS Early Childhood CenterFreda Kaprielian, M.A.
RPF Mentor
Director KC KIDS Early Childhood Center
kaprielian-f@kcusd.com

ALASKA

NRF Trainers for the State of Alaska:

Gail A. Trujillo, M.Sc., PhD (ABD)
gamt_ak@mail.com

Christy McMurren, LCSW, Infant Mental
Health Specialist IMH-E®
christym907@gmail.com

Key Contact in:
Anchorage, Kristin Nygren
knygren@picak.org

Fairbanks, Kristen Panamaroff
kristen.panamaroff@alaskacenter.org

SAN DIEGO COUNTY
California

Elisa Weichel
Administrative Director/Senior Staff
Attorney, Children’s Advocacy Institute
University of San Diego, School of Law

MORE INFO

“Pursuant to an agreement with the Judicial Council of California, the Children’s Advocacy Institute has developed a training program on promising and effective practices and strategies to positively impact permanency efforts and outcomes, with a special focus on the first 90 days of a child welfare case. Our program includes a segment presented by NRF faculty, Jessica Richards, on Neuro-Developmentally Informed Decision Making, in which she explains concepts, insights, and approaches based on the NeuroRelational Framework and shares useful materials produced by the NRF Institute. The attorneys, social workers, court appointed special advocates, and others who attend the training find this information to be extremely valuable and look forward to incorporating it into their work and sharing it with their colleagues.”

“The NRF looks at the whole person and considers the complexity involved, rather than band-aid solutions to the behavior we see on the surface.”

– SARAH, ASaP COACH (APPRECIATION, SCRUTINY, ACTION, AND PRACTICE COACH)

NRF as a Grant Recipient

The NRF has been honored to have trained multiple communities since training our first early adopter community in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 2011. Local, state, and regional grants have been awarded to entities that have used their funds to purchase NRF training for their agencies. We particularly specialize in cross-training teams of practitioners from different disciplines at the same time. Here are a few samples of these agencies and teams. The “more info” link gives you data on the funding sources and their outcomes. We welcome any agency or entity to contact us if they want to consider using grant funding to promote medical, developmental, relational, and learning health using the NRF across the lifespan.

Grant Recipients:

THE GRIT PROGRAM

specializes in
developmental
disabilities,
Edmonton, Canada

MORE INFO

Funding: Capacity Building for Mental Health in the Early Years, Alberta Health Services Grant

Outcomes:

  • The NRF informed agency wide professional development opportunities by highlighting a holistic, interconnected view of child development.
  • Teams now place a greater emphasis on collaboration.
  • The framework provided a united view of how to organize and prioritize services.

INFANT LEARNING PROGRAMS (ILP)

throughout the state of
Alaska

MORE INFO

Funding: University of Alaska Anchorage, the Child Welfare Academy for the Infant Learning Program (ILP) partially fulfilling Social Emotional Enrichment & Development Programs (SEED) state goals

Outcomes:

  • The practitioners’ reports of the families’ improvements paralleled the families’ self reports of similar gains.
  • Case study analysis revealed that as the “green zone” increased in children, the parents’ hypervigilance (“combo zone”) decreased, and most of the families demonstrated improvement in engagement quality.
  • The NRF empowered providers to experience themselves as more competent, and to improve the socio-emotional outcomes in children and families with serious challenges.

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE

teams located in rural
and urban Central
Valley, California

MORE INFO

Funding: Funds received by Central Valley Regional Center from the Dept of Developmental Services’ Mental Health Services Act titled: Enhancing Cultural Competence in Clinical Settings (4Cs)

Outcomes:

  •  NRF has had the most significant impact on Parent Participation and Student Engagement. By focusing on the NRF Foundational Skills “the roots”, Students and Families are ready to learn and grow.
  • Because of the impact on student learning, NRF has become our program’s Instructional Focus.
  • Families who have identified their own Stress responses as well as their child’s, report to us an increase in their own confidence asa parent. We have repeatedly heard them say “This is life- changing.”

Want to get in touch with our team ?

CONTACT US
NRF Institute is offering dynamic educational training to cross-sectored communities with at-risk infants, children, adults, and families experiencing trauma, neurodiversity, and complex diagnoses based upon the use of the NeuroRelational Framework (NRF).

Join our Mailing list

Get in Touch

  • admin@NRFcare.org
  • NRF Institute
    1355 North Mentor Avenue
    Suite 41126
    Pasadena, CA. 91114
© Copyright 2022 NRF