Help Trafficked Youth Get the Care They Deserve
Crittenton Services is proud to report that we have received a Challenge Grant opportunity from a long-time donor to match 1:1 up to $100,000 in order to support our InSight Program. The InSight Program provides intensive residential services to youth who have been sexually exploited or are at high risk of such exploitation.
Long before “sex trafficking” became a well-known issue and subject to a movie-of-the-week melodrama, Crittenton has created targeted interventions and a safe haven for this population of youth. Once called “teen or child prostitute”, it is now better understood that children are not prostitutes but rather victims of the most horrendous form of child abuse that often targets young girls (and boy) who have already been sexually abused or neglected by caregivers or relatives.
Sadly, many of the youth we have served and will continue to serve were betrayed by the very adults who were supposed to nurture and protect them. This betrayal has led to years of untreated complex trauma and a fear of most adults. Even those adults that truly want to help.
To protect themselves from even more hurt and disappointment, most traumatized youth, create hardened shells and project as hostile or angry. Frankly, we don’t blame our youth of doing what they can to protect themselves. However, due to these behavioral issues many people will only see a hard or even hostile shell and say “delinquent” or “incorrigible”.
We’d like to take this time to remind everyone that what you are seeing is an outward cry of pain and fear, all trauma-based behaviors intended to self-protect, even when help is being kindly offered.
It takes a lot to break through those emotional barriers and start a healing process. Any recovery journey does not take place in a straight line, and definitely not on our terms. It takes time to rebuild trust, restore a sense of self-worth, and regain a positive and healthy life path when you’ve gone through so much.
We thank you in advance for those considering donating to our Challenge Grant opportunity. Know that every dollar donated will have a positive impact in the mental health and daily life needs of every young person that is currently using the services of Crittenton’s InSight Program.
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Crittenton Services for Children and Families of Southern California (CSCF) is a non-profit social services agency whose mission is to heal the wounds of abuse and neglect; strengthen families; and help troubled adolescents reach their full potential. Established and incorporated in 1966 Crittenton has a highly trained workforce operating 24 hours a day / 7 days a week providing comprehensive mental health services, shelter care, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of short-term residential services, in-home, community-based programming, wraparound family services, outpatient mental health, transitional age youth programming, foster care, and adoption services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.
Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn more about our programs and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Flickr