Frequently Asked Questions

The Courage House Program

Why is the location of Courage House confidential?

The confidentiality of our campus is a matter of physical survival, emotional safety and psychological restoration much like a domestic violence shelter.

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• Security: Victims of trafficking are often high-value witnesses or sources of income for criminal enterprises. A non-disclosed location prevents traffickers from attempting to relocate, intimidate, or retaliate against the survivors.

• Healing: Survivors often live in a state of chronic hypervigilance. They cannot begin to process trauma until their nervous system feels shielded from external threats. A safe environment provides the "breathing room" necessary for recovery.

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Is Courage House a "lockdown" or an involuntary facility?

No. Courage House is a completely voluntary residential program, and is staff-secured.  

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• Personal Agency: Residents apply to our program and must express their own desire to be at Courage House.  

• Placement: Due to the residents being minors (11-17 yrs), they must be placed at Courage House by a licensed social worker, probation officer, officer of the court, or legal guardian. 

• Freedom of Movement: Courage House is not a lockdown facility; residents are welcome to move in and out of the house and utilize our 40 acres of land.

• Discharge: If a resident wishes to leave, they may do so, provided the transition is coordinated with their legal guardian or social worker for their continued safety.

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Why do stays at Courage House last longer than other residential programs?

Traffickers prey upon vulnerable children. 100% of the youth placed in a Courage House program have a multitude of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)  and   95% have suffered early sexual abuse.  When those experiences are coupled with repeated commercial sexual exploitation the body, mind and spirit knows only trauma and survival mode.  Therefore, the recovery from PTSD and years of systemic abuse cannot be achieved in a standard clinical window and often take significantly longer per mental health professionals.

Courage Worldwide uses a three-phase recovery model: 

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• Phase 1: Stabilization period - Providing a safe space physically and emotionally.  We call this “trust building”, typically around 0-6 months

• Phase 2: Evidence -Based Therapies (Trauma, Equine, Art, Music, Recreational, Individual, and Family)  We expect this to be around, 6-18 months. 

• Phase 3: Reintegration (Job training and life skills). 18 -24 months

  • Risk Mitigation: Short-term care often forces survivors back into independence before they are stable, which significantly increases the risk of re-exploitation by traffickers.

  • Population: 90% of our residents are in the foster care system and a high percentage of them have no safe family to return to -- in fact, many of our residents were trafficked by family members or they were complicit in their exploitation.

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How common is it for family members to be the traffickers?

Familial trafficking is significantly more common than many realize, especially for minors.

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• Statistics: Research from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC) shows that family members or caregivers are involved in approximately 41% of child trafficking cases globally.

• Loyalty Trauma: These survivors face a profound betrayal of trust. Because their "predators" are often their own relatives, a secure and confidential environment is essential to prevent "re-grooming" or coerced returns to abusive homes.

 

Is family reunification with family members possible?

As mentioned, the majority of our residents are navigating the foster care system, often due to the high prevalence of familial trafficking. In many of these cases, reunification with the family of origin is not a safe or viable option because a primary caregiver may have been the source of the exploitation. If we are able to reunify with the family, our approach includes: 

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• Clinical Assessment: We work closely with social workers and legal guardians to determine if and when family contact is safe for the survivor.

• Specialized Family Therapy: If reunification is a safe goal, we provide intensive family therapy to address the trauma, repair broken trust, and educate family members on how to support a trafficking survivor.

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What role does having a large piece of property play in therapy and the program?

Large, open spaces are a clinical tool for grounding and emotional regulation but also allow us the opportunity to expand our capacity to meet the needs in the community.  Our campus plans include an onsite school, activities building, recreation trails and multiple cottages. 

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• Nature-Based Grounding: We encourage the girls to use the land to find space when they feel overwhelmed or impulsive.  There are walking trails, recreational vehicles, plans for a pickle ball court and other activities.

• Equine Therapy: Our resident horses provide a unique therapeutic modality that helps survivors rebuild trust and non-verbal communication skills in a low-pressure environment. The acreage gives us riding trails on the campus for recreational riding and a covered round pen for therapy year around.

• Impulsive behaviors: Because complex trauma often triggers a 'flight' response, many of our residents have a history of running away. Unlike urban facilities where public transit is steps away, our 40-acre rural campus provides a protective barrier. This distance allows our therapeutic team to intervene and help residents process their emotions before a crisis escalates, ensuring a higher level of safety and stability.

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What is our resident-to-staff ratio?

• We maintain a 2-to-5 staff-to-resident ratio at all times with extensively trained, trauma informed compassionate staff members. 

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Why do the residents go to school on site and not a local junior or high school? 

Due to the transient nature of trafficking, most residents arrive at Courage House without a strong academic history and are not on the grade level that coincides with their age. An onsite school allows us the opportunity to meet them where they are with independent learning provided by accredited teachers through the local school district.  Our data shows that due to our extensive therapeutic program model, residents arrive with an average GPA of 1.75 and quickly accelerate through grade levels and upon leaving Courage House have an average of 3.25 GPA.

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There are opportunities for residents to take classes at the local school as well as participate in sports and after school activities when they reach these milestones. 

 

How does Courage House support residents after they discharge from the program?

Courage Worldwide recognizes that transitioning to independent living can be daunting. Many of our alumni face the "ups and downs" of life without the safety net of a traditional support network and family. To ensure sustainable, long-term success and help every survivor thrive independently, we provide the following support:

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• Direct Assistance: Alumni can request help with critical needs, including education, childcare, and car maintenance. To access these resources, former residents simply submit the Courage House Alumni Request for Assistance form.

• Community Partnerships: We bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood by partnering with organizations serving 18–24-year-olds. Through our collaborations with partners such as Step 2, RennerVation Foundation, Children’s Cabinet, and Community Health Alliance, we ensure that our alumni have access to a comprehensive network of health, housing, and social services.

• Long-Term Impact: Our goal is to move beyond short-term crisis management. By combining our internal resources with these strong community ties, we empower survivors to navigate adulthood with confidence and stability.

 

Quality, Safety, and Program Oversight

At Courage House, our commitment to excellence is reinforced by multiple layers of external oversight. These independent bodies ensure that we not only meet state and national standards but also achieve the best possible outcomes for the youth in our care. 

 

Unlike over 18 residential programs, minor programs must be licensed and accredited for the safety and protection of children in care.  This is an extensive and extensive process.

 

State and Local Licensing

• County Business License: Our local business license ensures our facility complies with Washoe County land-use, zoning, and building safety regulations. This includes regular fire marshal inspections and health department reviews to maintain a safe physical environment.

• Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) License: As a licensed PRTF, we are regulated by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (HCQC). This licensure mandates strict adherence to clinical staffing ratios, 24-hour supervision standards, and rigorous safety protocols specifically designed for mental health treatment.

 

National Accreditation

• CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities): We are currently undergoing rigorous accreditation from CARF, the "gold standard" in human services. This involves a rigorous alignment of our policies with more than 1,500 national standards to ensure our programs are person-centered, evidence-based, and focused on continuous quality improvement.

 

Independent Program Evaluation

• University of Nevada, Reno- School of Social Work Partnership: To ensure our results are measurable and effective, we partner with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) School of Social Work. Faculty and graduate researchers provide external program evaluations, helping us analyze data on resident progress and long-term success. This academic oversight keeps our therapeutic models at the forefront of clinical best practices.

 

How are your programs funded and sustained?

In the United States, the program is funded by individual donors, foundations, and grants for start-up costs, including, but not limited to, purchasing land, building necessary structures, renovations, licensing and certification costs and requirements, and recruiting, hiring, and training staff.  

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However, the operations budget is funded through Medicare reimbursements, which we receive for meeting the licensing and certification processes mentioned above.   We do not have to fundraise for those costs.

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In Tanzania, the same applies to start-up costs.  However, we also have Courage Cafe, whose profits contribute to 25% of the operating budget; 25% is funded by Tanzania-specific grants, and the remaining 50% is donor-funded.

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View our 2025 Annual Report for more information about our income and expenses.