What We Do
What We Do
Transformation Coaching
A zero-barrier service offering one-on-one support for youth impacted by sexual violence or exploitation.
MISSSEY's Transformation Coaching provides trauma-informed, culturally rooted, and strengths-based care to help young people define and achieve their own goals in safety and stability. Each young person is paired with a dedicated coach within 24 hours of referral — someone who stays with them from intake through completion, ensuring trust, continuity, and compassionate advocacy.
Coaches support systems-involved and non-systems-involved youth (ages 12–24) in navigating housing, education, employment, mental health, and court processes — always centering the young person's voice and pace.
STaR (Sisters Transforming and Rising) Center
A safe, welcoming space for girls and gender-expansive youth (ages 12–25) in Oakland who have experienced exploitation.
Open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m., the STaR Center offers daily drop-in access to trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and culturally rooted support. It's a place to rest, play, heal, and build community with peers and trusted adult mentors.
Youth at STaR have access to:
- Life skills and self-sufficiency workshops
- Recreational activities and field trips
- Leadership and resource connections
- Home-cooked meals
- Mentorship and peer support groups
- Hygiene items, laundry, and clothing closet
At its heart, STaR is a space grounded in love — where young people can reclaim joy, safety, and possibility.
Housing
We collaborate with young people, 18–25, who are vulnerable to exploitation, to understand their unique needs and provide tailored support, including temporary and emergency housing in one of our housing sites, emergency rental assistance, and other housing solutions.
Thrive Initiative
Empowering youth to build the skills and confidence they need to transform their lives.
The Thrive Initiative offers trauma- and survivor-informed career readiness and leadership programs for young people impacted by or at risk of exploitation. Through an eight-week series of workshops, youth gain tools to navigate employment barriers, strengthen emotional resilience, and prepare for long-term stability.
MISSSEY's wraparound model integrates each participant's unique experiences, developmental needs, and goals. In addition to skill-building, youth are supported in accessing legal, housing, and mental health services to sustain their growth and independence.
Training Institute
Building compassionate communities equipped to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation.
Informed by survivors, MISSSEY's Training Institute empowers individuals and organizations with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to support youth impacted by sexual violence and exploitation.
Our trainings and workshops offer an in-depth understanding of trafficking, including youth pathways, risk factors, prevention strategies, and trauma-informed responses. Participants leave ready to identify red flags, connect youth to services, and foster safety within their communities.
To date, MISSSEY has trained more than 10,000 adults, youth, and professionals — from schools and nonprofits to city agencies — transforming how communities across the Bay Area protect and stand with young people.
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