Rachel Lloyd
Address: 201 West 148th Street, 201 West 148th Street, 10039, United StatesTel: 917-837-0357
Email: rlloydasst@gems-girls.org
www.facebook.com/girlsarenotforsale/
twitter.com/gemsgirls?lang=en
www.linkedin.com/company/girls-educational-&-mentoring-services 
Specialist areas of work and services:
Description:
For the past 20 years, Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) has served as the nation’s leading organization for empowering commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls and young women. Through cultural change, advocacy, training, and survivor leadership, GEMS is committed to shifting public perception and policy. As New York State’s first—and only—organization designed to provide trauma-informed, strengths-based services, GEMS has served thousands of young women and girls, ages 12–24. Founded in 1998, GEMS’ ground-breaking, award-winning work supports survivors in: Gaining independence Safety Education Employment Economic sustainability for themselves and their children GEMS’ unique Victim, Survivor, Leader™ program model is the gold standard for organizations serving trafficking victims and survivors across the country. They co-wrote—and helped pass—the NYS Safe Harbor for Exploited Youth Act: the first bill in the nation to stop the criminalization of commercially sexually exploited children.
Experience, Background and Services:
EMS was founded 20 years ago by Rachel Lloyd when she observed that girls and young women who were at risk for—or were experiencing—commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and domestic trafficking, had needs that were not being met by other traditional social service agencies. From a one-woman kitchen table project, we have grown into an internationally acclaimed organization and one of the largest providers of services to CSE youth in the United States. GEMS' mission, is to empower girls and young women, ages 12-24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking, to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.
As a leader in the movement against CSE and domestic trafficking, we are committed to ending the exploitation of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth. Our survivor-led and survivor-engaged programming prepares members to become leaders in their own lives, families and communities.
Survivor leadership and transformational relationships are at the core of our work. Survivor leadership, which we promote by hiring survivors to mentor and empower new members, amplifies survivors’ voices in the fight to end CSE and beyond, while transformational relationships (ROCA TM) represent the critical bonds that develop between members and staff. The successful development of these relationships requires that all our staff possess the skills necessary to provide trauma-informed, specialized services to girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Our theory of change states that with the right opportunities, girls and young women can move from victims to survivors to leaders. Having impacted hundreds of young women over the past two decades, GEMS’ innovative “Victim, Survivor, Leader” (VSL™) model incorporates guiding principles and values that are based on existing approaches to the work in:
Domestic violence
Positive youth development
Gender-specific programming
Addiction
In addition, we utilize and have adapted Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change model to best meet the needs of our members.
VSL’s core values are:
Gender-responsive
Trauma-informed
Developmentally-grounded
Strengths-based
Social justice-oriented
Culturally-competent
This model aims to ensure that girls and young women become free from commercial sexual exploitation, make improvements in trauma recovery, increase their healthy social support, achieve educational and vocational gains, and become self-sufficient, as well as becoming empowered advocates for themselves and their peers.
We also offer Direct Intervention including crisis care and holistic case management, as well as the following:
Educational Initiative (EI): Supports members to engage or re-engage in the educational process, obtain their high school diploma or GED, and succeed in post-secondary education or vocational training through our educational support services.
Youth Development: Addresses young women’s developmental, social and emotional needs through daily strengths-based recreational, educational and therapeutic groups and programming.
Transitional and Supportive Housing: Including the Transitional Independent Living (TIL) program, provides housing with 24-hour support through to young women ages 16-24 and Imani House provides an independent living program for young women ages 18-24. Housing Referral Information and Form
Survivor Leadership Program (SLP): Supports the development of critical thinking, leadership and community organizing skills, and deepens members’ understanding of the social conditions that keep commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking in place.
Court Advocacy: Including Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) through the Human Trafficking Intervention Courts and Family Court Advocacy (FCA).
- Advocacy
- Crisis Services
- Psychological Support
- Victim Outreach
- Supply chains
- Medical services
- Rehabilitation
- Shelter & accommodation
- Survivor Leadership
- Training
- Modern slavery technology
- Campaigns & Awareness
- Funds & grants
- Other
Description:
For the past 20 years, Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) has served as the nation’s leading organization for empowering commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls and young women. Through cultural change, advocacy, training, and survivor leadership, GEMS is committed to shifting public perception and policy. As New York State’s first—and only—organization designed to provide trauma-informed, strengths-based services, GEMS has served thousands of young women and girls, ages 12–24. Founded in 1998, GEMS’ ground-breaking, award-winning work supports survivors in: Gaining independence Safety Education Employment Economic sustainability for themselves and their children GEMS’ unique Victim, Survivor, Leader™ program model is the gold standard for organizations serving trafficking victims and survivors across the country. They co-wrote—and helped pass—the NYS Safe Harbor for Exploited Youth Act: the first bill in the nation to stop the criminalization of commercially sexually exploited children.
Experience, Background and Services:
EMS was founded 20 years ago by Rachel Lloyd when she observed that girls and young women who were at risk for—or were experiencing—commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and domestic trafficking, had needs that were not being met by other traditional social service agencies. From a one-woman kitchen table project, we have grown into an internationally acclaimed organization and one of the largest providers of services to CSE youth in the United States. GEMS' mission, is to empower girls and young women, ages 12-24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking, to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.
As a leader in the movement against CSE and domestic trafficking, we are committed to ending the exploitation of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth. Our survivor-led and survivor-engaged programming prepares members to become leaders in their own lives, families and communities.
Survivor leadership and transformational relationships are at the core of our work. Survivor leadership, which we promote by hiring survivors to mentor and empower new members, amplifies survivors’ voices in the fight to end CSE and beyond, while transformational relationships (ROCA TM) represent the critical bonds that develop between members and staff. The successful development of these relationships requires that all our staff possess the skills necessary to provide trauma-informed, specialized services to girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Our theory of change states that with the right opportunities, girls and young women can move from victims to survivors to leaders. Having impacted hundreds of young women over the past two decades, GEMS’ innovative “Victim, Survivor, Leader” (VSL™) model incorporates guiding principles and values that are based on existing approaches to the work in:
Domestic violence
Positive youth development
Gender-specific programming
Addiction
In addition, we utilize and have adapted Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change model to best meet the needs of our members.
VSL’s core values are:
Gender-responsive
Trauma-informed
Developmentally-grounded
Strengths-based
Social justice-oriented
Culturally-competent
This model aims to ensure that girls and young women become free from commercial sexual exploitation, make improvements in trauma recovery, increase their healthy social support, achieve educational and vocational gains, and become self-sufficient, as well as becoming empowered advocates for themselves and their peers.
We also offer Direct Intervention including crisis care and holistic case management, as well as the following:
Educational Initiative (EI): Supports members to engage or re-engage in the educational process, obtain their high school diploma or GED, and succeed in post-secondary education or vocational training through our educational support services.
Youth Development: Addresses young women’s developmental, social and emotional needs through daily strengths-based recreational, educational and therapeutic groups and programming.
Transitional and Supportive Housing: Including the Transitional Independent Living (TIL) program, provides housing with 24-hour support through to young women ages 16-24 and Imani House provides an independent living program for young women ages 18-24. Housing Referral Information and Form
Survivor Leadership Program (SLP): Supports the development of critical thinking, leadership and community organizing skills, and deepens members’ understanding of the social conditions that keep commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking in place.
Court Advocacy: Including Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) through the Human Trafficking Intervention Courts and Family Court Advocacy (FCA).
