Sanctuary in Schools
Many of the residential childcare programs that are adopting the Sanctuary Model also have schools attached to them like the Orchard School at Andrus Children’s Center.
We also have several free-standing schools for children who have special needs in the Sanctuary Network, including our first certified program, Pace School in Pittsburgh (http://www.paceschool.org/sanctuary.html).
From the Pace School website: Pace School is proud to announce that it has received its certification as a Sanctuary® program exemplifying organizational leadership in the provision of trauma informed education and treatment to children. Pace is the first organization in the nation to receive this prestigious recognition from the Sanctuary® Institute. The Institute is a world leader in the field of trauma focused care and implementation of the Sanctuary model of organizational change that creates a safe environment where emotional and psychological healing can occur.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 64% of children experience some form of trauma which shows a “strong and graded” relationship to many serious adult health problems, including early death. Additionally, research shows that traumatic and chronic stress interrupts a child’s learning, overriding their higher reasoning skills at a time when they are just developing.
The need to create a trauma sensitive environment for our students, families, and staff was recognized by Pace School in 2001 after meeting with noted child psychiatrist, Dr. Sandra Bloom. Since then, Pace has worked hard at implementing the Sanctuary Model, which is now supported and promoted by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Creating Sanctuary and a trauma informed environment is more that just a philosophy. Each day Pace staff take specific actions that, over time, build a healing community for everyone in our program.
Highlands School District
Recently, our first public school district to train in the Sanctuary Model, initiated their first training sessions – Highlands School District, Natrona Heights, PA.
- Article from September 21, 2010 “Violence, achievement targeted in Highlands School District”
- September, 2010 Parents Newsletter
Atlantic County, New Jersey
Before we started the Sanctuary Institute, in 2002, the Department of Education for New Jersey funded a project that was called Sanctuary in Schools under the Safe Schools and Communities Violence Prevention and Response Pilot Plan Initiative through Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Lead agency. Atlantic County Schools, New Jersey. NGO#: 01DU01 D02. The goals and objectives of the project were:
- Objective 1.1 Convene a task force of educators and community partner agencies responsible for addressing issues related to safety in schools
- Indicators 1.1.1: An active consortium of local district superintendent, county superintendents, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, local crisis management agencies, religious group representatives, local government officials, mental health agencies, and youth advocate groups by listing that meets regularly and has leadership by at least one member acting as director.
- Objective 1.2 Provide professional development to all local district and teachers in training in Creating Sanctuary in the Classroom as prevention of violence in the schools.
- Indicators 1.2.1: Scheduled in service activities through the expertise of Dr. Sandra Bloom and her staff
- Indicators 1.2.2: Adoption of Sanctuary in the Classroom strategies by local school districts boards of education
- Indicators 1.2.3: Reduced number of incidences reported and not reported that can be classified as violent and/or disruptive in the schools as made available to the task force and required reports to the county office of education.
- Indicators1.2.4: Student’s response to activities offered through Sanctuary in the Classroom obtained through interview and evaluation.
- Objective 1.3 Provide professional development to county agencies in Creating Sanctuary in the Classroom
- Indicators 1.3.1: Inclusion of Sanctuary in the Classroom strategies in county agencies’ activities for youth that supports district’s initiatives
Final Analysis of that project by Richard Stockton University investigators
