Peace: A Learned Solution (PALS) - Helping Children Heal from Violence and Trauma
Peace: A Learned Solution (PALS) is part of a statewide network of similar programs of therapeutic services. This program is always free of charge and open to children and non-offending parents or adults in their lives. Services are also available for adults who have experienced violence through AVANZAR’s domestic violence services program.


PALS
PALS is a therapeutic program for children and their families who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence. PALS recognizes that violence within a family can be a very traumatic situation for children. It works to restore the individual control many children lose when they experience violence first hand.

Families can participate in the PALS program through both self and professional referrals. To set up an initial appointment and receive further information on PALS, please call (609) 601-9925, ext. 1012. You will speak to a PALS case manager who will assist you in determining the services that are right for your children and family.
Children are unique individuals. This means they express their pain and react to the ways in which they have been hurt by domestic violence in different ways. However, one commonality is that many children impacted by violence in the home feel a loss of control and sense of powerlessness. Some children may become socially withdrawn with both friends and relatives. They may have trouble sleeping, experience emotional outbursts, or have difficulty with schoolwork, even in subjects they may normally excel in. Other children may exhibit other types of changes in demeanor or behavior, or none at all – but all children who have been abused or witnessed violence are in need of care and support.
Creative Art Therapy may include different types, such as art therapy, play therapy, music therapy, movement or drama therapy. Creative arts therapy uses the relationship between the patient and therapist in the context of the artistic process as a dynamic force to assist with communication and expression; promote the integration of physical, emotional cognitive and social functioning; enhance self-awareness; and help facilitate change.
Art Therapy uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. Creating visual art images to help with self-expression allows the client to process thoughts and feelings that they may not yet understand or be able to express through verbal language. Art Therapy allows clients to work through conflicts and traumas at a safe distance, rather than talking about them directly. Differences in artistic development can help us understand something about a child’s emotional experiences, cognition and sensory integration.
Music Therapy includes, but is not limited to song-writing, guided imagery, improvisation, lyric analysis and discussion, music listening and music to aid in relaxation. These processes can assist children in expressing feelings, learning self-regulation strategies, identifying boundaries, and increasing self-awareness and self-esteem. Through the therapeutic relationship with the music therapist, clients are able to process traumatic experiences and improve their sense of felt safety, resulting in a decrease in maladaptive behaviors.
Play therapy employs roleplaying and other forms of games and play to develop communication and problem-solving skills, express feelings, and increase behavioral control and agency. Children in PALS may take part in any or all of these therapies, depending on their needs.
Any children aged 3 to 17 who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence are eligible, as well as any non-offending parents. Parents who were the perpetrators of the violence are not eligible for services through PALS, as the focus of the program is processing the trauma experienced. To be eligible for PALS, families cannot be currently living or in a relationship with the offending adult.
One of the most important aspects of PALS is a focus on your family’s healing and inner strength. This program aims to guide both children and adults as they recover from domestic violence. Our case managers can also provide other forms of assistance for families enrolled in PALS, such as connections to legal services, financial literacy information, insurance referrals, and more.
AVANZAR is able to provide transportation for eligible families to and from PALS sessions, and support groups for non offending parents of children participating in the PALS Program.
If you would like additional information or you are seeking to refer a client, please contact us at (609) 601-9925, ext. 1012.
Please email the program coordinator at [email protected] or call (609) 601-9925 ext. 1012 to request information or a presentation.
Get In Touch
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault please call our 24-hour hotline at 1-800-286-4184. For more information about these programs, call us at 609-646-6767.