Restorative Approach

The Restorative Approach™, newly updated in 2019, is a trauma-informed alternative to traditional “point and level” systems for child congregate care settings. Based on attachment theory and the principles of restorative justice, it answers the question, “Now that I understand how trauma affects children, what should I do on Monday?”

The Restorative Approach translates what we know about trauma, the brain, and how children heal into specific strategies for all treatment providers within the organization. When children display behaviors that hurt others and the community, rather than “doing time” or dropping levels, staff assigns learning and restorative tasks to help children learn skills and make amends.

This training will cover:

Theory Behind the RA including Principles of Restorative Justice
Healing Attachment
Building an RA-Informed Milieu
Using the Milieu to Rebuild Brains
Responding to Problem Behaviors: When Children Hurt Others
Common Questions about Restorative Tasks
Common Resistances to RA
Vicarious Trauma and RA