The Garland Oaks Program

At Garland Oaks, we desire that every resident would experience Christ’s redeeming love in our home. We have developed a program with specific goals for each graduate, based on our knowledge of DMST survivors and the hope we believe she has.

We desire she would:

  • Know her true identity
  • Restore her hope for the future
  • Recognize counterfeit love

ABIDE

Program Milestones

As we walk with each girl through the process of healing, we will regularly assess her progress to ensure she is moving in a healthy direction. Her care team, which includes a trained counselor and case manager, will regularly evaluate her based on the following treatment goals:

Ask

When a resident enters our home, she is encouraged to ask as many questions as she wants. This phase is about giving her time to get to know and experience our home and staff with no strings attached.

Belong

Girls decide they want to make Garland Oaks their temporary home and begin to believe change is possible with the right environment, to which they belong. Residents commit to working toward freedom and wholeness by way of their Individual Growth Plan (IGP). 

Identity 

Girls will transition naturally into this phase as they begin to have a restored view of themselves. Part of that restored identity is knowing they have value and purpose. 

Decide 

We want the girls in our home to know and decide that their past does not dictate their future. We want to surround them with an environment that gives them the opportunity to grow and develop their talents. The girls will discover how they’re gifted. 

Empower 

Girls will prepare for transitioning back to family or an approved foster home. Our hope is these girls will leave empowered, equipped, and ready to flourish. We will provide accountability and mentoring until she is successfully transitioned into her new home.

A House of Hope and Healing

At Garland Oaks, we take a holistic approach to providing trauma-informed care for survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). While holistic care is our model, God’s love is central to everything we do. Our desire is for each survivor to experience Christ’s redeeming love through our staff, volunteers and community partners.

In order to provide the best care and bring about the greatest possible healing, we have designed the home and our program to address many of the components of an individual’s life.

We have thoughtfully and thoroughly considered every aspect of the home and program when designing Garland Oaks to develop a safe, restorative and comforting environment. Safety, choice, collaboration, trust and power are key concepts behind every aspect of the trauma-informed care at Garland Oaks that leads girls on a road to restoration.

Identity

Helping each girl develop her own identity and character and to explore her likes and dislikes are some of our main goals. Each girl can develop her own identity and character through electives, a character development program, and in-house boutique.

Emotional

An emotionally healthy person manages stress well, sets healthy boundaries and is resilient. Healing comes through being able to understand, process, manage and accept her emotions. As each girl works toward emotional healing, we offer ways for her to tap into her emotions and manage her stress through art therapy, reflection journaling and pet and equine therapy.

Mental

We encourage each girl to work through her mental health so she will form healthy relationships, handle the stresses of everyday life well and become a more adaptable person. We regularly address each girl’s mental health through sessions like individual therapy, group therapy, alcohol and drug therapy.

Social

The social component of our program gives each girl the opportunity to interact with safe people, encourages them to build healthy relationships and allows them to serve others in need. We offer community involvement, field trips, group outings and service projects.

Spiritual

At Garland Oaks, we believe Jesus Christ is the ultimate healer. Through daily devotions, weekly Bible studies, time in our prayer garden, and attending a local church, each girl has the opportunity to address her spiritual health. We also understand not everyone shares our same beliefs. We operate in a loving, nondiscriminatory manner, allowing each girl to explore her own spirituality.

Family

Oftentimes the path to healing involves more than just the individual. For residents who have willing and safe family members, we provide family counseling sessions and ongoing communication through visitation and phone calls.

Vocational

We want to give each girl who enters Garland Oaks the gift of independence and the knowledge and confidence to find a career path right for her. To equip each girl with the skills to live on her own one day, we offer vocational training through mentoring, job training and job shadowing.

Educational

We want to give the girls at Garland Oaks every chance for future success. Each girl will continue her education through an individualized education plan, therapeutic classrooms and independent living classes.

A Day in the Life

Here’s what a typical day might look like at Garland Oaks.

Monday—Thursday

  • Wake up and get ready for the day
  • Breakfast
  • School in the morning
  • Lunch with staff
  • School in the afternoon
  • Group Therapy or Fitness
  • Independent Living Class
  • Empower Hour (chores, tutoring, etc.) 
  • Dinner as a family
  • Showers
  • Room time in individual bedrooms 
  • Lights out

His Love. Her Story. Your Help.

Garland Oaks is faith-driven and donation-supported. Every gift of time or resources helps us create a home of restoration, share the hope of Jesus and change the story of a DMST survivor.

Give a Gift of Hope

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