Twenty-five years ago, a little girl was found wandering outside St. Anne’s Hospital. She was brought inside and checked out, but wouldn’t speak.
After receiving care, it was discovered that she had been sexually abused by an adolescent neighbor.
St. Anne’s Hospital clinicians decided there should be more specialized services for this child and the many other children who had been abused and were in need of the proper care.
In 1984, with funding from the Victims of Crime Act and other donations, they began offering a pediatric sexual abuse program that became the Youth Trauma Program. It has expanded through the years to include all forms of abuse.
The center celebrated its 25th anniversary on Friday with an open house.
“In a year, we see 450 children and families,” said program coordinator Jennifer Salem-Russo.
The Youth Trauma Program offers individual and family therapy for children and young adults from age 3 to 21 [...]

Original post by Deborah Allard