Children's Institute, Inc. (CII)
One of the premier children's service organizations in Los Angeles, Children’s Institute (insert link www.childrensinstitute.org) helps children who have been affected by violence, abuse and other kinds of trauma. Founded in 1906, CII serves more than 15,000 children and families each year through their treatment, prevention, early care and education, and community services programs. CII staff also work to inform the broader child welfare field through research, professional training and advocacy.
ATJ helps to fund and guide the development of CII's Wellness Center activities by bringing mindfulness, guided imagery, meditation, yoga and other complementary therapeutic techniques to young children and families across many of the agency’s programs. In addition, ATJ is underwriting and collaborating on the development of an innovative Domestic Violence Curriculum that incorporates the use of complementary healing. ATJ also provides CII employees with ongoing training in wellness, stress management, and coping skills.
CII Director Dr. Leslie Ross states: "ATJ and CII share a similar goal of realizing positive change. By bringing these complementary methods to children and families, our clients are better able to manage and reduce their trauma-related symptoms and implement coping skills. In addition, CII staff are learning tools to reduce work-related stress. In essence, ATJ is helping CII carry out its mission of leading children away from the disabling effects of trauma and on the path toward recovery, opportunity and achievement."
Five Acres
Five Acres is a child and family services agency that strengthens families and prevents child abuse through treatment and education in community-based and residential programs. The agency’s programs include residential care and educational services, mental health in homes and schools, foster care and adoptions, and domestic violence prevention.
As with many social service agencies, the Five Acres leadership team has multiple job responsibilities that can often seem endless and overwhelming. Staff discovered that overwork frequently caused them to neglect their health and led to poor choices related to their diet and well-being. ATJ helped Five Acres turn around their workplace environment by developing a comprehensive Workplace Wellness program. Planning meetings were held to identify important components of the program, in-house resources and assistance needed from other sources. Then a committee was formed, a work plan was developed, and the Five Acres team began implementing their program in January 2011.
"Since we implemented our workplace wellness program, our employees are excited to take care of themselves! I overhear them talking about being healthy. I see them making better choices and helping each other to make better choices with food and stress management activities. They feel like Five Acres is invested in their well-being, and many people are participating in the program." – Carmen Benitez, Director of Human Resources, Five Acres
