Sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety. In urban neighborhoods all throughout America, sanctuary is a luxury almost beyond attainment. But Michael O'Bryan is working to bring that sense of sanctuary to the North Philadelphia community of Strawberry Mansion.
The Sanctuary Model originated in Philadelphia in the early 1980s. It promotes safety and recovery from adversity through the active creation of a trauma-informed community. Crucial to this program is the understanding that trauma is a pervasive element of life for city residents, and trauma cycles become vicious cycles that perpetuate violence within trauma-impacted communities.
O'Bryan works as a Sanctuary Coordinator for the Trauma Informed Care Initiative, a program of the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern Pennsylvania District in partnership with the Sanctuary Institute, the leading trauma care and capacity-building training institute in the country.
He was brought on board because of his experience with the Sanctuary Model. He worked at the Salvation Army Red Shield Family Residence for seven years, the first shelter in Pennsylvania that adopted the Sanctuary Model. As the Youth Service Coordinator he instituted and oversaw the development of the organization's Youth Services Department, including after-school services, trauma-informed arts enrichment programming, and psycho-education. Prior to that role he served as an after-school program coordinator and mentor of after-school care.
[For more of this story, written by Nicole Rupersburg, go to http://www.popcitymedia.com/fe...s/michaelobryan.aspx]
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