About Our Services
Our customized programs are designed to provide complete support for all survivors, regardless of race or gender.
Practice Makes Purpose Curriculum
All Dorothy’s House participants follow Practice Makes Purpose. This curriculum helps individuals understand and apply universal concepts that shape decision-making. Practice Makes Purpose takes a holistic approach and incorporates foundational lessons around self-care, emotion regulation, beliefs, values, relationships, identity, and more. Rather than addressing isolated aspects of life, it connects eight universal principles to every area of daily life, equipping participants with lifelong tools to build the futures they want.
The curriculum is particularly useful to individuals with significant trauma, addiction, and patterns of unhealthy relationships. It guides each participant to examine his/her past to understand how it led to the present. Then it empowers every participant to choose a new path and take ownership of the future. Practice Makes Purpose includes thorough assessments that pinpoint areas of need and measure growth and progress over time.
The assessments are paired with goal-setting tools that help participants establish what they’re working toward, and break big goals down into manageable, weekly tasks. Practice Makes Purpose begins with the end in mind. It coaches participants to imagine the change they want, and then take the necessary steps to achieve and sustain that change.
Our Programs
Dorothy’s House has different programs to provide help to survivors. When we receive an application, we determine which program is the best fit for each applicant to start his/her healing journey.
Our residential program is a rigorous three-phase program designed for women over the age of 18 who are ready and willing to affect change in their life. The duration of each phase is not predetermined and is based on achievement and experience. It can take a participant up to two years to move through all phases.
Recovery is the first phase, which provides participants a safe place to explore the decisions that created vulnerability in their lives and help them change in those areas. They are able to focus entirely on their challenges and building the tools that will help them manage their trauma triggers for the rest of their lives.
At the facility, care coaches walk alongside each survivor through all aspects of her individualized program, including the Next Wise Choice curriculum. The curriculum, with assessment tools entwined, generally takes about nine months for a survivor to move through to build a better life for herself. Dorothy’s House works with each participant to determine the ideal length of her residential treatment.
Transitions is the next phase for participants who successfully complete our Recovery program. After achieving certain milestones, participants continue the Next Wise Choice curriculum and gain further independence as they continue to build personal and professional skills.
Transformations is the final stage where participants move into independent subsidized housing and establish their independence in the community. They continue following the Next Wise Choice curriculum and use it as the foundation as they achieve and evolve personal and professional goals. With continued support from our staff, they put their newly established skills to the test in real-life situations.
Many survivors of human trafficking may not be able to participate in our residential program because they have custody of minor children, or because of gender, age or other circumstances. Front Porch provides access to safe housing in the community for these survivors. Following a detailed evaluation, we help participants find subsidized housing and access to solutions to meet their needs. This supported-recovery program is designed to help participants gradually become independent as they complete their education, gain employment and learn the home and life skills needed for success.
This alternate program serves gender non-binary, men, labor-trafficked survivors, adults with custody of their minor children, and more.
Programming and services are unique to the needs of each individual and include, but are not limited to:
- Access to addiction treatment
- Access to traditional therapy and medication management
- Non-traditional therapeutic programming (equine coaching, writer’s workshop, music, art and crafts)
- Life-skills coaching
- Nutrition and wellness
- Access to ongoing education
- Job skills training
- Legal aid
- Financial literacy training
- Mentorships and relational skills training
- Recreational activities (bike riding, knitting, sewing, music lessons, etc.)