The Sanctuary Model
Evidence based model supporting everyone in our UMFC community
What is Sanctuary?
Sanctuary® is an evidence-based, trauma-informed model that everyone in our organisation learns and implements together.
We chose the Sanctuary model for UMFC because it doesn’t shy away from realities of the unique type of work we do – instead it leans in and says:
“Okay, so if we know this work inherently brings adversity, what do we need to help people (clients and staff) heal, thrive, and go forward safely?”
Sanctuary Outcomes
- It helps us see conflict and crisis in a new way, so we can handle them better.
- It reminds us that trauma doesn’t just impact those who’ve lived through it and touches the staff supporting them and the organisation as a whole.
- It guides staff to build strong, caring communities and focus on safety and wellbeing for everyone in the organisation.
- It deepens our understanding of how past hardships can affect people throughout their lives.
Our staff will shortly be able to share factsheets with you about Sanctuary. Staff may use Sanctuary tools in to support you in using Sanctuary in relationships with clients and external partners.
Staff will be embedding Sanctuary tools in the support given to clients.
The Sanctuary Model originated in the 1980s in Philadelphia, United States, and was developed by Dr Sandra Bloom and her colleagues. It emerged from the field of psychiatry and focused on understanding how trauma and adversity experienced by inpatients affected not only the individuals themselves but also the broader organisational environment, including staff who might not work directly with the patients. Since its creation, the model has been rigorously tested and implemented by organisations worldwide.
Before we started seriously looking at adopting the model, the team at Mackillop Institute (leaders of Sanctuary) also did lots and lots of climate-assessments and interviews. This was to check that UMFC as it is currently, and how we hope it to be, are a good fit with the model.
Just like a compass, the 8 commitments are a way of making sure we are on track and living the culture we and our community needs.
The following commitments are interwoven into everything we do:
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Nonviolence
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Emotional Intelligence
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Social Learning
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Democracy
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Open Communication
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Social Responsibility
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Growth and Change
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Cultural Humility
Simply put, you will know you’re in an organisation that lives and breathes Sanctuary because of how it feels. There is a sense of safety, appreciation of humanness, and personal accountability that you may not have experienced in a workplace before.
