Stabilization
Without stabilization survivors have little hope of overcoming the trauma and abuse they have endured. Stabilization lasts an average of 6-8 months and survivors in the program will reside in Covered House, where they will have a safe place to heal.
Basic Needs: Upon entering Covered House, survivors will receive necessary basic needs supplies such as food, clothes, and personal hygiene items.
Medical Care: A primary care physician will assess each survivor’s basic wellness and write prescriptions for any medications.
Counseling: Counselors will work with each survivor to help them process traumatic memories through EMDR therapy. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) focuses directly on the traumatic memory while incorporating the use of eye movements, allowing survivors to heal from their symptoms and emotional distress.
Case Management: Case managers will work with each survivor to tailor a case management plan depending on the survivor’s needs and goals.
Group Therapy: Counselors will work with all the survivors in the house during weekly group therapy sessions. Group therapy provides a safe place for the survivors to come together with others to share, learn, and grow.
Life Skills: Survivors come to Covered after having lived on various time schedules that were controlled by their traffickers. Case managers will work with each survivor to develop new basic life skills that will prepare them for success as they live at Covered House. Basic life skills include waking up on time, developing a morning and evening routine, taking on chores, and learning to cook.
Identifying Information: Often traffickers control victims by taking their personal identification away. Our case manager will help survivors attain a birth certificate, Social Security card, ID card/Driver’s License, and sign up for the Address Confidentiality Program.
Medical Specialist, Dentist & Optometrist: Case managers will work with each survivor to set up appointments with a Dentist, Optometrist, Gynecologist, and other medical Specialists (as needed).
Active Court Cases, Debt & Tickets/Fines: Case managers will work with each survivor to help them navigate through active court cases, paying tickets/fines, and managing debt/collectors. Often traffickers control victims by opening credit cards and buying houses in the victim’s names, so we must work with the courts to clear charges.
Name Changes: If needed, survivors may need to change their names for safety purposes. Survivors may also choose to elect to change their names for a new start. Our case managers will help them navigate this process.
Apply for Benefits: Case managers will help survivors apply for benefits including Medicare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), RTD Live, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (as needed).
Career Planning & Assessment: Case managers will help each survivor develop their future plan for a career based on their interests and skills.
Educational Goals: After developing a career goal, survivors will work with case managers to identify educational goals that will help them achieve success. This may be getting a GED, completing a certificate, going to trade school or pursing another form of higher education. Survivors will search and enroll in prospective schools/certification programs under the guidance of their case managers.
Continued Life Skills: Survivors will start choosing to take optional elective life skills to learn more about subjects that they are interested in. These classes include computer basics, communication skills, problem solving, time management, resume writing, and more.
Financial Planning: Survivors will complete financial literacy training with case managers to work on budget planning, filing taxes, opening a bank account, opening a credit card, understanding their credit score, and more.
Mentoring: Survivors will be partnered with a trusted mentor. This mentor will provide necessary support and guidance as survivors start transitioning back into the community.