When Holocaust survivors walk into the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine for care, some of them say it feels like spending time with their grandchildren.
In October 2020, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) and Dr. Howard Drew partnered to open the Rutgers-based clinic for Holocaust survivors. Since then, 69 survivors have received free care that is Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed (PCTI).
“We see the survivors light up in the bright and cheery atmosphere of our state-of-the-art clinic,” said Drew, a professor of dental medicine at Rutgers.
The term PCTI was coined in 2015 by the US Department of Health and Human Services and defined by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) through practice. Envisioned as a holistic approach to care, the six guiding principles of PCTI care are safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment and choice, and cultural, historical and gender issues.