Treatment Exploitation Recovery Network (TERN) provides a point of contact for people who are seeking support, information, and resources to aid in their recovery from the negative effects of sexual exploitation by a helping professional. TERN also educates professionals and the public about the importance of healthy boundaries in helping relationships and the negative consequences of boundary violations. In addition, TERN provides leadership — from a consumer-survivor perspective — to legislative, policy, and other initiatives related to client sexual exploitation.

TERN is organized and conducted by and for people who have been affected by sexual exploitation by a helping professional. Helping professionals include psychotherapists, counselors, pastoral counselors, clergy, health care professionals and paraprofessionals, alternative therapists, and others who represent themselves as professional helpers. TERN has no paid staff. Our primary concern is for people who have been directly affected by sexual exploitation and those close to them.

Following a period of limited activity, TERN is reactivating a range of services and activities, to include the following:

	TERN provides a telephone number (410-265-6038) to call for information on support services and community resources available to victim-survivors and others recovering from the effects of sexual exploitation (e.g., family members of victims, members of congregations in which a clergymember has sexually exploited a congregant). The point of contact is a TERN volunteer who is prepared to provide limited telephone support, offer suggestions of where to turn for various types of assistance, and give callers information about upcoming TERN support group meetings.
	TERN has established linkages with two local area telephone hot-lines that focus on meeting the crisis intervention needs of persons who have experienced sexual trauma. The volunteer answering calls for TERN will provide the numbers for these hot-lines, as well as for additional crisis intervention services; however, the TERN volunteer does not serve as a telephone counselor.
	Beginning October 6, 1998, TERN is offering support group meetings using a structured, self-help format. Meetings are held monthly, the first Tuesday of each month, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Sexual Trauma Treatment, Advocacy, and Recovery Center (STTAR Center) at 10015 Old Columbia Road, Suite G-118, Columbia, Maryland. Meetings provide an opportunity for those who have been victimized by a helping professional to share their experiences—to the extent they are comfortable—in a safe, non-judgmental environment and to learn from the experience of others who are struggling with similar concerns. Participants at meetings may choose to share their phone numbers with one another on a strictly voluntary basis.
	TERN has established linkages with two local sexual trauma recovery centers, and will refer individuals seeking counseling or psychotherapy to those organizations.
	TERN will develop and distribute, on a limited basis, informational materials on topics of interest to health care consumers and victim-survivors of sexual exploitation and their families.
	TERN will inform members of opportunities to participate in speaking events, such as educational programs at local universities and hearings before members of the Legislature.
	TERN will organize and conduct periodic educational events for professionals and the public.
	TERN will organize or participate in other educational and advocacy efforts related to sexual exploitation or closely related issues.

For further information about TERN, please contact Sherry at 410-265-6038.