The LCSW’s (licensed clinical social workers), QP’s (qualified professionals), and LMFT’s (licensed marriage and family therapists) are the staff members on the ground with our clients who have caused sexual harm. These TASK (Treatment Alternatives for Sexualized Kids) agents are less known to the rest of the world but celebrity to our kids and the communities impacted by their actions. They meet clients at school, over a basketball game, or with a mouthful of McDonald’s fries. Neither traffic, round-a-about Charlotte city routes, backcountry western Carolina roads, and unlisted addresses prevent them from spending time with the clients’ families. Trashcans, Jenga blocks, and snack packs are their weapons of choice to teach concepts like the difference between consent, compliance, coercion, and cooperation. TTFOFLA(two-three-four-or-five letter acronyms)is their language of choice:
TF-CBT: trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
SA: substance abuse
CFT: child and family therapy
PCP: person-centered plan
DSS: Department of Social Services
DJJ: Department of Juvenile Justice
They encounter stories about clients stealing dirty underwear, experiencing daily emotional abuse, and getting into fights at school. And yet, our TASK staff find ways to laugh and continue to serve kids another day. As a result, our teenage clients and their families trust the agents who jump right into the mess of their real lives. In the short few months since joining the TASK and CHA (Children’s Hope Alliance) team, this physics major has watched people bring hope to hurting children and families when the world can’t always be explained with formulas and algorithms.
An update on our project
The TASK team has been working hard to establish a manual that reflects the diverse experiences of our staff from Charlotte to Guilford. Staffing and time with the kids allow us to watch the TASK model in action. Data collection is underway as we determine what TASK elements are most effective and efficient in bringing change to the lives of our clients’ and families. We are developing research procedures and structures to produce relevant and rigorous results. Those will be presented to our field and related subfields which include child psychology, sexual abuse, trauma care, child development, and juvenile delinquency. The more research we do, the more excited we are about TASK and its potential to reach others who have caused sexual harm.
