Little Warriors is an Alberta-based national charitable organization focused on the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. It also advocates on behalf of and with child sexual abuse survivors.

Little Warriors offers a treatment facility to help children with the devastating effects of child sexual abuse, and provide child sexual abuse prevention strategies to adults – all while ensuring the rights, needs and interests of children are respected and protected.

The Be Brave Ranch treatment program is based on intensive episodes of treatment. It supports healing using evidence-informed clinical interventions, including TF-CBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral) informed interventions, Expressive Therapies (Art, Psychodrama, etc.), Somatic Therapeutic Interventions, Indigenous Elder teachings, Animal-Assisted Therapy, EMDR, Music Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy and Individual Therapy.

The treatment for the children 8-12 begins with a 28-day stay at the ranch and, for girls age 13-16, a 12-day stay. During their initial intensive intervention, children are placed in a peer group or “cohort,” which creates strong bonds and encourages support. Throughout the year, children return to the ranch for three additional 12-day intensive interventions to continue their face-to-face therapy and reconnect with their cohort. Between stays, children work with the clinical team on an outpatient basis and in collaboration with their community.

None of this would have been possible without Glori’s dedication, perseverance and passion.

In 2012, Glori secured a partnership with researchers at the University of Alberta. This partnership developed a workshop called Prevent It!, which teaches adults to respond to child sexual abuse. It also helped develop the multi-modal, evidence-based trauma therapy program that the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch now offers.

Prevent It! was launched in early 2015. Research shows it significantly improves attitudes, knowledge and behaviour. This workshop, unique in Canada, was developed using research-informed methods and evaluated with scientific rigour. It has educated over 30,000 adults across Canada.

In October 2014, Glori completed her vision and dream.  After years of fundraising, the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch opened its doors, welcoming its first cohort of children. Located east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the ranch is the first treatment centre of its kind in the world.

Since then, over 300 children have attended the program. Clinical data confirm the success of the Be Brave Ranch treatment program, including highly significant reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Additionally, the intensive and comprehensive program significantly improves self-esteem, cognitive abilities and resiliency. With these results, the children also experience:

• Reduced mental health-related issues
• Reduced risk of future drug and alcohol use
• Increased performance in school
• A decrease in school dropout rates
• A decrease in suicide rates
• A decrease in interactions with the criminal justice system

This would not have been possible without Glori breaking new ground to raise the bar on awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse.