Hand-In-Hand is a program of The Counseling Center of Milwaukee for child and adolescent sexual abuse and sexual assault survivors.

Denise is 14 and pregnant.  The father is 22 and nowhere to be found.  Denise is still living at home, but her mother says she can't care for and support another baby; she has Denise's three sisters and two brothers to look after.  Denise doesn't know what to do and she doesn't understand that she is a victim of sexual abuse.

Michael's situation is different.  Only 9 years old, he is very angry.  He's angry because he blames himself for the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of an older uncle who lived with his family.  The uncle told the youth that what was happening was "their secret", and it worked.  For three years, Michael was afraid to tell anyone about what had happened.  After all, it was "Michael's fault".

Sexual abuse is one of society's least understood, least talked about, and most devastating social problems.  for young people struggling to understand and cope with their own sexuality, the abuse is emotionally and physically crippling.  Sexual abuse's impact is extensive and no family of an abused youth is immune from its ramifications.  It can and does tear families apart.  Sexually abused youth need help recovering from this trauma.  They need help becoming survivors.

To provide that help the Counseling Center of Milwaukee (TCCM) developed Hand-In-Hand, the area's oldest and most comprehensive ongoing program to provide sexual assault treatment and supportive services for youth, including a 10-week group counseling program for male and female victims of sexual abuse.  The program is funded by public and private sources and is provided at no cost to those needing it.

Since Hand-In-Hand's inception in 1988, it has provided sexual assault counseling to more than 1,800 young victims of sexual abuse.  Hand-In-Hand, in collaboration with Milwaukee's Sexual Assault Treatment Center, also offers education presentations within the community.  Annually, these prevention and education efforts reach over 3,800 youth, parents, professionals and community members.

Core Elements

Comprehensive treatment and prevention programs are available to youth ages 6 to19.  During group and individual counseling sessions the emphasis is on moving from victim to survivor.  The focus is on addressing the many complications that victims encounter on the road to recovery.

Group Services

These 10-week group counseling sessions offer an after-care component for youth who need additional support once the initial group session ends.

Case Management and Advocacy

TCCM therapists work closely with the families of the sexually abused to assess and understand the family's needs, particularly as it relates to their support for the victim and their critical role in creating a survivor.  Often this involves referrals to other community resources, including legal assistance if court proceedings are involved.

Community Education

TCCM staff help increase public knowledge of sexual abuse issues through community outreach, often in the form of community-based presentations.

Participants in the Hand-In-Hand program receive transportation to and from group sessions.  Victims who are young mothers also have available to them child care while attending group sessions.

Making a Difference

• One hundred percent of the girls participating in the program increased their knowledge of the "cycle of violence" as it pertains to domestic violence and their own lives.
• Ninety-eight percent of the Hand-In-Hand youth developed a safety plan to protect themselves in the face of potential sexual assault, as well as when feelings of harm to self or others might emerge.
• Ninety-four percent decreased their feelings of shame and guilt regarding their abuse.
• Ninety-seven percent of the youth in the program shared their story of sexual abuse, including the expression of feelings by writing a letter to the perpetrator and by maintaining a journal.
• Ninety-three percent increased their self-esteem.
• Eighty-nine percent reported that they had improved their understanding of boundaries and healthy relationships, including sexual behavior.
• Nationally, one in four girls and one in six boys is sexually assaulted by the age of 18.
• In Wisconsin, seventy-eight percent of all sexual assault victims are under the age of 17.
• Seventeen percent of the victims are male.
• The average age of the sexual assault victim is 15.
• Sexual assault continues to be the most underreported crime with only 5 or twenty percent of the assaults reported.

Hand-In-Hand is a program of the Counseling Center of Milwaukee.  For over 30 years, TCCM has lead our community in serving those, especially youth, who face sexual abuse, homelessness and mental illness.

For more information on our individual services click one of the images in the menu below or contact us at info@tccmilw.org