Halton Child & Youth Trauma Center
December 2006
Project Summary:
This was a 3 day project that took a drab “industrial” looking treatment room that aimed for children to open up and talk about the trauma they have been victim to.
Walls of Hope wanted to change the image of the room that would help many families and children feel safe, secure, and calm – away from the trauma they had experienced. The renovations and new equipment, which included new flooring, custom cabinetry, video equipment, new furniture and lighting, and a lot of fresh paint, will considerably enhance the functionality of the room.
We made the space feel more like a great family room. We created custom built ins to hide any treatment apparatus. We implemented colours, replaced floors and painted inviting murals to make children feel warm and safe.
Treatment councillors were invigorated and motivated to make a difference with their skills and knew the changes would make a tremendous impact on the children they treated. They were amazed at how welcoming and comfortable the new environment was.
Testimonials:
“I really think the word “HOPE” that was carved out of wood and painted, was a really nice touch because that is what we’re here for. The families that we finished working with talked to us on Friday about how the program offers them so much hope. Very fitting” Lori Interisano, Director of Operations/ Community Relations
“I couldn’t believe it really was the same room, it really seems like a totally different space. I would never have really believed it was the same room, it just felt so different. I think the room is really inviting, really calming and it’s a place you want to be. I think it sends a message that this is really important work and valued, so I think the children and the parents and caregivers will really feel comfortable being there and relaxed. I really think the word “HOPE” that was carved out of wood and painted; I thought that was really neat too. That is what we’re here for and the families that we just finished running, talked to us on Friday about how the program offers them so much hope. Really neat to see that.” Susan Mantle, Psychological Associate, Trauma worker
“It was such a lovely beautiful soft peaceful colour combination they used, that really struck me. It was just beautiful, and then as I started to look around the room, looked at the sand trays which will be so much easier to move around. And to be able to put a top on them, see how beautifully they had stored all the miniatures, arranged so neatly in the cupboard, it was just so. The furniture, it was just so inviting.
I thought the mural was amazing because we had given some ideas about what couldn’t be there, since it was a treatment room for people who had faced trauma, so I was curious to see what they would come up with. I was really quite stunned to see it. I thought what a wonderful idea, simple picture, but lovely feeling to it. Our current clients will have the same reaction. They will just be awestruck by it to see the changes. It just has a comfortable, relaxed, homey kind of feel to it. For people who are dealing with the traumatic kinds of events that our clients are, I think it will give a nice peaceful feeling.” Anne Lees, Clinical Manager and Psychological Associate
