EMPOWER

Established in 2020, Empower is a specialty program of CASA DC that provides court-involved youth who have experienced confirmed or suspected cases of human trafficking or sexual abuse with a CASA who can provide trauma-informed advocacy, mentorship, and support. CASAs in the Empower program are required to complete 12 hours of additional training on top of the standard CASA training and receive specialized supervision to ensure quality advocacy for their youth.

 

The Vision for Empower is that all court-involved youth who have experienced human trafficking and/or sexual abuse may thrive in the community and never be victimized again. 

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Why is Empower Needed?

• The average age for entry into sex-trafficking in the U.S. is 12 (OAG DC, 2023)

• Youth in foster care/runaway youth are some of the most vulnerable to exploitation. (Polaris, 2022)

• Statistically when youth have one stable, emotional support, their outcomes are much better. (Thomas, 2016)

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Empower Program Stats 2023

• 100% of youth have a trusted adult in their life

• 96% of youth can identify positive coping strategies

• 93% of youth demonstrated improved mental health

• 86% of youth feel optimistic about their future

• 65% of youth can identify unsafe situations