The Healing Center
Community Of Hope With Heart Of Healing
SUMMARY OF NEED
Child sexual exploitation is one of the most reprehensible and destructive offenses confronting America today. It harms the safety and well-being of our young people, it devastates our families and communities, and it degrades our strength as a community.
No matter what form child exploitation takes—from the creation and circulation of child pornography to the trafficking of children for sex—it demands the full attention of law enforcement, policymakers, community leaders, philanthropists, and service providers, each of whom plays an essential role in combating this unconscionable crime.
The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, or advertising of a minor child for the purpose of a commercial sex act. Traffickers often prey upon a child’s vulnerability and use psychological pressure, violence and intimidation to control the child for financial benefit relating to their sexual exploitation. Purchasers of children for sex encompass all racial, socio-economic and cultural statuses. Child sex trafficking has devastating consequences for its victims, including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease, or even death.
“The longer you stay, the less hope you have.”
PROJECT SUMMARY
Leveraging more than 50 year history of providing residential care to children and young people that have experienced complex trauma, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children will create the Healing Center, the first of its kind program for the specialized care of child victims of sex trafficking.
The Healing Center will offer trauma specific treatment to victims with a goal to have them move along the continuum of healing, from victims to survivors, and then thriving in our community. Due to the complexity of emotional, physical, and sexual trauma experienced there will be an array of treatment modalities to meet these victims where they are in the healing process. Through this program, victims will receive treatment and services to address safety needs, gain a deeper understanding of the victimization they have experienced, improve self-esteem, develop and/or enhance motivation for change, improve life skills and empower them to reach life goals.
VR TOUR OF THE HEALING CENTER
Click the photo below for a VR tour of the Healing Center, navigate through the bottom left tabs to learn more about the project and how to donate.
