Nonprofit aids those without voices in society

A little more than a year ago, his daughters could hardly sleep. They had nightmares constantly. They would wake up crying.

"They were afraid of everything," said the father, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Hernandez.

The trauma his daughters faced was a result of the youngest - 7 years old at the time - being sexually abused by a relative. Even worse, the mother was complacent, he said. It tore the family apart, and Hernandez is raising his 9- and 12-year-old daughters alone.

But he gets help from a Spring Valley nonprofit organization, Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada, or FACT, 6431 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 200.

"After they had the treatment here," Hernandez said, "I can say they have peace. They sleep well. They are better now."

Molestation is the most common referral FACT receives, said executive director Heather Gibbs. But the organization, which started in 1984, offers help for other cases, including human trafficking and teen prostitution, domestic violence, youth drug referrals, adults with problems related to childhood trauma and more.

Hernandez's daughters used to get counseling every week, but visits have been reduced to one hour a month.

Gibbs said every patient's schedule is individualized. Some cases might last six to 12 weeks and others for three or four years.

"We don't put a timeline on their therapy," she said. "It all just depends on how they're progressing personally through the trauma."

About 90 percent of clients are low- income and receive services for free. FACT uses a sliding pay scale based on federal guidelines for others.

Gibbs said that FACT averages about five new child prostitutes per month as clients. The youngest she has seen was 11, but the average age is about 14. FACT counselors also make weekly visits downtown to the Juvenile Detention Center to talk with young girls.

These girls typically earned between $1,000 and $2,000 a month, Gibbs said.

"A lot of them are in danger," Gibbs said. "They have pimps looking for them ... When they lose one girl, they're looking at maybe $8,000 a month.

"If they don't meet their quota, that's when they can get really heavy consequences."

Gibbs talked about a "hot and cold torture" that some of the girls have experienced. They are made to sit in a bathtub full of ice for long periods of time. It is painful but does not leave marks.

Gibbs also said pimps may place a phonebook against a girl's face or head and punch her repeatedly. It hurts but typically does not leave bruises, she said.

"We get a lot of that," Gibbs said. "(Pimps) are able to come up with all different ways of grooming and keeping these girls in line but not leaving a whole lot of evidence of marks on them."

FACT works closely with other nonprofit groups in the valley to help these girls and supply them with housing, therapy, medical attention and more. Eventually, if the girls are ready, they will be placed back in school. If not, homeschooling is arranged.

"We're looking at every aspect of their life and trying to put the pieces back together," Gibbs said. "They can focus on therapy and healing, and we're focusing on all the rest of the stuff around them."

For more information or to donate, visit factsnv.org or call 702-258-5855.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.