Connect with the Need
Provide Immediate Care
Create Long Term Opportunities
Areas of Assistance
Crisis Care & Stable Housing
We provide immediate and long-term assistance to youth through our 24/7 Crisis Center, our transitional housing program, and our off-site independent apartments.
Education, Employment, & Life Skills
Our team works hard to provide residents with education, training, and employment opportunities to further their academic and career development.
Health & Wellness
We offer a holistic spectrum of professional care. In addition to medical and mental health services, we offer behavioral healthcare, counseling, pastoral care, art and music therapy, and more.
Outreach
Our specially trained team finds and connects with at-risk youth, ensuring they know we are here to help, and providing them with food, counseling, and assistance, and information on our programs.
Specialized Care
Two Generations
Approximately 33% of our young women are mothers. On average, there are 24 “two-generation” families (including 32 children) in our care every day, translating to about 64 families (including 90 children) annually – more than any other provider in the state/region.
We are excited to announce a new initiative to expand and enhance the services we provide for our young families. We have researched best-practice intervention models from across the country focused on providing the very best care for mother, child, and family.
We meet our kids where they are. It is our job to develop the very best models of care for each of our unique populations of youth.
Human Trafficking
Youth who come to us as human trafficking victims need immediate safety and security. Many victims of trafficking and sexual labor are struggling with mental health issues, addictions, and severe trauma from recent experiences.
We provide direct care to these young people through intensive case management, individual counseling and group therapy, and comprehensive support services.
Covenant House brings experience and partnerships together to offer victim-centered, trauma-informed care for victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Sobering Statistics
Over the past year, Covenant House has provided comprehensive services and care to 90 human trafficking victims/survivors.
- 97% of our victims/survivors have a previous history of sexual abuse, assault and/or rape
- 94% were first trafficked while under the age of 21
- 99% currently suffer from profound trauma (PTSD) or poly trauma
- 97% grew up in dysfunctional, abusive, violent homes
- 55% of our female victims/survivors have a history of dancing in clubs, and 98% of the those first danced in a club while under the age of 21
Approximately 25% of the residents of Covenant House have been victims of human trafficking and/or have been involved in sexual labor
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act .
While some victims of human trafficking are held by physical restraint or force, there are also psychological and emotional barriers that may force people into conditions of exploitation and prevent them from escaping.
New Orleans is a hub for human trafficking, and homeless youth are some of the most vulnerable to those looking to exploit them. Traffickers look for people who are susceptible for a variety of reasons, including psychological or emotional vulnerability, economic hardship, lack of a social safety net, natural disasters, or political instability.
The Human Trafficking Task Force
Covenant House is very proud to be a core member and the lead service provider of the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force.
The Task Force is a coalition of state, civil society, and citizen organizers committed to the prevention of human trafficking in the Greater New Orleans area, which seeks to combat human trafficking through seamless collaboration between law enforcement and social service providers.
To find out more about the Task Force and its accomplishments visit www.nolatrafficking.org.
LGBTQ
Covenant House works hard to foster an environment of acceptance and inclusion by both our residents and our staff. Above all, we practice unconditional love and absolute respect.
Of the hundreds of young people we care for each year, 33% self-identify as LGBTQ. We respect each of these residents’ wishes when it comes to names, pronouns, and living arrangements.
We are grateful to be continually strengthening our relationship with LGBTQ organizations throughout the region. We give our thanks to organizations such as BreakOUT!, which helps connect our LGBTQ residents with additional supportive services.
Community Partners
Developing Skills
- Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)/NOPLAY and Delgado Community College enroll our kids in HiSET (GED) classes
- We work directly with Café Reconcile, Liberty’s Kitchen, Goodwill Culinary Arts, JOB1, STRIVE NOLA, Job Corps, and our own White Dove Landscaping to offer our kids job training and readiness
- Children’s Hospital provides parenting classes for our “two generation” moms and babies
Addressing Needs
- Tulane School of Medicine provides on-site physical and behavioral health services
- Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights provides much needed legal services
- Catholic Charities operates an on-site, early Head Start program for our young mothers/children
- We are part of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, the homeless services collaborative and advocacy organization
In-Depth Collaboration
Through the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force, we work closely with service providers and law enforcement to aid human trafficking survivors:
- Eden House
- New Orleans Family Justice Center
- Catholic Charities
- Law enforcement, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, local and State Police, FBI, and Homeland Security
How Can You Help?
In the past 6 years, the number of kids in our care has grown from 45 to 170 per night. Most have endured unimaginable abuse, violence, and trauma. You can help give them a chance.
