TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE

We are committed to understanding, recognizing and responding to the effects of trauma. This philosophy is known as trauma-informed care. 

Cornerstones of Care is certified in the Sanctuary Model® of trauma-informed care. 

Our treatment is built on the four components of safety, through which we commit to providing a safe, therapeutic living and working environment for our children, families and staff.   

  • Physical Safety: Are you free from violence and physical abuse?
  • Psychological Safety: Are you free from emotional abuse and safe within yourself?
  • Social Safety: Are you safe to be yourself regardless of the environment you are in?
  • Moral Safety: Do you practice healthy values?

We focus not only on the trauma of the individual, but also the capability of the individual to create positive change. Our staff work with children and families to develop the skills and knowledge that will empower them to live safe, productive and non-violent lives inside and outside our organization.

Our Seven Trauma-Informed Commitments — Each commitment is a trauma-related goal for our clients and staff. Together, the commitments help children and families heal from trauma and build healthy relationships.

  • Nonviolence — Understanding that hurt people hurt people, everyone must commit to breaking this pattern by committing to doing no harm.
  • Emotional Intelligence — Individuals and the community commit to identifying and managing emotions and responding to each other in healthy ways.
  • Social Learning — A healing community learns from all of its participants where information and skills are honored, shared and celebrated.
  • Open Communication — Transparency builds trust. Everyone in a healing community must be able to say what they mean without being mean.
  • Democracy — Everyone has a voice. By encouraging honest, open dialogue, better decisions can be made. Decision-makers hear all perspectives and communicate reasons why decisions are made.
  • Social Responsibility — In a community, everyone must commit to doing their part to keep the commitments, to speak up, to treat others with respect and to help each other grown and learn.
  • Growth and Change — The brain has amazing elasticity. Everyone has the opportunity to learn, to grow and to make different choices.

Our treatment and organizational principles are based on the S.E.L.F. framework. Recognizing the road to recovery from trauma can be a long one, the S.E.L.F. framework focuses staff and clients on four domains of healing:

  • Safety —Safety includes the physical, psychological, social and moral safety of all community members.
  • Emotion Management — Emotions should be expressed in ways that are not harmful to oneself or others. Members of our community develop Safety Plans to identify and encourage self-regulating options.
  • Loss — All change means loss. The community is encouraged to create practices for individuals and groups to deal with different types of  loss.
  • Future — Growth and change may be difficult when stuck in the pain of the past. Setting goals, seeking assistance and celebrating successes are part of building the future.

Using S.E.L.F., our clients and staff are able to embrace a shared, nontechnical language that allows them all to understand and participate in the recovery process.


Listen to Our Podcasts on Trauma-Informed Care