When trauma enters a child’s life they are significantly impacted. The journey to understand that trauma can make an enormous difference in their future.
At Children’s Crisis Treatment Center (CCTC), our approach to providing behavioral health services to children and their families revolves around an understanding of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). We believe that despite tremendous challenges, children can heal from psychological injuries.
Our approach is one that:
Acknowledges the child and family’s emotional states in a non-judgmental way
Challenge children and families to set attainable goals
Assist them in identifying who in their life can support them
Our Attributes
CCTC’s key attributes are at the core of our culture and inform our approach to all of our programs and services
We are informed as a result of our pursuit of successful evidence-informed methods for providing care.
At CCTC our compassionate, highly trained staff are uniquely qualified to work in children’s mental health. Our approach to each program draws from evidence based methods and is tailored to the unique needs of the children and families we serve.
We are creative in our approach to each child’s care plan to ensure a successful outcome.
Every child comes to us with unique experiences, challenges and needs. At CCTC we believe every child deserves treatment that recognizes their individuality, and we tailor our services based on the history of each child and their family.
We are integrated in our ability to provide total support services to meet needs of children and families we serve.
CCTC’s services are exceptional because of our holistic approach to care coordination. After connecting with parents and caregivers, we then assess the child’s immediate resources which may include extended family, neighbors, a religious community, and school personnel.
We are resilient in that we never give up. With heart, passion and patience, we are companions along the whole journey.
Trauma theory tells us that trauma and adverse experiences can rob people of their sense of and hope for the future. Part of our job at CCTC is to help children and families reconnect with that hope.
The Sanctuary Model
The Sanctuary® Model is a clinical and organizational ethos which promotes safety and recovery through the active creation of a trauma-informed community. CCTC adopted the Sanctuary® Model in 2006, formalizing our status as a trauma-informed agency.
Trauma theory suggests that many of the behavioral symptoms we see in individuals are a direct result of coping with adverse experiences. In order to intervene effectively, we must move from a position of blame to one of understanding; Sanctuary® seeks to change the central question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What’s happened to you?”
Recognizing that trauma is a pervasive human experience, the Sanctuary® Model focuses not only on the people who seek services, but on the people and systems providing those services. Just as human beings are susceptible to adversity, organizations themselves are equally vulnerable. Since implementing Sanctuary®, CCTC has seen improved outcomes for the children and families we serve, improved staff retention and improved staff satisfaction. The tools of the Sanctuary® Model have enabled CCTC to create a safe environment for our children and families and the staff that care for them. The model informs our internal operations and provides a language within which our staff can communicate and support one another.
For more information about the Sanctuary® Model, please visit the Sanctuary® Institute website.