The Restorative Approach ™

What is the Restorative Approach™?

Brooklawn utilizes the Restorative Approach™ which is an alternative to traditional behavioral modification "point and level" systems for children and adolescents in residential treatment settings. The Restorative Approach™ has proven to be highly effective with young people who have experience trauma. Rather than being punitive, the Restorative Approach™ is a system that offers positive solutions and effective coping skills that address negative behavioral problems.

The Restorative Approach™ translates what we know about trauma, the brain, and how children heal into specific strategies that can be used by all levels of treatment providers, from direct care staff to primary therapists at Brooklawn.

When young people display behaviors that hurt others, themselves, and/or the community, rather than taking away all privileges or dropping levels, staff assigns them learning and restorative tasks to help regain lost trust and make amends. When children lose control, and act out in negative ways they learn that all is not lost - they can handle emotions differently and take action to mend relationships. The model also includes a focus on self-care for the staff that do this difficult work.

The Restorative Approach™ includes positive strategies for:

  • Responding to negative behaviors with specific learning and restorative tasks.

  • Understanding the adaptive role of behavior and using the understanding to create change.

  • Designing residential setting structure and programming to promote healing relationships.

  • Teaching children that reparative action is possible, and that problems within relationships can be solved.

  • Providing consistency throughout treatment.

  • Not entering into power struggles or creating “no win” situations between residents and staff.

  • Structuring and strengthening treatment teams, and promoting self-care for team members.

To speak with someone at Brooklawn regarding the Restorative Approach™, please contact Director of Admissions, Jeff Brown at
(502) 515-0411, or e-mail him at jbrown@brooklawn.net. You can
also call the Brooklawn offices toll-free at 1-877-220-1830.