National Juvenile Justice Trainers Association Honors NYS Office of Children and Family Services

The national Juvenile Justice Trainers Association (JJTA) this week honored the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for the successful implementation of Sanctuary, the trauma-informed therapeutic model for improving outcomes for children, at the Annsville Residential Center in Oneida County.

JJTA, a member organization of the National Partnership for Juvenile Services, honored the staff and youth at Annsville with the Group Achievement Award "for outstanding contribution to the field of juvenile justice training" for the innovative implementation of Sanctuary. The OCFS Bureau of Training and the Sanctuary Steering Committee also were recognized for their critical support.

"I could not be more pleased by how the staff and leadership at Annsville have embraced Sanctuary," said OCFS Deputy Commissioner for Juvenile Justice Joyce Burrell, who accepted the award on behalf of the staff and youth at Annsville at the JJTA 14^th Annual National Symposium on Juvenile Services held in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 5.

OCFS Commissioner Gladys Carrión, Esq., added: "This national recognition earned by the staff and children at the first facility where we implemented Sanctuary, and the corresponding and substantial decline in restraints, is a clear and unambiguous sign that New York State is going in the right direction with the transformation of the juvenile justice system to improve outcomes for children."

"Soon, we can look forward to the successful implementation of Sanctuary at all OCFS facilities across the state," continued Carrión.

The OCFS Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth manages New York State's residential centers for children under the age of 16 who have been adjudicated by the family courts for violating the law.

In January 2007, OCFS commenced a review of the state's juvenile justice system and consequently launched a transformation of the system from an outdated corrections-based safety and control model to an evidence-based trauma-informed therapeutic model that nationwide has produced improved outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Annsville Residential Center is a 25-bed non-secure facility for boys in Oneida County. Sanctuary training was initiated at Annsville in January 2007.

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