Immerse Case Summary 2025 by immersearkansas

Overcoming Starts Here

It’s hard to stomach the reality that so many young people face in our state. Abuse, neglect and trauma leave lasting scars on the bodies and souls of children across our neighborhoods and towns, both large and small.

Immerse was born out of the conviction to do more than protect these young people from further harm. We must help them embark on a lifelong journey of healing. Over the past 15 years, donors, mentors, volunteers, staff, board members and more have come together to turn this conviction into a reality. With God’s divine help, we’ve made tremendous progress, and we’ve seen lives transformed.

Yet the work is not done. For too many young people, and in too many areas of our state, the transition to adulthood combined with the trauma associated with foster care or adoption creates what appears to be an insurmountable challenge. Confusion and chaos take over as additional crises ensue, perpetuating generational cycles of pain and harm.

We long for a better day.

We envision a broad, reliable pathway to healing available to every youth from crisis in Arkansas. A pathway so expansive that the steps to a successful transition to adulthood are clearly visible, easily accessible and fully reliable for youth from crisis and their families across our state.

It’s the vision that has fueled the plans and action steps included in the pages that follow. As you read through these pages, I hope you’ll be both encouraged by the past impact of Immerse, as well as challenged to consider how you can help build a broad, reliable pathway for the future. Please prayerfully consider how you can be involved.

We’re so thankful for your generosity, support and partnership.

Eric & Kara Gilmore

THE SURPRISING MOVEMENTS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Connor’s Story

Unconditional love is like a magnet with surprising powers. Wherever it moves, it pulls others in—often in unexpected ways. Just ask Amber and Eric Williams, and their son, Connor, who was adopted this year on Valentine’s Day.

Amber and Eric dreamed of a big family. Before they were even married, they talked about fostering and maybe adopting—but only after they’d had biological children. A few years into their marriage, they learned this wouldn’t be possible. It was a turning point—not just in their marriage, but in their understanding of love.

In time, that love drew in Connor, a 16-year-old boy who had spent most of his life in foster care. Connor moved in after countless placements, many of which ended in disappointment or heartbreak.

After only two months, Connor confided, “This is the longest I’ve ever been in a home before. I don’t know how many (foster) placements I had. Too many to count.”

Amber and Eric learned that unconditional love didn’t mean smooth sailing. “It’s hard raising a teen who has been in foster care since he was 2,” Amber admitted. “He just doesn’t have the social skills you’d get growing up in a family.”

Trouble came in waves. An incident landed Connor in juvenile detention in Fayetteville. When he was released, Amber and Eric were there to pick him up. They went out to breakfast with Connor and his caseworker. During that meal, Connor’s pain surfaced in a way Amber will never forget.

“I told my case worker I didn’t trust them,” Connor shared. “When she asked me why, I said, ‘Why would I trust someone who would let me back into their home?’”

“That broke my heart. It was weird to him that somebody would actually love him,” Amber said.

As they faced these challenges, Amber and Eric found themselves drawn to Immerse. They saw Immerse as a community rooted in unconditional love, and it quickly became a lifeline for their family. “I think it’s a great program,” Amber said. “Just volunteering there has been incredible. They understand the trauma these kids have been through, but they love them regardless.”

“Immerse is a place where we can take a deep breath and know these people are going to love Connor no matter what.”

Immerse also provided Amber, Eric and Connor with a support system they didn’t know they needed.

“LifeBASE Teen creates a community for people who truly understand what it’s like,” Amber explained. “You’re surrounded by people who won’t judge you for your feelings or emotions. They walk with you through it. One of the moms there works at Connor’s school, and we’ll text sometimes. She helps me feel like I’m not going crazy. The things that have happened with Connor have happened with her son, too. I never would’ve met her if it wasn’t for Immerse.”

Connor has also made some strong connections and is thriving at a new school. “I’ve met some friends through Immerse, and I enjoy spending time fishing and mountain biking with Jimmie (DuVallImmerse recreational therapist),” Connor said.

Love connected Eric and Amber to each other, then to Connor and an entire community of like-minded people who give their all to see youth like Connor heal and grow into resilient adults. At Immerse, Overcoming Starts Here…with unconditional love.

AMBER, CONNOR & ERIC WILLIAMS ON CONNOR’S ADOPTION DAY, FEB. 14, 2025

The Problem

Abuse, neglect and trauma have wreaked havoc on the relationships, identity and resilience of youth from crisis, making their transition to adulthood extremely challenging.

44% ARKANSAS IN 2024:

24,248

child maltreatment cases were investigated.

of children and teens available for adoption were ages 14+.

177 5,958

children (0-21) were in foster care at one point in time during the year.

Children and teens in foster care moved placements every 180 days on average (at least 2 times per year).

THE COST OF TRAUMA FOR YOUTH

Nationally, 1 in 4 youth who exit foster care at age 18 will experience homelessness by the time they turn 21. Youth exiting foster care experience PTSD 4.5 times the rate of the general population. Up to 80% of youth in foster care experience significant mental health issues, compared to approximately 20% of the general population. In Arkansas alone, the rate of youth in foster care who graduated with their high school diploma is 24% less than that of youth not living in foster care.

THE COST OF TRAUMA FOR FAMILIES

Former foster children often experience broken relationships in early adulthood as unplanned pregnancies, domestic violence and other issues create a second and third generation of children in foster care.

youth aged out of foster care. Roughly 355 youth ages 18+ were enrolled in extended foster care.

THE COST OF TRAUMA FOR SOCIETY

On average, former foster children require $300,000.00 in public assistance during their lifetimes. That means the 200 youth who age out of foster care in Arkansas each year will cost taxpayers $60 million dollars every year.

“A teen girl in foster care is 2.5 times more likely to become pregnant by age 19 than her adolescent peers not in foster care. Also, approximately half of 21-year-old males transitioning out of foster care reported getting a partner pregnant compared to 19% of their non-foster care peers.”

*Citation: Harper Browne, C. (2015, August). Expectant and parenting youth in foster care: Addressing their developmental needs to promote healthy parent and child outcomes. Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy.

The Solution

We believe when we surround youth from crisis with unconditional relationships, tools that anticipate their needs and dreams and a vision for their restored future, we create a climate that leads to healing, growth and transformation.

Continuum of Support

Through your generosity, Immerse provides a continuum of support to protect, inspire, equip and empower youth in their journeys toward healing and healthy adulthood.

Alumni

LifeBASE Transitional Program

The OC Youth Center

Empower graduates to give back to youth coming behind them

Equip youth through a transitional program in houses, apartments or families

Inspire youth to achieve big goals, connect them with tools and a community of support

The Station Youth Shelter

Protect youth experiencing homelessness through a lowbarrier, safe place to sleep and get help

The Station

In Central Arkansas, there are 1,000 homeless youth on any given night.

The Station, Arkansas’ first homeless shelter for young adults ages 18-24, opened Sept. 9, 2024, and provides a space that not only ensures safety for youth but also cultivates opportunities for healing, growth and transformation.

The OC

Crises aren’t overcome in an instant, which is why the OC youth center (Overcomer Central) is our hub for operations and programming in Little Rock. After meeting the immediate needs of our youth, we start building a community around them to inspire growth, healing and transformation.

LifeBASE Transitional Program

Through one-on-one coaching, trauma therapy, relationship building, training and employment and education support for teens ages 14-18 who are in foster care or have been adopted, we address past trauma and equip teens and their families for the teen’s transition into adulthood.

From housing and coaching to mentoring and life skills training, Immerse provides young adults ages 18-24 with the tools, skills and supportive relationships they need to enter adulthood resilient and ready for life.

As we care for pregnant and parenting youth, ages 16-24, Immerse provides supportive housing, coaching, mentoring, trauma therapy, life skills training, educational and employment support and access to recreational and transformational experiences to help young parents transition into adulthood for themselves and their young families.

The Results are Encouraging

that perpetuate trauma and poverty in our Immerse provides a broad, reliable pathway healing for youth from crisis in Arkansas.

working with youth to address trauma with the support and structures, we can disrupt the

Our team of coaches, trauma therapists and other staff work with youth to set and achieve goals according to our BASE model.

BASE stands for:

Well-Being

“Trying to get out of that dark place when you are homeless is the hardest thing. So many times I just wanted to give up because I felt it was never going to get better. Without Immerse, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I wouldn’t have the support I have today. They’re saving a lot of lives.”

- FAITH, AGE 24

At Least One Caring Adult

“I think it’s an incredible thing to find people who will stick it out with you just because it’s important for you to be ok. Somehow, it all ends up working out. If there was a picture of that, it would be Immerse. God is in that place.”

- ANDREA, AGE 27

Safe and Stable Housing

“The Station provides hope for people like me in need... I genuinely believe that this shelter will change lives, not only from the support and housing it will offer but also the opportunity to make a better life for those in need.”

- AMIA, AGE 21

Earning Potential

“I started at the CORE program here, so I was able to work at an animal hospital. Now, I’m finishing up high school so that I can get my diploma, and then I’m gonna go to college to be a veterinarian!”

- MIKAYLA, AGE 18

youth engaged in 1:1 trauma therapy.

88%

youth engaged in weekly recreational therapy and transformational experiences.

youth were paired with trained mentors.

187 of youth (35 out of 43) exited LifeBASE with safe and stable housing. 81%

92% of youth across The Station and LifeBASE programs (105 out of 119) were either employed or enrolled in school.

of youth in our LifeBASE transitional program experienced improved earning potential through educational or employment progress.

*All stats from 2024.

the

Pathway Build

Initiatives:

Launch in Northwest Arkansas

Strengthen Little Rock

Grow in Conway

Our goal is to build a broad, reliable pathway to healing for every youth from crisis in Arkansas.

Why Immerse is Expanding

Teens and young adults make up one-third of Arkansas’ foster care system. Of these 1,200 young people, roughly 200 youth age out of the system every year.

National studies show that nearly 40% of youth who age out of foster care will experience homelessness before their 24th birthday. In addition,1 in 3 teens on the street will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. And unfortunately, youth who experience homelessness are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than their peers.

We want to disrupt the cycles of trauma and poverty that afflict teens and young adults connected to the foster care system.

We see a future where growing up in foster and adoptive care in Arkansas isn’t solely a devastating setback, but also a starting point for healing. A place where youth have a reliable pathway to get the support and structures they need to overcome crisis and enter adulthood resilient and ready for life.

We’re building that pathway.

And we’re expanding our reach — working to ensure that youth across the state have access to specialized trauma care, safe and stable housing, an education for a better earning potential, and a caring mentor walking with them as they exit state and adoptive care and enter adulthood.

We’re investing in the future of our youth, in the future of our state, in a future immersed in hope.

We’re building a broader pathway because we believe that overcoming starts here.

Build the Pathway Initiative

Launch in Northwest Arkansas

In Northwest Arkansas, there are roughly 400 youth in the 4-county foster care system (Area 1: Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll Counties). Approximately 1/3 of these young people are ages 12 and older.

Immerse has completed a detailed needs assessment for Northwest Arkansas, including many source interviews with other providers in the area, and we have developed a plan to launch into this region to serve youth from crisis in Benton and Washington Counties and the surrounding area. Immerse’s launch into Northwest Arkansas will be a staggered approach depending on funding, staff recruitment and program implementation.

Teens and their families face challenging prospects in Northwest Arkansas:

• There are no transitional living beds in the area to support youth in extended foster care.

• Due to the lack of options, it is reported that some youth have resorted to living under a bridge.

• There is a wave of disruption and divorce among adoptive families who receive little supportive services.

• The juvenile detention center is often the best option for youth at high risk for homelessness.

Goal 1: Implement LifeBASE Transitional Program

PHASE A:

Provide coaching and wraparound supports for foster and adopted teens ages 14-18 and their families.

Through coaching, trauma therapy, relationship building and employment and educational support for teens who are in foster care or have been adopted, we will address past trauma and equip teens and their families for the teen’s transition into adulthood.

PHASE B:

Provide coaching, wraparound supports and housing for young adults ages 18-24.

From housing and coaching to mentoring and life skills training, Immerse will provide young adults ages 18-24 with the tools, skills and relationships they need to enter adulthood resilient and ready for life.

Goal 2: Build a Station

Provide emergency shelter with wraparound supports for youth ages 18-24.

Immerse will adapt our proven programming and model used to serve youth experiencing homelessness in Little Rock to serve youth from crisis in Northwest Arkansas.

Isaac, age 24

“Immerse Arkansas has led in providing transition-aged support to youth in Central Arkansas for 15 years. DCFS invited and encouraged Immerse to expand their work to serve young people in Northwest Arkansas. There is a deep need for their work in this area of the state to keep young people connected to their communities. This expansion will continue Immerse’s critical, proven support to foster and adoptive teens and young adults and their families who need it.”

Tiffany Wright, Director, Arkansas Division of Children & Family Services

Build the Pathway Initiative

Strengthen

Our Flagship Campus in Little Rock

With plans to strengthen our Little Rock flagship campus, we will sustain and enhance new and existing programs and facilities for Arkansas’ youth to utilize.

Goal 1: Sustain and Enhance Programming for The Station

• Provide emergency shelter for youth ages 18-24.

• Support youth at The Station through coaching, trauma therapy, life skills classes and more.

Elizabeth, age 18

Goal 2: Bolster and Grow Immerse’s Growth & Transformation Program

• Heal more youth through immediate therapy and recreation supports.

• Continue evaluation work to build a model of mental healthcare intervention to serve youth statewide.

• Grow Immerse’s ability to hire, train and support therapists who provide first-class therapy for teens and young adults.

Goal 3: Build Additional Space to Serve Youth in Meaningful Ways

• Build a therapy and employment center close to our Asher location.

• Create on-site work areas to learn and develop new job skills.

• Provide dedicated space for individual, group and family therapy.

• Design recreational and outdoor space to promote health and adventure.

Goal 4: Expand LifeBASE Transitional Program

• Provide wraparound supports for young adults ages 18-24 through coaching, trauma therapy, life skills classes, employment and educational programs and more.

• Purchase homes or apartments to provide transitional housing for 30 additional youth.

Andrew, age 23, working with coach

Build the Pathway Initiative

Grow in Conway

Since Immerse launched LifeBASE Teen in Conway in 2023, the demand for coaching, trauma therapy, life skills classes and more has grown among teens ages 14-18 who are in foster care or have been adopted and their families in Faulkner County.

With a desire to provide a coach for every teen in foster care in Faulkner County, including young adults who are in extended foster care and living on college campuses or in the community, Immerse plans to do the following over the next 3 to 5 years.

Goal: Expand LifeBASE Transitional Program

PHASE A:

Provide coaching and wraparound supports for teens ages 14-18 in Faulkner County.

Through one-on-one coaching, trauma therapy, relationship building, training and employment and education support for teens who are in foster care or have been adopted, Immerse will address past trauma and equip teens and their families for the teen’s transition into adulthood. By serving more teens in Faulkner County, we can transform what it means to be in foster care in this area. We serve 20 foster and adopted teens through LifeBASE and desire to increase our impact to the remaining teens in care as well as other adoptive families.

PHASE B:

Provide coaching and wraparound supports for young adults aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness.

Youth who age out of foster care can choose to stay in extended foster care until they are 21 years old. Some of these young adults live on college campuses, including at the University of Central Arkansas, Central Baptist College and Hendrix College in Conway.

PHASE C:

Provide transitional housing for young adults ages 18-24.

Lack of safe and stable housing can be a significant challenge for some young adults. LifeBASE with housing will include the purchase of transitional housing along with the provision of other wraparound supports.