For many kids who enter the child welfare system, trauma is their earliest memory. It can take the form of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and loss, and the effects are profound, resulting in anxiety, behavioral struggles, and difficulty trusting adults.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in children often looks different from how it does in adults. It can manifest as nightmares, aggression, withdrawal, or an inability to focus on school. Too often, these symptoms are misread as defiance or behavioral problems, when underneath, a child is simply trying to cope with pain they don’t have the words to explain.
That’s where Saint Francis Ministries steps in.
At SFM, we believe every child deserves the chance to heal. Our trauma-informed care approach means our staff, especially at our Salina West campus are trained to understand the “why” behind a child’s behavior, meeting them with compassion and understanding.
Located in the tranquil rolling hills of central Kansas, our state-of-the-art residential-care campus, Salina West, provides a nurturing, rural environment for young people aged 6-18 to heal and begin anew. Here at Saint Francis Ministries, we specialize in helping youth overcome severe mental and behavioral health challenges, enabling them to return to their families and communities to lead healthier lives.
Our campus offers compassionate, professional staff providing a supportive environment for children who have faced a range of complex issues, including self-harm, aggression, substance abuse, and other behavioral challenges.
Using a variety of therapeutic tools, including art and equine therapy, Salina West provides comprehensive treatment for a range of diagnoses, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, bipolar disorders, trauma and stress disorders, disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder.
June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day, established to recognize the trauma of battlefield veterans primarily. Yet, it can also live in the bodies and minds of children, and with the right support, healing is possible.
