The HOPE Program for Children and Teens

This program provides trauma-focused individual and group counseling for children who are considered secondary victims of homicide or victims of assault. These children have family members or friends who have been murdered, witnessed homicides/assault or simply live or play in neighborhoods where homicides and/or assaults happen and are experiencing changes in emotions and behaviors as a result. A child meets with a counselor for several individual sessions and then joins a group based upon age and individual trauma/grief circumstances. A group is usually limited to 4 or 5 children and meets for 8 weeks. Group meetings use interactive activities to engage the children on topics including safety, worry, fear, hurt, anger and victim vs. survivor thinking. Through these group meetings children learn to normalize their experiences, understand the feelings they have, develop new coping skills and identify personal support systems.

The HOPE Program for Children and Teens is free to participants. Counselors will meet with participants in convenient, community based locations such as schools, family resource centers or in the home. Transportation is provided if needed. Additionally, HOPE staff members assist families in locating and accessing other services as needed