 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| News |  |
Funding Opportunities | |
Initiatives | |
Partners & Other Resources | |
Jobs | |
Site Map |
Commercially Sexually Exploited ChildrenThe Bridge Program"For too long we’ve looked at prostitution as a victimless crime. This fails to acknowledge the often tragic backgrounds of the girls who are drawn into the culture of prostitution and those who are forced into it. It is unconscionable, in my opinion, to view a 13-year-old prostitute as anything but a victim." Sue Rahr, King County Sheriff After years of planning, and through the support of many generous donors and foundations, the City of Seattle and a number of community partners have raised funds to support a three-year pilot project, formerly referred to as the Residential Recovery Program for Prostituted Youth, but now officially named The Bridge Program. See the Seattle Times article on the program. The program is up and running and provides six beds in a home-like setting and comprehensive wraparound services for an estimated 20 young people, between the ages of 14 and 17, per year. The program delivers services in a highly structured environment, with activities designed to meet both the individual and collective needs of participants. It includes:
There is a full-time mental health provider and chemical dependency counselor on staff. Most importantly, program participants are provided with a safe, supportive, and secured environment to heal, grow, and explore the opportunities awaiting them as young adults. The Bridge Program will be professionally evaluated to ensure that the services provided are working, and that the program has met its goal of helping program participants heal from abuse and achieve personal goals to reach their full potential. The Seattle Human Services Department has contracted YouthCare to deliver the above-described residential recovery services. YouthCare is a Seattle-based 501c3 nonprofit agency with extensive experience as a service provider for homeless and underserved youth. United Way of King County has contracted with YouthCare to provide two dedicated beds for commercially sexually exploited children in YouthCare’s existing shelter. While living at the shelter, and in addition to receiving comprehensive services, commercially sexually exploited youth will be assessed for their readiness to enter the Bridge Program. To date, funding for the Bridge Program has been provided by the City of Seattle, King County through the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Women's Funding Alliance, Soroptimist International Seattle, the Northwest Children's Fund, the Norcliffe Foundation, the Dorsey and Whitney Foundation, and many private donors. Survivor Story "Laura" told her family she was pregnant when she was 15, and her parents told her to leave. Unemployable at 15, she struggled with minimal help from the state and friends until, at age 17, she met a pimp: "I was on the track for a lot of years. I was scared to death of him; I believed he would kill me. He beat me and burned me. Then one night I was almost killed by a trick; my last customer of the night. He was strangling me and I fought him off. I heard a dog bark and followed the sound. I ran to a house; my clothes were nearly all ripped off, but the people called the police for me. The police told me, 'You are going to die out there.' One day the pimp left for a while and I just left. I called an old customer who gave me money for a taxi and a plane ticket." From: Who Pay’s the Price? Accessing the Bridge ProgramYouthCare's Emergency ShelterFor referrals or questions, please call YouthCare’s Shelter at 1-800-495-7802, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Commercially sexually exploited youth in need of short-term, emergency shelter may be referred to YouthCare's Shelter program. Shelter serves youth ages 12-17 in a trauma-informed setting and offers basic care, case management and fun activities. The Shelter program is designed to accept youth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Bridge Program: Long-term Residential Recovery ServicesFor referrals or questions, please call YouthCare's The Bridge at 206-985-0444 (Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) In a unique residential setting, The Bridge Program provides youth ages 14-17 with comprehensive services. The Bridge Program is located in an un-disclosed location. Community-Based Advocacy and Case ManagementFor referrals or questions please call 206-303-9383 (Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) |
|
Seattle Human Services Department |
Phone: 206-386-1001 |
Accommodations for people with disabilities provided upon request. |
|