In January 2017, Awaken began serving youth who had been victims of sex trafficking. Awaken was the first non-profit in the region dedicated to this underserved population. Every year, the percentage of youth Awaken serves has increased.
Awaken has gone from only offering therapy and case management, to also having an educational center, therapy groups, mentorship, field trips, summer camp, family support services, supplemental support for foster youth, weekly indoor rock climbing and additional activities for the youth.

Case Management
Direct services include client intake, client coordination, ongoing case management, social service advocacy and client safety and well-being: crisis intervention, mental health treatment — emergency and long term, education and employment assistance; financial assistance, housing/shelter advocacy and transportation. Additionally, Awaken program staff provide law enforcement and legal appointment coordination and accompaniment, court accompaniment and advocacy, life skills/psycho-educational classes, and mentorship.

Awaken Education Center

Schools should be a safe place where students thrive. Unfortunately, youth who have experienced trauma from trafficking are often credit deficient or struggling to keep up. Being daunted by the quick transition back to school after completing a treatment program or being on the run, they return to their traffickers. CSEC need enhanced holistic healing opportunities that take their education and trauma into account. Awaken staff envisioned an education center that bridged the gap between trauma experiences and school — a place at Awaken where participants could attend online school with a trauma-informed facilitator, case management, mentorship, tutoring, and fun field trips and activities to encourage participation and attendance.

Awaken launched the AEC during the 2020-2021 school year providing a safe, trauma-informed environment in which to do online school with case managers, an educational advocate, tutors, and social workers all within reach. At the AEC, students who are participating in either the online or hybrid school programs complete their school day supervised by the Awaken School Advocate. Awaken is partnering with the Washoe County Human Services Agency and the Washoe County School District to provide the most supportive wraparound services and ensure vulnerable youth have what they need to thrive during the school year. The AEC ensures that youth victims of sex trafficking can acclimate back into the routine of working toward completing their education. Without an education and support, these youth have a high likelihood of revictimization. With this new way of approaching education, it is Awaken’s hope to disrupt the exploitation cycle.

After School Achievement Group
Youth Achievement Group assists trafficked youth in achieving their goals. At the Youth Achievement Group, case managers affirm the autonomy of the youth by working with them to strategize individual goals and create a plan together to achieve those goals such as getting a job or obtaining a driver’s license.
Awaken implements a reward model in which health-oriented behavior is reinforced with tokens and/or material goods to the participants.

Awaken’s ethos works with program participants by providing opportunities for them to make choices and then walks beside them in their efforts to make healthy ones. Each participant is engaged to determine what is best for them, and then supported to meet their self-determined goals.

Summer Program
Through youth survivor input, the Youth Summer Program was piloted in 2020. Participants engaged in social/emotional learning with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) focus; multistep and multi-day projects to develop perseverance, commitment, and critical thinking; adventure activities including hiking, Lake Tahoe/Water Wednesdays and rock climbing to allow day program participants to move, connect with their bodies in positive ways, and experience nature; and community service projects.