Who We Are
Treasured Vessels Foundation provides safe communities that restore survivors of sexual exploitation to achieve their true potential. Founded in 2016, TVF uses a holistic and comprehensive approach in mental health therapy, physical health, and community to assist survivors of sex trafficking in building an independent and sustainable future.
TVF’s current and in-progress safe homes in Collin County, Texas are designed to provide a safe and stable environment where women can heal while processing their complex trauma through a discipleship intensive program. Survivors, referred to as Resident Interns, learn relational and healthy coping techniques in our home, which are critical in learning how to break the trauma response cycles they have learned through exploitation, and build healthy, trusting relationships.
Treasured Vessels’ safe home program is unmatched with regard to the intensive short-term services offered for survivors. Our supportive programming focuses on developing stability while increasing capacity for greater autonomy and long-term sustainability in the future. TVF wants to help each survivor walk confidently toward their goals and support them in achieving success. Click here to view our program details.
What services do you provide?
Mental Health
We offer weekly group and individual therapy including psychoeducation, trauma recovery, healthy coping skills, boundary development, and substance abuse support. As well as Psychiatric Assessment and medication management with a Psychiatrist.
Safe Living Environment
We not only provide a safe living environment; but each resident has the opportunity to customize their own health and nutritional program. Each resident is also provided quality medical and dental care.
Life Skills
Each resident is provided the unique opportunity to develop and learn valuable life skills, such as lessons in budgeting, financial literacy, time management, leadership and communications skills, and professional development.
Therapeutic Activities
We offer a wide variety of alternative therapies such as art, karate, daily biblical studies, gardening, culinary and music.
Legal Support
Each resident is provided legal assistance and case management support, including identification and document recovery, food stamps and Crime Victim Compensation, as well as Medicaid/Medicare assistance.
Outreach
We actively work with our community and other partner organizations to provide resources, hygiene items, on-site STD testing, in-kind donations, and much more.
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The impact
When a survivor enters our program, we immediately assess them for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. We use the PCL-5 assessment to measure symptoms of trauma such as night terrors, flashbacks, and other trauma-related symptoms. After 6 months, our residents experience a near 60% decrease in PTSD symptoms. What does this mean for our residents? It means fewer night terrors and more peaceful days and nights without intrusive feelings and memories. This is paramount for effective therapy.
Mental Health Assessments
Why the emphasis on mental health?
Many survivors of sex trafficking have tried to flee from their traffickers, yet they were coerced back or felt they had no alternative but to return to this life of pain and trauma. Those who do flee, face a myriad of obstacles to overcome, including homelessness, continued physical and mental abuse, little to no money, gaps in education and employment, often a criminal record, drug dependency, and a lack of supportive friends and family.
Research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has shown that the complex mental health needs of trafficking survivors are typically not met with most programs that only offer weekly therapy, GEDs, and life & job skills. Unfortunately, these necessary resources are woefully scarce. 100% of the survivors who have entered our program present with symptoms of dissociation, where the mind escapes the body during repeated trauma. Survivors of trafficking have complex PTSD at a minimum and many present with dissociative identity disorder. Treasured Vessels Foundation is one of the few programs nationwide that will take on the most severe forms of dissociation.
Do you need help?
While TVF’s programs are normally fully committed, we always accept new applicants. Resident Interns are asked to commit to the program for at least 12 months. Fill out the application to apply.
PHASE TRACKER
TVF's short-term program is tailored specifically to each survivor’s unique needs. Our program consists of 2 phases, adapted from the most comprehensive trauma therapy research available. As a survivor advances through each phase, they show significant growth and make progress toward reaching their goals of sustainable independence. Read more about our phases below:
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Persevere: 6 months residential discipleship intensive.
Romans 5: 3-5
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Optional: Restore: 6 months nonresidential.
Peter 5:10
Future Efforts
Each week we receive several inquiries from women who are in need of our services. Although it is encouraging that more survivors are being identified, we have to turn down most of them due to capacity.
In phases 4 and 5 of our program, survivors benefit from more autonomy, additional access to technology, and vocation outside of the safe home. As a result, a transitional living situation is necessary. Our future efforts include expansion into a second home to both grow our capacity and address this need for survivors excelling through the program.
Larger Capacity
TVF was deeded five secure acres just north of Collin County, TX. One of our key partners, Gensler, a leading architecture firm, created a stunning rendering for our future site. We are exploring options to build a secure therapeutic campus to provide housing, therapy, education, and rehabilitation for youth survivors in a larger capacity.
Over 700 survivors were recovered from trafficking in DFW last year.
Where do they go once they are recovered?
