Project SHIELD Inc.
PROGRAMS
Project SHIELD Series ~ Shielded By Truth ~ Protecting Hearts/Guarding Minds
Did you know? At any given time, it is estimated that there are 750,000 child predators online ... and they all have a key to your house via the Internet? (FBI 2011 Cyber Safety) California consistently has the highest human trafficking rates in our nation. (Polaris Project) 58% of teens reported to have met up in person with someone they met online (2014 Cox Internet Survey) It takes only 8 minutes for a predator to form a bond with a child. (thorn.org) The Problem: Sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business, only 2nd in our nation to drug trafficking. However, unlike drugs that can be used only once, a person can be used over and over again. Traffickers target individuals solely for profit and the average age of a victim is 11-14 years old. Traffickers target our youth because they are vulnerable and can be easily manipulated especially because they are young. Social media has increased their vulnerability as traffickers pretend to be someone they are not. Sextortion can be devastating as the trafficker blackmails the child, with some young people taking their own lives. Times have changed and our children are at risk. Prevention education can help stop this devastation and can protect our precious youth! The Solution: Shielded By Truth ~ Protecting Hearts/Guarding Minds is Project SHIELD's complete and comprehensive Prevention Education Series. Unlike other programs, who may only give a few lesson plans to a teacher who has no background in human trafficking, this Series tackles this critical issue head on with expert knowledge in the trainings and presentations. It's not just the students who need to know about these dangers, it's also the staff, the attendance clerk, the SRO (School Resource Officer) etc., who need to be educated as well. With having that educational knowledge, a teacher or another staff member may see that a child is being 'groomed', when a child may not recognize it. We can't under-estimate the importance of knowing what to look for and having protocol in place in our schools to assist and address this issue as this intervention can literally save their life. Our Series also addresses the need for parent/guardian education as well. Most often, there is a generational gap and parents can be very unaware of what's actually going on with social media and the apps that their children are using. The reality that in the privacy of their own home ... their child may be being groomed, is frightening. But this doesn't have to be if we take the time to educate our parents and provide safe guards for them to put in place. As CEO and Creator of this program, I have a wealth of knowledge in this area and the importance of getting information out to our youth our communities is vital. I also know that traffickers would love it if we stay silent ... as they can easily target our precious youth on the very screens that they are on every day. We need to shed light on this evil darkness ... and the value of this unique program that educates all involved such as Shielded By Truth ~ Protecting Hearts/Guarding Minds is truly priceless. Finally, with evidenced-based and data-driven experience, this Series comes alongside to show how to provide foundational supports for the most vulnerable youth in your student body and with these supports helping to increase student attendance and academic success! Why We Believe a Comprehensive Approach is Best? Our Youth are vulnerable ... basically because they are still young ... and they usually DON'T recognize or even see they are being manipulated when it's happening. If we as the adults, can identify and see those 'RED FLAGS' sooner ... we can assist a Child BEFORE something tragic happens. What is included in the Shielded By Truth ~ Protecting Hearts/Guarding Minds Series and how it is easily implemented into your School? It's not just powerful and engaging education that matters ... it's also about the delivery. Administration/Principals/School Board Presentation ~ With powerful real-life occurrences underscoring the issue at hand and the vital importance of Prevention Education for our Youth, this Series presents a proactive plan to educate and put protocol in place. When? Ideally, before the new school starts or as a Spring Prevention Series How long? 50 minutes Staff/Support Personnel/Counselors ~ Presenting the concerns and to educate on how to identify the 'Red Flags' with your Student Body and having that protocol in place to assist. When? Ideally before or as the new school year begins or as a Spring Prevention Series How long? 50 minutes for educators/support personnel; 60 - 90 minutes additional training for counselors Mini-Parent/Guardian Presentation ~ Creating awareness regarding Social Media dangers along with providing resources and vital safe-guards to protect their child. When? Before a Back-to-School night or a separate Parent Town Hall meeting How long? 20 minutes or longer if a time slot allows Student Body Assemblies ~ Age appropriate, engaging and powerful presentations to empower our Youth with knowledge and protections that they can put in place. Also included are healthy relationships choices, having respect for each other, assessing what is a safe and unsafe situation, and understanding cyber safety and a clear knowledge of the fact that there is help and knowing the protocol in place. When? Like any assembly planned, but best early in the school year; also as a Spring Prevention Series. How long? 50 minutes Counselor/Facilitator Toolbox Includes: ~ Additional educational presentation regarding the tactics traffickers/predators use ~ How to identify students who may be more at risk and how to provide additional support ~ Specific training on trauma, with relationship tips when working with students who may have endured trauma ~ Student Support Services Plan ~ the protocol for assessing a student who is currently at risk; the safety plan; and the guidelines for appropriate proper reporting. When? Following the Staff/School Personnel Presentation How long? 90 minutes The Budget ~ Annual Base Price: $4550 per District Each School: $400 per School Budget is based upon the Annual Series Base Price with the Add-On Cost of each School that is served. BONUS: Little to no impact on valuable teaching time; data-driven results; pre-post knowledge; support of vulnerable students; attendance and academic success. In addition, creativity brings something fresh and new to tackle an issue in a different way. We embrace the opportunity to create engaging prevention education that stays on the current realities and dangers of today for any setting. Summer Series: i.e. Monday - Thursday (50 minutes each) Value/Worth; Healthy Boundaries; Digital Safety; Help/Recovery Independent/Home-School Resources: Online guided safety instruction to do independently Academies/Foster Youth/Faith-based Organizations: ~ We realize that 'one size' does not fit all ... so our team is passionate to create tailored prevention education for any organization and embrace victories in places where those have yet to go.
Experience, dedication and qualifications matter with serving our youth and our communities when it comes to protecting our most vital asset, which is our children. Times have changes and our young people are on their screens more than ever before. Having expert knowledge in the field of social media dangers, tactics that traffickers utilize, and understanding current safeguards and resources to protect our youth is vital.
Sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and only 2nd in our nation to drug trafficking. Traffickers target our youth because they are vulnerable and can be easily manipulated because they are young. Social media has increased their vulnerability as traffickers pretend to be something they are not. Sextortion can be devastating as the trafficker blackmails the child, with some young people even taking their own lives.
With two Masters Degrees in Counseling and a 14 background in education as a Middle School Counselor, I have had the opportunity and privilege of designing and implementing a variety of programs to meet the needs of the students that I served.
Why is Project SHIELD different from the rest? This Series is evidenced-based and data-driven with proven results. By identifying vulnerable youth in your student body and putting supports in place, increases Student Attendance and Academic Success!
This Series was created and uniquely designed from a School Counselor's perspective with expert knowledge of how trafficking happens. We also understand how important teaching time is for your students, so this Series takes that into account with little to no impact on the valuable teaching time that teachers need to have.
The Solution: AB 1227 (Bonta) - California Human Trafficking Prevention Education and Training Act (As Amended September 8, 2017) requires:
~ School Districts to include human trafficking prevention education in grades 7-12 as part of comprehensive education
~ Requires continuation training about human trafficking to be conducted for school district personnel
~ Train leadership, administrators, and educators to identify children that have been, or may be at risk of being exploited and how to proceed when potential victims are identified
~ Teach California's school-age population how to avoid becoming victims of exploitation, and help them learn ways to address the problem of exploitation.
Our score winning vision:
~ Alleviate the 'road blocks' for schools/organizations to come up with funding to have this vital comprehensive prevention education in place.
~ Time/committment to tailor our prevention education for foster, academy and faith-based organizations.
~ Awareness campaigns for the community.
~ Provide tangible resources for students, parents, educators and the community.
~ Training manual expenses for Counselors with a toolbox of resources.
~ Possible training space for presentations.
~ Creating a data-base of schools/organizations that participate to input their success and provide data-driven results to share with their administrations, their superintendent, their organization and community.
~ Provide "Awards" to schools/organizations that participate to acknowledge and celebrate their success and reinforcement in keeping this vital education in place every year.
Project L.O.V.E. ~ Lifted Out of Violence and Evil
Project L.O.V.E. (Lifted Out of Violence and Evil) is our Victim Assistance program that provides direct help to those that have been trafficked. Our trauma-trained Advocates run our 24/7 Hotline 855.85DREAM 365 days a year. While many programs have limited their availabilities with staffing or budget issues, our dedicated team stays strong and available to be present at any time of day or night for those seeking help. With every Caller, we initially need to provide the immediate safety that is apparent with their situation. This involves a safe hotel stay, transportation, provisions of food, basic needs when they come to us with literally nothing. Providing during this time is critical while our team works those next steps out to start a new journey with the appropriate after-care program. Depending upon the after-care location to provide that smooth transition, our team seeks the best way to safely transport our Caller. This may be with air flights, Metrolink/Amtrak if and when needed. Our team strives to provide the most streamlined services as possible in a challenging situation for a victim Caller in need. Having that ability creates a more successful opportunity for creating that sense of calmness and assurance along the way when working with those in desperate need. The Project L.O.V.E. Team stretches beyond what's typically expected to serve every Caller to the best of our ability. We let them know that their life was created with love, value and purpose. We celebrate the victories with them when we are able to be a part of their journey to freedom.
Changing the lives of those caught up in this evil darkness is life changing for those that work in this mission field. When we have the opportunity to be on the receiving end of a Caller, it stirs the hearts of our dedicated team to tirelessly provide the assistance that they need. Every situation is unique, however the need of hope is always the same ... which to break away from a life that has been broken and manipulated by another ... and shed a light of hope and healing to open up brand new chapters of freedom ahead.
However there are challenges and needs to provide the services that matter. Being on the front lines and receiving a desperate call amplifies the needs for our team. Having critical provisions for their safety can be life-saving for them. We strive to continue to expand in ways as never before so that our team has the clear ability that our resources will make the difference with every Caller that comes our way.
Foundational support for this mission:
~Expansion/training of Advocates to work our 24/7 855.85DREAM (855.853.7326) Hotline.
~Continued training of our Phone Bank Advocates that reach out to escort sites to those being forced to post Ads to see if they want/need help.
~Uber/Lyft crisis assistance with safe hotel stays while after-care programs are being researched.
~Food/clothing/hygiene assistance.
~Metro/Amtrak/flights when needed to appropriate after-care programs.
~Collaboration with after-care agencies and supporting the expansion of additional trauma-informed programs.
~Confidential data-base to track info regarding victim assistance.
~Continued 1st Responder training to identify a victim in need ~ ER staff, firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, social workers.
~Symposiums/speaking engagements/vendor awareness events.
~Possible training space.
~Continued street team training/expansion of our 855.85DREAM Hotline # charm attached to bracelets given to victims being forced to work the streets to let them know there is help and hope.
~Continued making of gifted bracelets and our custom 855.85DREAM Hotline charm to give to victims in need wherever they may be.
CONTACT
Project SHIELD Inc.
20701 Beach Blvd SPC 131
Huntington Beach, California 92648