Restoring Youth: Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors in Youth Detention

Through Restoring Youth: Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors in Youth Detention, Just Detention International (JDI) will provide training and technical assistance aimed at expanding services for sexual abuse survivors in youth detention. JDI’s partner in this project is the Love More Movement (LMM), a culturally specific organization with expertise working with Black youth and other youth of color who have survived trauma. In particular, JDI and LMM will build the capacity of four selected grantee partnership sites, comprised of youth detention facilities and community-based sexual abuse survivor service providers, to establish services for youth that are rooted in racial equity, and accessible to survivors from traditionally underserved communities. JDI will work with each set of partners to support them in negotiating and establishing MOUs, detention facility-based SARTs, and sexual abuse response protocols ensuring that facility staff and service providers understand their role in responding to youth survivors of sexual abuse and that youth can get the help they need to heal.

For service providers, JDI and LMM will develop and provide training and coaching aimed at building their capacity to provide services to youth survivors from underserved communities, including youth of color, LGBTIQ+ youth, and youth with disabilities. JDI and LMM will also collaborate with service providers to develop a youth education program that addresses sexual abuse prevention, healthy relationships and communication, and healing from trauma.

For detention facility staff, JDI and LMM will develop and provide training and coaching aimed at building their capacity to understand: trauma and its effects on the youth in their care; adolescent development, with a focus on sexuality and gender identity; how to develop healthy, professional relationships with detained youth; and how to intervene to protect youth when they observe colleagues engaging in inappropriate conduct. JDI will also support facility staff in developing and implementing screening protocols to identify new staff with capacity to build professional, caring relationships with detained youth, as well as supervision policies and structures that promote such relationships on an ongoing basis.

For all partners, JDI and LMM will provide individualized training and technical assistance based on their specific needs and challenges. JDI and LMM will also share new and existing tools related to supporting incarcerated youth, and facilitate opportunities for ongoing peer sharing to ensure the lessons learned through this project are available to other jurisdictions seeking to establish services for detained youth in their community.