Consultation, Engagement, Support Team for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children and Youth

Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services will utilize these funds to expand the current program, Community Support Engagement Team (CSET Program) scope of work to be able to station staff at Sacramento County Centralized Placement Support Unit (CPSU) and other safe locations in the community to facilitate therapeutic interventions and activities to address youth needs. CSET Program provides strength-based, culturally responsive, child/youth-centered, effective outreach and engagement services, crisis intervention, and quality mental health and co-occurring substance use services to children and youth that have been identified or are at risk of exploitation and trafficking. By involving the youth in activities that are prosocial, encourage connection and engagement, offer education and respite, and offer therapeutic relationship, Sacramento County BHS hypothesis’ that the youth will be able to decrease the risk of exploitation and trafficking. CSET Program currently serve young people ages 12 up to age 21 that reside in Sacramento County, and also serve areas touching the county lines due to the transient nature of this population. The team focuses on areas where there is need including the Sacramento County Centralized Placement Support Unit (CPSU), Youth Detention Facility (YDF), and other community based agencies that provide youth respite services.

The goal of this expansion is to provide therapeutic intervention through outreach, engagement, and respite services for children and youth in transition between placements or recently left their home to support with decreasing exploitation and trafficking, and support with increasing protective factors. Program objectives include: Ongoing engagement with children and youth; development of safety plans and tools; address trauma; successfully link to ongoing behavioral health services; and ongoing advocacy. As a result of meeting the objectives, program goals include: increase in safe housing; increase in educational/vocational activities; Increase in overall well-being; decrease in criminal justice encounters (arrests, incarcerations); and decrease in self-injurious behavior.

There will be multiple levels of collaboration and coordination through this project. Primary collaborators on this project include Sacramento County Probation and Sacramento County Child Protective Services. The CSET program will provide Ending the Game Training and consultation to collaborators and support with implementation of this curriculum at community respite sites. Sacramento BHS and CSET Program will facilitate a system stakeholder meeting with all collaborative parties bi yearly.  This stakeholder meeting will address needs, problem solve challenges, and brainstorm how the program and systems can benefit the youth.