I was part of the initial group of experts who started the SHIFT program and can tell you from experience I have yet to meet a more caring, compassionate and driven group of professionals in my career. The impact they have had undoubtedly had in the area of wellness for those on the front lines of child protection is immeasurable as prior to this program, very few (if any) programs like it existed. Consequently those in harms way were left to work though the often difficult/sometimes devastating impacts of repeated and prolonged exposure to some of the most horrific events. Because of this program, I am certain many have been able to identify and address issues that may arise and most importantly continue the fight for our most vulnerable population doing work that few are qualified to do and even fewer are driven to do.My hats off to these amazing professionals!
I have a family member who works for this organization and I know how hard they work to both support law enforcement and others who work with victims and are exposed to traumatic experiences in their jobs. They also work to inform the public about the dangers and growth in child exploitation on the internet. This is a small but passionate organization and very valuable to everyone it serves.
The company I work for is sponsoring a Giving Tuesday 2020 matching donation for this special organization. Small and mighty, this organization works to support the mental health and wellness of those who are put at risk of depression, anxiety, and secondary stress from the work they do in law enforcement, victim services, and other helping fields. Mental health programs help to keep professionals like these doing the work they do, and supporting our communities. Most impressive is the work they do to support Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force teams across the country. Supporting the men and women who are saving children and putting predators behind bars across this nation is fantastic and noteworthy.
As a former supervisor with the South Florida ICAC TF, the Innocent Justice Foundation worked closely with our department to ensure that we had the ability to keep law enforcement professionals mentally healthy while working abuse investigations and provided us tools to prevent burnout which was commonly observed. The programs that they helped establish from their guidance also gave us the ability to work the most difficult cases of sexual exploitation of children and crimes against persons. At the same time, educated supervisors and command staff to understand the victimization of law enforcement professionals working in this environment and provided them the tools to retain personnel.
Joe Weller
The Innocent Justice Foundation is an amazing organization that continues to help thousands of people involved in the criminal justice system. I have been in law enforcement for 33 years and 6 years in the military. This is something we all need, and The Innocent Justice Foundation has the answer. This program addresses many needs of the investigators and allows for a healthy professional so they can address the communities needs. We must have the best for our staff so they can do the hard work needed to keep our children safe. This is a blessing for everyone involved in the sexual exploitation of children and crimes against persons.
Jerry B
As a mental health professional, I have nothing but good things to say about The Innocent Justice Foundation. Their level of concern and support for the mental well-being of law enforcement officers is unsurpassed!
The Innocent Justice Foundation is a recognized leader globally in consulting and providing the Wellness tools for criminal justice professionals that experience vicarious trauma when working investigation involving children being exploited. As a law enforcement professional of 32 years, I appreciate their commitment to making a difference.
Anthony M.
We have worked closely with The Innocent Justice Foundation implementing Supporting Heroes In Mental Foundational Training (SHIFT) Wellness as well as implementing a pilot initiative surrounding a wellness program specifically for our ICAC task force. The Innocent Justice Foundation has proven their commitment and continued investment in supporting the broad community of service providers with a high incidence of secondary trauma. They are great people doing great work!
The Innocent Justice Foundation provided the support and guidance we needed when we established our mental health and wellness policy for the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The training and support that our law enforcement professionals have received has improved their lives, taught them the importance of self-care and helped them focus on the task of protecting children from the dangers of the Internet. The foundation is made up of truly wonderful experts working in the field with a passion for improving the lives of those they serve.
The Innocent Justice Foundation provided excellent training for the North Carolina Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Their work touched a lot of lives in a very positive way.
LorMJ 08/06/2020
We are so glad you shared this, thank you!
I started as a founding board member for TIJF because I believed and still do in what they do! Helping with not only officers in the field but in the day to day dealing with such a STRONG subject manor. Even after stepping down from the board I do what I can to help and feel that other should too. I talk about the foundation ALL the TIME!!!!
The dedication and commitment at Innocent Justice is unwavering. They work tirelessly to help rescue as many children from child abuse as possible. Ultimately, they are not afraid to face the tough issues.
Thanks to Innocent Justice I've become aware of these issues and I've become very passionate about getting child molesters off the streets. We no longer have to stand by wishing there was something we could do- Innocent Justice has shown a clear way to help.
The Innocent Justice Foundation worked closely with our department to ensure we had the ability to purchase essential technology equipment to help protect children. We are thankful for their help in this process and we've been using this technology successfully to protect children in our community!
Santa Cruz Police Department
The Innocent Justice Foundation (IJF) has undoubtedly made a difference in countless children's lives. Because of the IJF, I have shifted the focus of my investigations to locating and bringing to justice those individuals who take advantage and do life long harm to children. I have helped in putting away MANY sick individuals, some for over 15 years, who otherwise would still be out on the streets harming our youth. Thank you IJF for everything!!
Since beginning my involvement with crimes against children, Innocent Justice has always been at the forefront of the fight to educate the public and assist law enforcement when it comes to ending the sexual exploitation of children. I first had the privilege of meeting Heather Steele through mutiple social networking sites on the Internet and was honored to finally meet her in person at several of the conferences that I have attended over the past year. The support and mental health training that Innocent Justice delivers to thousands of law enforcement officers a year who investigate crimes against children is delivered professionally and effectively and often gets lost in the publicity of sensational stories about child sexual abuse and the burdens of everyday policing. Thank you Innocent Justice for your continued support!
The Innocent Justice Foundation and Heather Steele go above and beyond to help and protect the citizens and communities throughout the country. They have help our Sheriffs Department with knowledge and direction. This in turn has assisted out community. They are a asset to the Law Enforcement world.
I was very impressed with the Innocent Justice Foundation. Heather Steele is a very dedicated worker who was able to find us funding for very specific needs of our ICAC Unit. She is a very talented, professional and organized grant writer. An excellent resource!
Being in a small police agency on a very limited budget, we often have to go without the right tools we need to do our jobs. Occasionally we get assistance from larger neighboring agencies who do have some of these tools, but sometimes they aren't available or we feel like we are pestering them with so many requests for help. A Cellebrite cell phone data retrieval device was one such tool that we simply couldn't afford on our own, but The Innocent Justice Foundation was able to obtain grant funding on our behalf for such a purchase. As a result of having this tool, we have recovered child pornography images off a suspect's cell phone and have used the device in numerous other types of crimes as well. This tool has been so effective I feel embarrassed looking back at the effort we made for victims prior to having it. IJF CEO Heather Steele was super efficient and a real pleasure to work with. She had great communication skills every step of the way and obviously is very passionate about what she does. She frequently signed off her emails with the Winston Churchill quote "Give us the tools and we will finish the job", which I now have posted in my office as a reminder of the difference we can now make.
Our law enforcement agency was in desperate need of funding to buy equipment for high technology crime investigations. Budget cuts and the bad economy left our team without much financial support. I worked personally with the president of this foundation. She was eager and willing to help. She soon demonstrated their foundation's ability by locating funding to purchase hardware for examining mobile phones. The donated this equipment to our agency. Within a week, the hardware was used to help with a case during which sexual predator was trying to sexually exploit a child. The hardware has subsequently been used to process evidence related to violent crimes, frauds, and other child exploitation cases. I would strongly recommend this foundation to anyone in need of excellent service that surpassed my expectations. Thank you Innocent Justic Foundation!
The exploitation of children is a crime that is all to often ignored; not because it is unimportant but because it is a crime so painful to face that most people keep their distance from it. The Innocent Justice Foundation fights crimes against children by bringing awareness to the public and they also fight for our law enforcement agents who are exposed to these crimes. Innocent Justice recognizes that the heroes who deal with the torture and exploitation of children suffer from pain themselves and Innocent Justice works hard not only to ensure these heroes don't go unnoticed, but also get the personal help and assistance they need. No child should suffer and, if Innocent Justice has anything to do about it, no child will.
