Lessons Learned: Youth Living Out Loud, A Program for Youth who have Experienced Sexual-Exploitation
Jenna Kreuzer, MSW & Tiffany Wilhelm, MA, LPC-IT | September 21 | 10:15-11:15 AM | Room 3020
Topic: Programming | Knowledge Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Youth Living Out Loud (YLOL) is a program originally initiated by Wraparound Milwaukee in 2014 through an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Mentoring for Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation grant. Wraparound Milwaukee engaged community partners, La Causa Inc., Rethink Resources, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Diverse & Resilient to collaborate in providing comprehensive case management and medical and mentoring services to youth who are vulnerable to being sexually exploited and/or sex-trafficked. Presenters will discuss the successes and challenges in providing specialized services to youth in Milwaukee, WI. A presentation describing the current program structure and foundation will include their system response to commercial sexual exploitation of children, mentor specific training, discussion about the current program, service provision and community partnership involvement. This presentation will highlight who would benefit from specialized services, encompassing the primary concerns of health, safety and overall well-being. Participants will learn emerging best practices in working with youth populations who have experiences of being sexually exploited. In addition, they will have an opportunity to reflect on their own program and/or service capacities in the context of meeting the complex needs of youth who have experienced sexual exploitation, as well as how to connect and partner with local efforts in their community.
Presentation Objectives:
· Examine the structure as well as the challenges and successes about the implementation of the YLOL.
· Present promising strategies to identify youth enrolled in programming by understanding risk and response from an individual and programmatic level.
· Exhibit evidence-based models to support changes to current programming that allow for a more competent service provision to youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation.