Personal Outreach
Through personal peer interaction on the street, in the jails and drug treatment facilities, referrals from medical treatment centers, judges, police and presentations, VERONICA'S Voice staff is building trusting relationships with prostituted women in the community and with the community organizations.
Veronica's Intervention Program (VIP)
(our newest partnership)
VERONICA'S Voice works with the Municipal Court of Jackson County Missouri. Municipal Court Judges offer women who have been arrested for prostitution an opportunity to seek help with VERONICA'S Voice, often in lieu of jail time. These clients are provided with a needs assessment based on history and current profile. Clients are mandated to attend a one day intensive workshop that addresses all issues relating to prostitution and a life of commercial sexual exploitation. Further, clients report to VV for supervised probation and/or community service.
Recommendations are made to the court on next steps which include the most needed intervention: Medical Treatment, Shelter, Trauma Recovery, Drug Rehabilitation, etc. At this time VERONICA'S Voice shoulders the entire cost of intervention program. VERONICA'S Voice collaborates with community organizations, NEWHOUSE, City Union Mission, Rediscover formerly known as NorthStar, Renaissance West, Swope Parkway Health Center and other medical facilities to secure the appropriate care and treatment for clients in need.
VERONICA'S Crisis Lines
These two 24 hour lines are staffed by VV peer counselors to offer assistance for women in need. This is an additional outreach opportunity for commercially exploited women to make initial or keep in continual contact with VV.
Intake and Assessment
VV staff members do an in-depth evaluation of each client upon entry into the program. We then determine what needs can best be met through our programming and wide variety of collaborative partners. VV encourages and assists clients to reach their goals.
Abuse Recovery
A licensed therapist facilitates this group. This group's focus is on assessing trauma, physical, sexual and/or drug abuse in their lives and learning skills and methods to renew their lives, free from these abuses.
Survivors Peer Recovery Group
Groups discuss a variety of topics. This program is geared toward individuals processing their own thoughts, traumas, failures and successes. A VV staff person or a successful survivor from the program facilitates this. Direction and encouragement are geared toward shaping the steps necessary to work through and leave behind the past and start walking in recovery.
Exiting Class
VV staff facilitate a weekly session where clients work on exiting plans. VV staff along with clients set goals for the week, the month, and long-term. They are given a variety of tools through our city-wide networking system. Each aspect of their current life is evaluated to make sure the client is set up for success and not failure. They will be offered support for a lifetime. Mentoring to other survivors is highly encouraged and more times than not is desired.
Referrals
VV provides access and referrals to existing community resources and case management including assistance in acquiring legal documents (birth certificate, driver's license, etc.) and other referrals (housing, mental health, drug treatment, healthcare, public assistance, career skills, and jobs).
Awareness and Education
Public and private presentations are given regularly to churches, neighborhood groups, healthcare facilities, community interest groups, drug treatment facilities and other interested organizations to help mainstream societies' understanding of the dynamics as well as the oppression that faces individuals in prostitution.
Safe Place
Two local shelters have each set aside a total of eight safe beds for the women of VV. Our clients receive additional services through these programs and use it as a safe haven while on a waiting list for other residential or transitional living programs. VV provides case management and assists clients in designing an attainable exit plan out of prostitution.