SCHOOLS
DRJ offers a grassroots, organic, and educationally sound partnership with schools, allowing DRJ to work collaboratively with each school’s needs in order to train, support, and coach building restorative schools.
- Encourage the use of Restorative Practices in schools for both students and faculty & staff (which can lead to positive school culture), and promote the use of restorative discipline policies that may, potentially, not separate youth from school community (e.g. out of class, at home suspensions, etc.), while holding youth accountable and still remain connected to school;
- Support schools that are interested, have begun, or are in the process of making the transition toward a restorative approach school-wide. Problem behaviors that can lead to suspension, such as truancy, disruptive behaviors, substance use, stealing or fighting, are very often indicators of deeper underlying problems. Restorative Practices can address problem behavior from escalating into suspensions, expulsions and criminal charges. This approach offers a structure for assessing the needs of the youth(s) and school community while addressing the root causes of problem behaviors;
- Have a school referral process that addresses harm, directly and immediately when addressing behaviors in which there is harmful impact on self or others. (If an incident becomes a juvenile charge, these cases often don’t get referred to DRJ until two months after the fact by the courts).
ORGANIZATIONS & WORKPLACE
DRJ offers organization wide comprehensive training, workshops and coaching supportive of building restorative environment in the Workplace
The importance of positive relationships, where everyone feels heard and has agency is understood as central to building healthy and strong environments –including in places of work!
With this framework of relational community building, additional skill sets offer the ability to resolve disagreements, have difficult discussions, and restoratively respond to conflict or infraction when they occur. DRJ understands that every organization and workplace has their own unique culture, strengths and struggles, and we’ll tailor our support to meet your needs.
A Restorative Community/Workforce Environment culture offers these benefits in the following ways;
- A safer, more caring environment.
- A more effective working and learning environment.
- A greater commitment by everyone to taking the time to listen to one another stemming from the awareness of the importance of connectedness, and the need to belong and feel valued by colleagues, supervisors, administration or clients.
- A reduction in interpersonal conflicts.
- In response to inappropriate behavior there is a greater emphasis seeking to reconnect, rather than further disconnect people.
- A greater confidence in the staff team to deal with challenging situations
- Greater mutual understanding of how we may all …have bad days …that we can incorporate grace into ownership and accountability.
- Decrease in burnout due to ongoing contentious situations
- A decrease in employee turnover.