Prevention + Outreach
Hopeful Horizons provides services to individuals and families impacted by child abuse, domestic violence and/or sexual assault as well as providing professional trainings, community education and prevention programs that encompasses all aspects of the culture of violence.
Conversations about child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault can be difficult. Our staff have developed presentations that they provide to law enforcement, healthcare professionals, community trainings, professional groups, youth groups, church groups and others. Staff are also available to attend health fairs, community festivals and holiday parades to raise awareness.
We offer one-time presentations on a variety of topics such as healthy versus unhealthy relationships, sexual harassment & consent, bystander intervention, bullying, boundaries, how
to handle anger, etc.
For more information or to request a presentation, please contact our Community Educator, Rose Ewing. Click here for information on presentation/training topics.
Strengthening Families Program
The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a 14-week evidence-based family skills training program. The parents and children (ages 6-11) attend once a week to learn how to improve their parenting skills and develop youth life skills. Parents and children learn separately the first hour of each weekly meeting. Then, parents and children come together for a joint family practice session.
Read the first-hand experience from the Mikell Family.
Children's Trust of South Carolina funds SFP in numerous sites across the state.
For more information, contact Krista Goetz, Strengthening Families Program Coordinator, at goetzk@hopefulhorizons.org, or through our Support Line at 843-770-1070.
Men of Strength (MOST) Club
MOST Club is the country’s premier primary violence prevention program for mobilizing young men to prevent sexual and dating violence. It is dedicated to mobilizing male youth to preventing violence against women and girls. The Men of Strength Club, or MOST Club, provides young men with a structured and supportive space to build individualized definitions of masculinity that promote healthy relationships. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified MOST Club as among the top four gender violence prevention programs in the country.
Take a look at a recent video for the Battery Creek MOST Club and this video about the MOST Club at Polaris Tech.
Women Inspiring Strength and Empowerment (WISE) Club
WISE Club provides young women with a structured and supportive space to learn about healthy femininity and redefine what it means to be a strong woman. Challenging the images and “dominant stories” they see in the media, their communities and across the globe, WISE Club encourages young women to look within and become their best selves. By creating safe spaces to discuss difficult issues, like date rape, gender norms, violence and body image issues middle and high school girls increase their level of self-awareness and confidence which ultimately paves the way for healthier life choices.
Take a look at this story about the WISE Club at Polaris Tech.
Parent Cafe/Dad Cafe
Parent Café is a program where parents/caregivers talk about and explore the challenges and victories of raising a family by exploring the protective factors that keep families strong: resilience, relationships, knowledge, support & communication. Cafes are structured conversations that rely on participant’s knowledge and strength to guide the discussion.
Dad Cafes are similar in structure but focus on topics related to fatherhood and are designed for male participants. As trained facilitators, we help guide conversations and offer the opportunity for parents & guardians to explore their own wisdom and learn from each other while building community.
Here are a few additional programs we offer:
Girls Circle/Council for Boys & Young Men - Girls Circle addresses conditions and risks and builds on protective factors, for ages 9-18. The Council for Boys and Young Men promotes a healthy passage through pre-teen and adolescent years, for ages 9-18. This program serves as another great tool for positive peer-to-peer learning for youth.
Erin’s Law – We are an approved agency to provide Erin’s Law training to students. All of our trainings and programs are evidenced-based and has been approved by the SC Department of Education as appropriate training programs for K-12 schools in South Carolina.
Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children Training -- This training is provided to professionals who work with youth so that they may be better able to recognize and respond to children who may have been sexually harmed. Subject matter includes: Talking With Children about Safety from Sexual Abuse, Healthy Touch for Children & Youth, Bystander Protecting Children from Boundary Violations, & Mandated Reporting. Stewards of Children is an internationally recognized training that we are certified to facilitate with school systems, churches or any other youth serving organizations.
We can offer a number of one-time presentations on topics discussed with the community, as well as a variety of other topics including (but not limited to) things such as:
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Hopeful Horizons Services (counseling, therapy, etc.)
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Tech Safety for Parents & Kids
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The Culture of Violence
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Engaging Men & Boys in Prevention
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Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth
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The “Adultification” of Black Girls
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Sexual Assault and/or Domestic Violence & The Effect on Children