Sanctuary Model Essay

The Sanctuary Model is not the only methodology utilized by foster-care agencies. Another trauma-informed intervention that is gaining popularity in foster-care agencies across the county is “Trust-Based Relational Intervention” (TBRI) created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross. TBRI was created to address the multifaceted needs of susceptible children. It is primarily based on attachment (Purvis, Cross, Dansereau & Parris, 2013).
TBRI utilizes a variety of principles to address the different needs of these children: “connecting principles” for attachment needs, “empowering principles” to address physical needs, and “correcting principles” to defuse behaviors based on fear. The core of TBRI is connection, although the intervention is based on years of sensory processing, attachment, and neuroscience research (Purvis et al., 2013). Children who have endured circumstances such as neglect, abuse, and/or trauma are the ones that will benefit most from TBRI’s design. A goal of TBRI is for parents, teachers, caregivers, or anyone who works with children to apply the practical tools it offers so that they can see the “whole child.” In doing so, they can help

that child reach their highest potential (Purvis et al., 2013).
The Institute of Child Development has published several peer reviewed journal articles which provide evidence for the success of Trust-Based Relational Intervention. TBRI is currently listed on the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) registry, and is rated as being “highly” pertinent in the child welfare system based upon the program being intended to meet the needs of youth, children, and families utilizing child welfare services. TBRI is currently being reviewed based on newly published randomized control studies, which will result in a scientific rating (Bath, 2008).
This methodology, The Sanctuary Model, has not only been used in foster-care settings,
but has also been used in adult inpatient facilities, residential childcare, shelters, substance abuse facilities, schools, juvenile justice centers and other community-based services (Bloom & Farragher, 2013). Its underpinnings stem from the intertwining fields that study acute stress, disrupted attachment, adversity and chronic trauma-based problems. The Sanctuary Model can be applied while working with adults and children across a wide range of issues (Sroufe, 2005).
The Sanctuary Model was initially established in a short-term, acute inpatient psychiatric setting for adults who were traumatized as children.

It is an evidence-supported model that encourages an autonomous and nonaggressive community where clients and staff are empowered as fundamental decision makers. As a result, an emotionally intelligent and socially receptive community that promotes change and growth is created and can better transform external and internal conflict (Bloom & Farragher, 2013). The Sanctuary Model can counter the social, biological, affective and existential wounds of the sufferers of traumatic experience by facilitating the development of processes, structures and behaviors on behalf of clients, staff and the community because it’s a structural culture intervention (Bloom & Farragher,

2013).
Research Question
The evaluation intends to answer, "Are the tools provided by the Sanctuary Model being used as they were intended?" Five groups will be surveyed: children, direct-care staff, indirect-care staff, executives and social services. The expectation is to discover what percent of staff and clients are in fact using the tools as intended and what percent of staff and clients are not using the tools as intended.