The Sanctuary Model

Drueding Center is a certified site of the Sanctuary® Model and the first and only transitional housing provider in Philadelphia to reach this milestone. This model serves as a foundation for creating a trauma-informed community that promotes safety and recovery to families impacted by trauma and homelessness.

 
 

The Sanctuary Model inspires every aspect of our organizational culture. It provides us with a shared language and the tools to address the negative impact of trauma and focus on resiliency. The central question becomes “What’s happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”

The Sanctuary Model enables us to work more effectively with clients who have experienced trauma and improve treatment outcomes. A nurturing, safe, and caring community fosters shared responsibility in decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. These tools strengthen clients as they make progress in their recovery.

Sanctuary Commitments

The Sanctuary Model involves everyone in our community – from the leaders, to every person who provides care, and every person we serve. The seven commitments outline the way members of our community agree to interact with each other:

  • Open Communication – Saying what we mean without being mean when we say it

  • Social Learning – Respecting and learning from others’ ideas

  • Emotional Intelligence – Managing our feelings so we don’t hurt ourselves or others

  • Nonviolence – Being safe physically, emotionally with others; doing no harm

  • Democracy – Shared decision making

  • Social Responsibility – Working together

  • Growth and Change – Creating hope through change

S.E.L.F. 

S.E.L.F. stands for Safety Emotion Loss and Future. It provides a way of thinking about problems, planning solutions, and discussing goals.

  • S=Safety (Physical, Emotional, Moral & Social)
    The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury to self or others. Safety is the key to healing.

  • E=Emotion (Managing your feelings)
    Being able to manage your Emotional Reactions and finding coping skills that help you calm down.

  • L= Loss (This can be good!)
    Recognizes that all change involves loss.  

  • F=Future (How can things be better?)
    The ability to IMAGINE a new and better FUTURE helps us to make choices not determined by the PAST.

We voluntarily undergo a comprehensive recertification process every three years to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to a high level of care and the continuity of a trauma-informed environment for the Drueding Center community.

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To learn more about the Sanctuary Model, visit the Sanctuary Institute website.