Megan’s Story

Megan was removed from her parents after DCS became concerned about physical abuse, neglect and parental substance use in the home. She had a very difficult time adjusting in foster care and ran from her placement. While on the run she was approached by someone on the street and ultimately became a victim of trafficking.

Megan struggled in the foster care system for many years and was not successful in treatment. She was referred to Hope Community Services (HCS) at the age of 17 at the request of her DCS case manager. When she came for her intake, she was resistant to starting treatment again. The therapist recognized that Megan was struggling and began to have flash backs so one of our therapy dogs, Dazzle, was brought in to help calm her enough to continue and complete the session.

Due to Megan struggling, the therapist made the decision to begin her treatment at the ranch with the miniature horses. She completed her first 4-5 sessions at the ranch learning to calm herself and trust her therapist. Finally, Megan told her therapist she was ready to return to the office and talk about her experience. She continued to gradually build trust with her therapist and settled into a routine.

As Megan got closer to her 18th birthday, she began to get stressed about what was going to happen and how she would meet her needs. HCS was able to keep Megan in services with the same therapist after her birthday. She was able to go through the agency Care Closet to get the basic hygiene necessities that she would need. Megan remains engaged in treatment with HCS and is working on her childhood trauma.

Having Megan still in treatment getting the support she needs from both her therapist and HCS’s Survivor Advocate is a huge success and likely the only reason she has stayed off the streets.

Sadly, this is not the outcome for many trafficking survivors. They crave attention that a pimp on the streets can provide. The victim is provided a false sense of safety and security, and is showered with gifts. The victim then gets to a place where they believe that this person is essential to their ability to survive. This is why HCS programs and services are so essential.