We met James through Freedom Signal earlier this month after sending out texts to new survivors in the Chicagoland area. Quickly following the message, a response arrived asking for immediate help. We quickly learned that James was in active crisis and fleeing from his partner. Earlier this year, James visited his father, whom he hadn’t seen since childhood. Unfortunately, he was not the kind, loving man James remembered and robbed James during their visit. Left with nothing and unable to return home, James was forced to reconnect with an old partner from his earlier days in the city. Having no money, this partner began selling James to Johns to “earn his stay.” James knew this was not how a loving relationship should be. The text from Freedom Signal found James feeling scared and unsafe with a desperate desire to leave the situation he was in.
We were able to invite James to come to the Survivor Support Center that same day. As soon as he arrived, we offered him hot tea and began working through de-escalating techniques to bring him back down to a base level. Many clients come to our center in distress and need help reducing their panicked state. Often, de-escalation begins by offering a choice of how they would like to proceed immediately: merely walking around our space, possibly eating a snack, or diving right into what brought them to us. When clients are open to sharing their stories, we repeatedly confirm that they are in a safe space, are not alone, and can share as much or as little as they feel comfortable. Our case managers act as sounding boards – ears to listen rather than jumping into action, as solutions come only when trust and comfort are built.
James spent the entire day with us. We worked diligently to reassure him that he was protected and that we would do everything in our power to find him a safe, secure place to stay. He will return to the Survivor Support center to continue to pursue healing.