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George Junior Republic cuts workers’ comp injuries with CARE training
After adopting Cornell’s CARE Model in 2020, the organization reduced the number of restraints used during youth crises, which drove down staff injuries tied to physical intervention.
George Junior Republic, which has served at-risk youth since 1909 at a 500-acre campus in Grove City, Pennsylvania, said high workplace injury rates were linked to moments when staff had to physically intervene if a young person posed a danger to themselves or others, according to Risk & Insurance.
The turning point came in July 2020, when the organization adopted Cornell University’s Children and Residential Experiences Model, or CARE Model, which emphasizes trauma-informed, relationship-based care built around de-escalation, consistency, and understanding behavior. Risk & Insurance reports that the approach shifted staff away from hands-on interventions as the first response.
The organization said it made a substantial training and implementation investment, with every new employee completing a five-day, 40-hour CARE training before beginning work, and Cornell technical advisors visiting regularly to support adoption.
Risk & Insurance adds that the CARE Model’s connection to worker safety became apparent quickly, as Human Resources Coordinator Mike Hamilton attributed dramatic decreases in injuries to fewer restraints used, reflecting a broader move toward de-escalation and talking with youth to identify the issues driving crises.