Counseling Col:lab Provides Trauma-Informed Care to Survivors Through Grant; Resources in Sacramento

Counseling Col:lab’s mission to uplift the East Sacramento community through holistic and effective counseling recently went a step further. Through a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) grant awarded to The Family Justice Center (FJC) and Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH), Counseling Col:lab will be serving human trafficking survivors. The Counseling Col:lab recently signed an operational agreement with FJC and CASH to provide supervision to their employees, staff trainings to increase their knowledge on serving this population, and temporary, short-term crisis intervention therapy services for FJC and CASH clients.

Through this grant, Counseling Col:lab will be providing monthly supervision to case workers and training as needed. In addition, they have $7,200 towards therapy services which equates to 6 sessions a month for 12 months or 12 clients at 6 sessions each. The grant term is from April 2022 to March 2023. Counseling Col:lab clinician Carissa Theis, LMFT, also provided a four-hour crisis intervention training to their new staff on May 12, 2022.

Serving Survivors

Having previously worked directly with survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child sexual abuse, Carissa is excited to continue helping and serving survivors in our community. Carissa and the Counseling Col:lab are partnering alongside the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center (FJC) and Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH) in a collaborative effort to continue to provide trauma-informed care to survivors in our community.

Through the partnership, Carissa will be able to provide supervision to care workers that serve hundreds of survivors each month. The Counseling Col:lab will also be providing trainings to employees and volunteers from FJC and CASH to help increase their knowledge and ability to provide trauma-informed care to survivors. Through the partnership, Counseling Col:lab will also be able to provide short-term crisis intervention therapy services to a few of FJC and CASH’s survivors each month. Mental health care is often very difficult to access but is highly needed, especially for survivors of complex trauma. As needed as it may be, mental health care is often unafforable for low-income households and insurance providers often have long waitlists. This is why Counseling Col:lab is thrilled to be able to help start bridging the gap, providing services for survivors while they wait for providers that accept their insurance or provide lower-cost counseling services. 

About Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center (FJC)

The Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center offers a safe, healing environment for victims of domestic violence, child and elder abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking. They provide an array of services to victims through collaboration with existing public, private, and community-based programs. Below is a brief list and explanation of services that FJC provides:

Crisis Intervention and Safety Planning: Case managers and advocates are available to help victims navigate their way from danger and vulnerability to a place of safety and hope. They can assist with referrals for medical attention, emergency safe shelter, transportation, consultation with a domestic violence detective, individual and/or group counseling, referrals to APS, referral to a victim advocate at the DA’s office, assistance with California Victim Compensation Board’s application, personal hygiene and clothing, and child therapy. 

Legal Services: FJC has attorneys available to assist with domestic violence and elder abuse restraining order petitions.

Youth Services: FJC offers a Child and Teens Creating Hope (CATCH) leadership Academy which is a year-round mentoring initiative that focuses on children and teens exposed to domestic violence and trauma. They also offer Child and Family Therapy to children who are victims of violence and abuse or secondary victims such as minor siblings.

Survivors Support Network (VOICES): FJC also has a VOICES committee of domestic abuse survivors and sexual assault who volunteer their time to celebrate their strength and survival. The committee provides an opportunity for survivors to find and use their voices to help others find hope and healing.

About Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH)

Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH) provides assistance to women and youth who have been commercially sexually exploited through survivor-led peer support and harm reduction services, while providing education about the harm inflicted on women and the community. They provide street-level and online outreach, mentoring and coaching, and access to services in the community. CASH provides the following services:

Center for Women: Monday through Friday from 12-4pm CASH provides a drop-in center to allow survivors a place to come and get something to eat, obtain new clothes from their donations closet, and/or just relax and connect with others. They also have computers and phones available for survivors to use to apply for jobs or get necessities met. 

Reset Diversion Program: This is a 25-hour course that meets Sacramento County’s prostitution diversion requirements. The program covers topics such as commercial sexual exploitation, coping skills, self-esteem, boundaries, and personal values. 

CalOES program: The California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) program has case workers that assist survivors in obtaining emergency housing, providing case management, recovery assistance, connection to medical and mental health care, and employment and benefits. 

Healthy Women and Families: Provides individual support for a healthy pregnancy and offers the opportunity to care, teach, and play with baby. They also provide connections to trauma-informed medical clinics, coordinate safe sleep and car seat classes, and make sure new moms have the supplies they need.