Fundraiser to Help Young Trafficking Victims in Crittenton’s InSight Program

Fundraiser to Help Young Trafficking Victims in Crittenton’s InSight Program

February 10, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Crittenton Services for Children and Families

(714) 680-6008

mjasso@crittentonsocal.org

FULLERTON, Calif – Crittenton Services for Children and Families (CSCF) is hosting its annual Mystery Night dinner and auction fundraiser to fund the non-profit’s efforts in helping teenage girls placed in Crittenton’s care that are victims of sex trafficking.

WebAd-MysteryNight2014-2This year’s Mystery Night event will be on Sunday, March 22, 2015 and hosted by Crittenton’s business sponsor Angelo’s & Vinci’s Ristorante on 550 N. Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton, Calif.

Crittenton has a nationally accredited residential therapeutic treatment program, called InSight, that is highly regarded for its ability to help children cope with the aftermath of repeated complex trauma and human trafficking.

“Throughout the years Crittenton has been fortunate enough to have dedicated staff that has the expertise of handling some of the toughest cases involving child abuse. In particular, we have been recognized for our model of care in relation to treating commercial sexually exploited children or CSEC , a subset of clients, in today’s child welfare system that have among the highest rates of recidivism, and a tendency to runaway from assistance or any kind of help offered,” said Martha Jasso, Director of Communications, CSCF.

Since 2012, Crittenton has been in partnership with Los Angeles County and their Probation Department, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Mental Health and the STAR Court (Succeeding Through Achievement and Resilience), a specialty program handling only CSEC cases, within the Juvenile Delinquency Court operating out of Compton, Calif.

As one of the handful of original agencies working in this collaboration effort Crittenton is proud to serve as a partner on a initiative that has garnered national attention for its “child-centered and victim-centered” approaches to combating the sex trafficking of children in Los Angeles County.

“The reality is that the trauma of children that have been victimized by trafficking is something that happens not just in California but throughout the United States,” said Jasso, “We have had inquiries as far away as Hawaii or the East Coast wondering what Crittenton’s process is to take in girls who are trafficking victims and that need intensive mental health in a structured residential setting. On one hand, we are proud to say that an Orange County based child welfare agency has earned a national reputation for effectively helping with CSEC cases. But, on the other hand, it’s always a sobering reality to know that we simply do not have the resources or the funding to help all young victims of trafficking. We do everything in our power to help our young clients regain their sense of self-worth, but we are always in need of additional funding from giving donors to help off-set the costs of mental health and transitional youth services.”

It has been a year in the making, but in response to very supportive community partners and their interest in Crittenton’s InSight Program, the agency has established a special fund and intake process for CSEC cases that are not eligible for government funding. In total, Crittenton will reserve six beds in our residential treatment center specifically for CSEC cases from any jurisdiction in the United States.

Crittenton will start to work with a select group of partners and take new clients who would most likely benefit from the InSight program. In particular, Crittenton will prioritize sex trafficking cases where the young victim is also diagnosed with co-occurring mental health issues, has substance abuse issues, or is pregnant and therefore needs prenatal and postnatal care.

“Our agency has specifically earmarked the annual Mystery Night event as one of our main fundraisers where every dollar raised goes directly to fund all services provided to girls in need of the InSight Program. Our philosophy is to treat the ‘whole child’ while at Crittenton and funding is needed for more than just shelter space. The idea is to help a girl not just survive the trauma of sex trafficking, but to help her move forward in order to sustain a healthy and productive life,” said Jasso.

Anyone who is interested in helping a good cause by participating in an evening of fun, food and theater is more than welcomed to attend. For additional information about ticket prices, reservations or donations to help fund Crittenton’s InSight Program please contact the Crittenton Development Office at 714-680-8218.

Download the Crittenton Mystery Night Brochure

 

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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 counseling, medical, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of residential, in-home, community based, wraparound, mental health, foster care, and adoption services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.

Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn more about our programs and connect with us on FacebookTwitterYouTubeLinkedInGoogle+, and Flickr.