Every Tuesday and Thursday as the girls in detention are ushered into our group, I look at these teens and my heart is drawn to them. They have been incarcerated, stripped of all rights, handed a green uniform along with a label of being delinquent or unruly.

 

    For many of them the truth is that their incarceration actually started many years before at the hands of a molester.  Their rights to innocence, safety and self were stripped the minute the sexual perpetrator touched them.

 The Quest is an experience of self-discovery for female teens who have been sexually abused.  Utilizing, “A Hero’s Stand” (available in Our Storefront) written by Connections staff, the teen discovers that she can become her own hero.  In our world, a hero is someone who exchanges one way of thinking and doing for another.  The workbook journey is enhanced with earning Quest dollars, shared creative experiences and embracing the challenges these teens face.

 There are two components of the program:

1.  Connections’ staff conducts a weekly 2 hour group in the Juvenile Detention Facilities in Clermont County.  Each group is taught about sexual abuse, utilizing The Handprints of Sexual Abuse banner, (Click on that button to see this amazing tool.) and then led through a self-awareness activity.  These are amazing girls who share deep insights with a creativity that astounds us each week.

2. Outside of detention we offer The Quest, in both Clermont and Hamilton Counties.  Within these long-term groups, relationships are built that support the teen through a restoration process.  Our focus is developing self-respect, coping skills and healthy relationship skills.  Participation is through referral by the juvenile justice systems, churches, or counselors. Call for schedules.