womenofworth

Women of Worth is a program funded by AngelWorks and operated by the Wichita
Children's Home, through its Street Outreach program. Women of Worth specifically
targets young women who are at risk for sexual exploitation.

The following is a an overview of the program by Karen Countryman-Roswurm, program
administrator, a Wichita State University graduate student in social work who was once
herself a homeless runaway.

W.O.W. takes a holistic approach and strives to address the needs of each individual
youngwoman's emotional, mental, spiritual and physical needs. Addressing these needs from a
strengths based/system theory helps to reduce the risk of a young woman’s involvement in
victimizing or exploitive behavior. The W.O.W. program focuses on the following six components
(some activities overlap) while applying this holistic approach and strengths based/system theories:
1.        Vulnerability Reduction
•        Advocate for women/girl issues; including influencing laws regarding protection of females
involved in prostitution, relationship violence, etc.
•        Collaborate with other agencies/organizations that may assist in offering resources for young
women involved in or at-risk of sexual exploitation and/or abuse. Involvement with Domestic Violence
Coalition.
•        Conduct vulnerability/risk assessments.
•        Teach young women self defense.
•        Continue facilitating the weekly Healthy Relationships Group.
•        Begin a weekly girls-only W.O.W.* group.
•        Facilitate established curriculums such as Boys Towns Unmasking Sexual
Con Games.
•        Facilitate groups regarding boundary clarification, development of independent personality, skills
to help cope with past/life situations and /or events, etc.
•        Facilitate groups addressing the 12 step process working through co-dependency.
•        Training in assertiveness.
•        Meet and build relationships with youth by doing outreach on streets.
•        HIV, STI and pregnancy testing, condoms, and other health services are offered to young women.
2.        Personal Development
•        Annual W.O.W.* girls retreat.
•        Facilitate 2 weekly groups (Healthy Relationships and W.O.W.*).
•        Teach and help youth to explore new values, social skills, and perspectives of self and the world
around them in groups and in individual settings.
•        Provide education and training on job skills, personal and/or relationship issues, cooking class,
art activities, etc.
•        Facilitate curriculum such as Voices: A Program of Self Discovery and Empowerment for Girls.
•        Individual and group clinical/therapy opportunities.
3.        Daddy “Vacuum” Information and Support
•        Address the issues caused by the lack of positive male role models.
•        Facilitate 2 weekly groups (Healthy Relationships and W.O.W.*).
•        Facilitate working through the curriculum Voices: A Program of Self-Discovery and Empowerment
for Girls.
4.        Teen Pregnancy Prevention
•        Facilitate 2 weekly groups (Healthy Relationships and W.O.W.*) and focus on issues of
abstinence, safer sex, the truth about raising children, etc.
•        Include guest speakers who are or have been teen parents.
5.        Sex Industry Prevention
•        Vulnerability/Risk assessment.
•        Daily work with teens during outreach on streets and/or community.
•        Community Youth Development/Youth Empowerment activities including: hiring youth as peer
counselors, youth volunteer and leadership opportunities, career and educational readiness
opportunities, etc.
•        All other groups/education activities listed.
6.        Sex Industry Intervention
•        Evening street-based outreach; focusing on areas frequented by youth and known for teen sexual
exploitation.
•        Build relationships with strip clubs, escort services, etc. making it possible to receive more direct
referrals.
•        Build relationships with community organizations who may offer services to target population.
•        Offer HIV/STI/pregnancy testing.
•        Provide shelter.
•        Get youth involved in W.O.W.* program.