REST Principles of Care
Everyone is worthy of love
We believe that every person is made in the image of a beautiful Creator, with inherent dignity and worth, and is undeniably deserving of love.
REST’s underlying belief is that everyone deserves to be loved; everyone deserves a life free from exploitation. Survivors of sex trafficking experience regular physical and sexual abuse, manipulation, and betrayal that leave scars of shame and fear, which can be paralyzing.
REST meets individuals with honor, belonging, tenacity, and trustworthiness to unravel shame, restore hope, and activate dreams. Effective services are essential, but a community that offers genuine care makes the difference.
Individualized
Every person has their own unique experiences, needs, strengths, and culture. We tailor our services and interactions so that each person can feel honored and define their own goals, service plans, and priorities. This makes survivors more engaged in services and more likely to sustain changes initiated while working with REST.
Relationship-based
It is often a harmful relationship that leads to exploitation. Therefore, it often takes a trustworthy and consistent relationship to give someone the courage to walk away from their trafficker. Building trust, safety, belonging, and a supportive community are essential components to the programs within REST.
Strengths-based
Survivors of sexual exploitation have consistently received the message that they have no value apart from selling their body. Yet, we see incredible strengths that have enabled survivors to endure the harshest of circumstances and navigate constant threats of danger. So rather than focusing on deficits, we celebrate and build off of their strengths, skills, hopes, and dreams.
Trauma-informed
Survivors of trafficking have experienced many layers of trauma, so the way we interact and care for them must start with an understanding of the effects of trauma. We know that the brain holds trauma responses for a long time and therefore, we may see trauma responses even when someone is no longer in danger.
Knowing this, we craft our services in a way that accommodates for trauma responses and provides an environment that is truly conducive to healing.
Self-Determination & Empowerment
In the world of exploitation, choices are often taken away. We seek to restore choice and build self-efficacy. Rather than choosing for someone, we help uncover their goals and work together to develop a plan that matches their unique strengths and culture. We help survivors think through options, consider possible outcomes, and identify the choices most aligned with their goals. When they believe in their own ability to make positive changes in their lives, they are more equipped to face life’s challenges in the future.
We are a Christian organization that desires to offer respectful services to individuals of all faith backgrounds. Our faith shows most strongly in our values of providing unconditional care, focusing on relationships, recognizing strengths, minimizing barriers, and walking with our clients on their journey to freedom, rather than acting as “saviors,” or attempting to proselytize.
We don’t require faith engagement at REST. Instead, we simply offer a healing environment where survivors are free to incorporate their own spiritual beliefs or exploration in whatever way is comfortable for them.