Year in Review at Kristi House - Kristi House Children's Advocacy Center

Kristi House annually provides direct services to more than 1,000 child-victims of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, and coordinates the team of partner agencies at the Children’s Advocacy Center. The multidisciplinary partners include State Attorney’s Office, law en-forcement, University of Miami Child Protection Team, Department of Children and Families, Rape Treatment Center and Guardian ad Litem.

Highlights of accomplishments this year include:

Kristi House successfully completed its four-year federal SAMHSA grant, entitled Miami
C-START, which had two goals: to improve community capacity to provide evidence-based treatment and to ensure traumatized children get better.
- Improving Community Capacity – We provided training and practice with national master trainer faculty in two evidence-based interventions involving 152 therapists, case workers and senior leaders from 17 agencies. Dr. Amanda Jensen-Doss of the University of Miami Department of Psychology evaluated our approach and concluded that participants found it to be useful and effective, were highly satisfied, and felt their practice was more trauma-informed. More than 1,200 children were served.
- Children Get Better – In another independent study of the emotional outcomes for the children who received treatment under C-START, the evaluation team from University of Miami Dunspaugh-Dalton Community & Educational Well-Being Research Center found clinically and statistically significant improvement in symptoms among children who completed treatment, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, anger, dissociation, and sexual concerns, among others.
As a result of the success of C-START and our strong case for the continued, significant need in Miami-Dade, Kristi House was successful in garnering a second SAMHSA grant starting in October 2016 for five years, $2 million total. This grant is enabling Kristi House to continue providing training and practice in evidence-based practices for child trauma, with a particular focus on child sex trafficking and substance abuse intervention.
Achieved a $3.5 million budget in the black at the end of fiscal year, June 30, 2016.
Earned re-accreditation with high marks by Council on Accreditation. COA documented that Kristi House was “expedited through the Pre-Commission Review Report process as a result of not receiving any out-of-compliance ratings in any of the fundamental practice standards.”
Launched an initiative to bring services to Deep South Dade, an area in dire need of child sexual abuse and child sex trafficking services and education.
Awarded a National Children’s Alliance grant for the Deep South Dade expansion, marking nine years of competitive NCA grant awards in the past decade…a track record unmatched among the 795 child advocacy centers across the country.
Recruited and hired a new Therapist who is providing in-home services.
Recruited and hired a new Outreach Specialist who is providing prevention education and training for both adults and children.
Presented 66 prevention education and training classes reaching 3,180 children and adults.
Nearly doubled Victims of Crime Act funding for Kristi House services to child sexual abuse victims with a $432,000 award for 2016-2017.
Expanded the client transportation program with a third van and driver, specifically servicing the southern part of the county for Project GOLD girls in the afternoons.
Project GOLD served a range of 25 to 35 girls monthly at the Drop In Center. An average of 19 girls a month participated as “Members,” signified by receiving/participating in 16 or more services per month. An average of 18 girls per month were “Emerging Members,” defined as receiving/participating in 5 to 15 services for the month. Of those involved with Project GOLD programming for at least 6 months, an average of 63% a month reported they are no longer involved in commercial sexual exploitation.

Project GOLD engaged more girls in group and individual therapy. Nine girls participated in ongoing individual therapy this past year with several completing major components of the intervention.
Completed three major elements for Project GOLD that detail program operations and serve as tools for continuity in our program and replication by others. The tools include:
- A comprehensive Program Mentoring Handbook that outlines all aspects of mentoring and Project GOLD, from permission to participate through termination process when mentors or mentees leave the match. Community mentoring, role modeling and exposure to different types of people and careers all remain important components of the Project GOLD model.
- The WILL, (Winning in Life and Leadership), provides a template for Project GOLD partici-pants to create a roadmap for their individual success by identifying their dreams and goals for success.
- Drop In Center Operations Manual containing policies, procedures and practices for the Project GOLD Drop In Center, which would be replicated by other similar operations.