Contra Costa Commercial and Sexual Exploitation of Children Navigators Capacity Building Initiative

Seneca Family of Agencies proposes to implement the Contra Costa County Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Capacity-Building Initiative to partner with law enforcement and other key stakeholders to improve the response and intervention system for youth at risk of or involved in commercial sexual exploitation in Contra Costa County. Project activities include (1) key stakeholder and community member trainings, (2) cross-sector partnership building, outreach, and engagement, and (3) direct services for children involved in commercial sexual exploitation. Deliverables include the provision of trainings for key stakeholders and community members; the completion of a community needs assessment and community resource guide; the completion of outreach and engagement activities; the provision of direct services (case management, linkage, safety planning, and psychoeducation for caregivers and other key support members in the child’s life).

By training and building the capacity of law enforcement staff to appropriately and effectively respond when encountering a child involved in commercial sexual exploitation, Activity 1 will help improve the functioning of the juvenile justice system. By engaging in community outreach to make public service professionals and community members better able to identify and connect youth to appropriate available resources (Activity 2)—along with providing some of the necessary but not yet existing direct services (Activity 3)—more youth in Contra Costa County who are involved in or at risk of commercial sexual exploitation will be connected to resources that can support their needs and reduce the harm associated with their commercial sexual exploitation involvement, leading to both reduction in juvenile system involvement and direct assistance to victims of crime.