About

About POETIC Team Partners Racial Equality Jobs

Our Mission

To equip girls who have experienced child mistreatment, commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking to find their voices, reclaim their narratives and persist forward.

Our Vision

POETIC is igniting a movement to reject the notion that youth can be bought and sold. We imagine a world where all children are equally valued.

What We Do

POETIC breaks the cycle of re-victimization for youth in the juvenile justice and child protective system. Our comprehensive support puts an on-site school, trauma therapy center, art therapy and paid internships all under one roof.

The Reason Why

Prior to co-founding POETIC, Dr. HaeSung Han was hired to build out the treatment program at the Letot Girls Residential Treatment Center (Letot RTC) at Dallas County Juvenile Department. Dr. Han saw how youth would spend up to nine months surrounded by intensive support, be successfully discharged, only to go back to a home, a community, ill-equipped to support her. In a matter of months, the youth would run away from home, be truant from school, be exploited, trafficked and incarcerated. The need for POETIC, for an in-community, evidence-based and family-focused solution, was identified.

In 2017, Dr. Han joined forces with Jennifer Tinker, an award-winning communications and marketing executive, philanthropist and champion for women’s rights, to co-found POETIC.

POETIC continues to meet every program outcome goal. Ninety nine percent of girls complete their probation successfully and 95% of girls do not return to the juvenile justice system.

Accolades

2022 Dallas Psychological Association, Pam Blumenthal Community Service Award

United Way 2019 Social Innovator of the Year

D CEO 2019 NonProfit Team of the Year

United Way Social Innovation Accelerator | The Pitch

Poetic in the News

Dallas Doing Good features POETIC

Dallas Doing Good features the people, organizations and businesses who are using their influence to help their neighbors and the world. Check out their feature on POETIC and co-founders HaeSung Han and Jennifer Tinker.

POETIC Co-Founder, Dr. HaeSung Han, Accepted into President Barack Obama's 2023 Inaugural Leaders Program

Our Co-Founder, HaeSung Han was accepted into President Barack Obama's 2023 Inaugural Leaders USA program. With the guidance of the Obama Foundation staff, coaches and leaders, Dr. Han will accelerate positive and lasting change for POETIC.

POETIC is Peer-Reviewed and Published

POETIC's longitudinal research explores the relationship between early maternal age, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and trauma sequelae among commercially sexually exploited youth.

POETIC Named United Way "Social Innovator Of The Year" for 2019

After participating in a week-long voting process and live pitch competition, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas named its winning organizations on Tuesday as part of its annual Social Innovation Accelerator. POETIC, which provides trauma therapy and support services to girls who have experienced sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation or child maltreatment, received the top title of Social Innovator of the Year, along with $75,000.

Dallas-based nonprofit empowering formerly trafficked girls gets another boost

Poetic CEO Dr. HaeSung Han is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, class of 2022.

POETIC Named to Stand Together Foundation's New Cohort

POETIC and The Artist Outreach are among the Stand Together Foundation’s 15 new partnerships that aim to break the cycle of poverty in the United States.

Join Our Cause

National Human Trafficking Hotline

1 (888) 373-7888

SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)