Victim & Family Support
Overview
Coping with the traumatic experience of having a missing and/or sexually exploited child demands courage and determination for all involved. NCMEC provides a wide range of support services for victims and their families including crisis intervention, emotional support, referrals to appropriate community agencies and mental health professionals, peer connection, and reunification assistance.
Every child deserves a safe childhood.
Resources for Empowering Families
For information on how to seek mental health resources
By the Numbers
In 2021, NCMEC provided mental health support to
2,249 families
300 participants
in the Family Advocacy Outreach Network
In 2021, Team Hope made over
31,000 calls
to provide peer support.
Resources
Emotional and Professional Support
NCMEC’s masters-level trained advocates work to strengthen families by offering telephonic support when planning for prevention or managing a crisis. This family-centered approach helps create a collaborative environment to assist victims and families identify areas of need and find the right community-based resources to assist with healing and reconnecting.
Reconnecting with Your Child: Building Relationships After Suspected Sexual Exploitation
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Reunification Assistance
NCMEC is available to help families prepare for their child’s needs when children initially reunite with their families or months later. Families in financial need may qualify for transportation at low or no cost to them once their children are recovered.
NCMEC’s Team HOPE is a network of volunteers who have personally experienced the trauma of having a missing or sexually exploited child. With this firsthand knowledge of the multitude of emotions family members face, these volunteers provide peer support to families of missing, recovered, or sexually exploited children.
NCMEC helps families navigate the legal system and may be able to provide referrals to experienced attorneys. NCMEC also provides legal technical assistance to families, attorneys, legislators and others, including case specific legal, educational, technical, and related research and analysis, as well as publications, amicus briefs, and other trial related materials.
FAON
Join Our Professional Referral Network!
The Family Advocacy Outreach Network (FAON) is a voluntary network connecting victims and families with mental health service providers and other organizations within their communities. FAON seeks the expertise of experienced treatment professionals and service organizations who are willing to provide therapeutic services pro bono or at a low sliding-scale fee to the families of missing and/or sexually exploited children. If you provide direct services to families, we need you.
“What has been incredibly important as a provider and part of the Family Advocacy Outreach Network is the ongoing training NCMEC provides me. Their materials are so valuable and unique. It’s helped a great deal because what I’m really doing is crisis intervention. That training has proven invaluable as new cases come into my school and practice. The training that NCMEC offers is first class quality training that no one else offers. It’s such a specialty, this training is not available anywhere else. It’s such an eye opener into another world that no one really likes to talk about.”
– FAON provider
We Are Looking For
- Organizations and individuals who provide direct services that are accessible to our families (pro-bono/low sliding scale/flexible insurance co-pays)
- Organizations and individuals that can be checked by the Family Advocacy Division to ensure the standards of service delivery meet the requirements of NCMEC families
Licensed clinicians and/or clinician groups must also have:
- Current license with no significant judgements against you
- Valid professional liability insurance
Requirements Once You Join the Network
- Keep your contact information current and respond to requests for information and connection
- Attend 1 FAON event (training, networking) a year or complete 2 online trainings on NCMEC CONNECT
- Respond to requests for referrals (we understand that not all referrals will fit your availability, but you are a valuable link to obtaining needed services for our families)
If you are a licensed clinician, you must also:
- Maintain an active license
- Remain in good standing (no significant judgments against you)
- Provide updated liability insurance information, if it changes
Benefits of Joining the Network
- A yearly physical certificate thanking you for your membership
- Access to all mental health related trainings on NCMEC CONNECT, plus additional trainings exclusive to FAON members
- Quarterly eNewsletter with the latest NCMEC initiatives, issue spotlights, and networking opportunities
- 2 online trainings a year through NCMEC CONNECT
- 2 online networking events a year
- Every 2 years, the opportunity to attend a free in-person or virtual multi-day training event where you hear survivor voices and learn about the state of missing and exploited children’s issues, while earning significant continuing education credits
- Opportunities to be compensated for providing your valuable expertise to NCMEC on projects/initiatives/trainings
- NCMEC will be a resource to your team (presentations/Q&A sessions with NCMEC staff, help with difficult cases, physical resources)
- Opportunities to travel internationally to assist with the reunification of missing children with their searching family members
- Discount code to the NCMEC store
More
WATCH: Team HOPE is a group of ordinary people who one day were forced to live every parent’s nightmare. They know the pain, fear, frustration and loneliness that comes with having a missing or sexually exploited child. With this knowledge and experience, they offer peer support to families of missing and sexually exploited children.
