Enhanced Mentoring Services; Continuum of Care Management; and, Victim Identification Training for Runaway and Homeless Children (ages 12-17) in Wichita, Kansas who are at Risk or Victims of CSE/DMST

The Mentoring for Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Initiative supports efforts of community service organizations to respond to the needs of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking (CSE/DST), including children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Project sites will develop or enhance their mentoring capacity, facilitate outreach efforts, and increase the availability of direct services for child victims of CSE/DST. OJJDP expects project sites to integrate promising practices and proven principles into their mentoring service models; develop strategies to recruit, train, support, and maintain mentors; and provide a comprehensive array of support services to empower girls, boys, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth to move past their experiences with victimization to develop their full potential.

This program is authorized by Department of Justice Appropriations Act, Pub. L. No. 113-76, 128 Stat. 5, 64.

The purpose of this project is to enhance the capacity of the Wichita Children’s Home (WCH) to serve the needs of children and youth, including LGBT youth, who are at risk or are victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Domestic Minor Sexual Trafficking. The project will target runaway, homeless and street youth (RHSY) (ages 12-17) located in or passing through, Wichita, Kansas.

The primary goal is to help victims leave the CSE lifestyle, allowing them to start healing and to form relationships and develop skills that allow them to have a safe, healthy and successful future. The secondary goal is to prevent other, at-risk youth, from being victimized. WCH will provide mentoring services to youth utilizing intensively trained and supported volunteer mentors. Allowing for the blending and management of five complementary Federally-funded programs, this project will provide access to a full spectrum of victim services including: Screening and assessment, access to urgent care, emergency shelter and family reunification, long-term transitional housing and self-sufficiency, mental health, drug/alcohol, advocacy, case management, education, mentoring and referrals.

This project will identify 215 RHSY per year; of which, 35 will be identified as youth at-risk or victims of CSE. WCH will develop 8-10 new Volunteer Mentors per year, eventually maintaining a stable group of 20-25 Volunteer Mentors. Youth will be assigned to mentors individually or in groups and mentors will be expected to provide at least 2-4 hours of mentoring per week. All Mentor recruits will receive 12 hours of initial orientation and training; and, each month, will be offered a minimum of 1-2 hours of direct supervision; 2-4 hours of support group meetings; and, 2-4 hours of in-service training. The project will provide “victim identification training” to around 20 groups or 100 individuals per year.

WCH will contract with two or more Victim/Survivor Consultants throughout the project for non-professional, experiential input into the design and operations of the program. These Consultants will assist with program development; mentor recruitment and support; orientation, initial and ongoing mentor training; and, victim counseling and support.

Evidence-based practices utilized by this project will include: Trauma-Informed Residential Services and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Art Therapy, Strengths-based Case Management, Motivational Interviewing, Casey Life Skills Assessments, Early Head Start and Harm Reduction.

CA/NCF