WHAT IS ANGELA’S HOUSE? The Juvenile Justice Fund established Angela’s House as the first safe house in the Southeast for girls that have been subjected to commercial sexual exploitation – also referred to as child prostitution. Since 2002, girls rescued from prostitution in metro Atlanta have found a haven in Angela's House, out of the grasp of pimps and others who exploited and abused them. More than 120 girls, some as young as 11, have come to Angela's House for help.
TO INQUIRE ABOUT PLACEMENT AVAILABILITY Contact Melba Robinson CEASE Program Manager (404) 224-4999 Melba.Robinson@fultoncountyga.gov
R ESIDENTIAL G ROUP H OME FOR C HILD /A DOLESCENT V ICTIMS OF C OMMERCIAL S EXUAL E XPLOITATION
WHERE IS THE HOUSE? The address of the two-story group home in rural Fulton County is undisclosed out of concerns for the girls' safety. It sits about 500 feet from the road on a wooded lot with a locked gate. Inside, the walls are the color of butter cookies, and sunlight fills the rooms. Cathedral ceilings and soft sofas make the house airy and comfortable. A kitchen table set for six offers family style dinners prepared by the girls and three bedrooms, each hosting two twin beds, can be found decorated with typical teen posters, inspirational poems and photos of family and friends.
WHO CAN LIVE AT THE HOUSE? The house was established to primarily serve girls, ages 11-17, in Fulton County, who have been commercially sexually exploited. Although half of the beds at the house are designated for Fulton girls, the remaining beds are available to serve girls from DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, and Gwinnett counties. Prior to admission, a CEASE screening interview must be completed to determine eligibility for placement as well as a placement packet in accordance with DHR licensure requirements.
ANGELA’S AFE H OUSE AND H O UASSE
TO HELP ANGELA’S HOUSE: We rely heavily on individual and community donations to support the monthly operating and program expenses for the house. To make a donation go to our website link: www.juvenilejusticefund.org/donate.aspx Also find a current Wish List for the girls and the house on the website. To donate goods or volunteer to sponsor a holiday celebration for the house such as a Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Party, Valentine Treats, or July 4th Party please contact Jennifer Swain Program Assistant 404.224.4555 Jennifer.Swain@fultoncountyga.gov Juvenile Justice Fund 395 Pryor Street, SW Suite 1025 Atlanta, Georgia 30312 404.224.4415 www.juvenilejusticefund.org
EDUCATION
WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED? SHELTER It is not surprising that many of the girls that come to Angela’s House are homeless when they are first identified as victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Some have runaway from homes they can no longer find, others have been held captive in hotels and strip clubs, and some have been cast out into the streets by parents and caregivers no longer willing to parent or house them due to situations in the home such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse, or unruly behavior. Yet other girls come from youth detention facilities, a string of foster homes, a shelter, or the home of a relative or friend who was putting them up for a few days. For most girls, Angela’s House is the first real home and permanent shelter they have had since they were very young, if ever.
HEALTH CARE A specialized Medical Model has been created specifically for the residents of Angela’s House. A Treatment Team comprised of a Medical Doctor, Therapist, Advocate, House Manager, and Residential Counselors are specially trained to work together to deliver comprehensive medical and mental health services to address the unique physical and emotional needs of each girl. Intensive professional therapeutic treatment, including individual, family, and group therapies are offered for an average of 4 to 6 months at Angela’s house.
A Specialized Accredited Classroom Program has been created just for Angela’s House residents. The teacher to student ratio is 1 to 6 to allow individual instruction and lesson plans geared to each girl’s level. Traditionally, the girls who reside at the House enjoy self expression in the form of poetry and performance art that they readily share with one another. A retired teacher and long time volunteer for Angela’s House leads a weekly Literary Course as a complement to the classroom curriculum. The girls participate in a “Book Club”, reading the same book together and engaging in discussions about the author, story and messages raised in relation to their own lives.
NUTRITION AND FITNESS Meals at the House are prepared by the girls through the establishment of a weekly cooking schedule. The girls are taught and encouraged to plan and prepare healthy and nutritious meals for each other. Specific activities to promote nutrition are funded through community grants and donations. For most girls, prior to coming to Angela’s House, physical fitness was not a priority in their lives. As a result, creative fitness activities such as Cirque de Monde, Horsemanship, and Yoga are offered to the girls to promote health and exercise.
ART AND CULTURE Angela’s House provides a host of cultural opportunities for the girls to experience in the community. Going to plays, concerts and museums are just a few of the scheduled field trips in which the girls’ can actively participate. In addition, eating in a restaurant, attending a sporting event or simply participating in an extra curricular activity, such as African Dance can also spark a positive creative interest in a girl that stays with her throughout her life.
For information on open positions or to submit CLOTHING your resume, please visit our Web site at: It is typicalwww.lucernepublishing. for a girl to come to Angela’s House with only the clothes com on her back. Many girls are
transported to the House from a shelter or detention facility where they were temporarily placed after being rescued from the streets or a police raid to capture their offenders. As a result the girls do not have an opportunity to collect clothing that they may have stored at another location, if at all. To meet this basic need, Angela’s House has established a Clothing Closet provide immediate help to girls upon arrival and throughout their stay as needed.
R E -E NTRY
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C ONNECTIONS
After completing individual treatment goals, each girl leaves Angela’s House and re-enters the community with a discharge plan for ongoing care designed to keep them on the road to recovery and healthy living. Whenever possible, girls are returned to their parents who have learned parenting skills to bring structure and safety into their child’s life. In addition, intensive family intervention services are offered for up to 90 days to those families receiving girls back into their homes following discharge from Angela’s House. When parents are not an available placement option, girls may be placed with another relative, enrolled in the Job Corp, accepted into Independent Living Programs, or placed into a less restrictive group home or foster home. Other girls discharging from the House may require a higher level of care in an extended residential therapeutic setting. Connection activities are being created to offer opportunities for the girls to remain connected to Angela’s House staff and residents even after leaving the program. In addition to quarterly gatherings, the girls will have opportunities to revisit the House and share their stories and success with others girls in the program.