First of Its Kind Advisory Board Led By Survivors Of CSEC
Just a few years after playing a key role in the creation of the California Child Welfare Council’s Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Action Team, NCYL was also instrumental in creating a first-of-its-kind Action Team Advisory Board comprised of adults with lived CSEC experience.
The 10-member Advisory Board, made up of lived experience experts - individuals with personal experience with commercial sexual exploitation as youth - was developed in 2016. Its purpose is to aid the state, county and community partners with better identifying, supporting, and serving young people and their families impacted by CSE.
The Advisory Board is the first state-funded board of its kind in the nation. Since its inception, the Board has convened three cohorts of lived experience experts – each cohort serving a two-year term. The Board has been recognized by the California State Legislature for its leadership on this issue.
Why is leadership by lived experience experts important?
Individuals with lived experience should have that insight valued. The Advisory Board brings unparalleled value to developing and implementing effective CSE protocols, policies and procedures, and ensuring that these are grounded in the experiences of youth
The members of the Advisory Board are tasked with providing leadership and consultation to the Action Team, governmental agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders regarding how to improve policy for youth who have been impacted by CSEC.
When crafting policy, counties, community-based organizations, and others are strongly encouraged to collaborate and consult with lived experience experts at every stage of conception, development, planning and implementation. The CSEC Action Team’s Advisory Board is a unique resource available to local agencies and organizations.
To request a consultation with the Advisory Board, please submit this form.
To learn more about the current members of the Advisory Board, click here.
