B4U-ACT

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About Us

B4U-ACT was established in 2003 as a 501(c)(3) organization with funding from Baltimore Mental Health Systems. It was founded with the following purposes:

To publicly promote services and resources for self-identified individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children and seek such assistance,
To educate mental health providers regarding the approaches helpful for such individuals,
To develop a pool of providers in Maryland who agree to serve these individuals and abide by B4U-ACT's Principles and Perspectives of Practice, and
To educate the citizens of Maryland regarding issues faced by these individuals.

B4U-ACT assembled a list of over 30 credentialed practitioners in Maryland who agreed to its Principles and Perspectives of Practice, and who were willing to provide caring and inviting services to clients who are sexually attracted to minors. Lay volunteers were sought who would be trained to operate a hotline for the purpose of referring minor-attracted individuals to these professionals.

Due to the tremendous barriers to communication among minor-attracted adults, mental health professionals, and the public, recruiting these volunteers proved to be unworkable. As a result, B4U-ACT chose to direct its efforts at working to eliminate these barriers.

To do this, it organized a small working group of mental health professionals and minor-attracted adults to identify these barriers, discuss how their elimination would benefit both parties and society in general, and develop plans for interventions to overcome them. This working group reported its plans to Baltimore Mental Health Systems in June, 2007. (See full report here.)

The report suggested holding workshops for mental health professionals and minor-attracted people in order to promote dialog and understanding between the two groups. As a result, in March 2008, B4U-ACT began offering its series of semi-annual workshops.

Our Mission

To publicly promote professional services and resources for self-identified individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children and desire such assistance;
To educate mental health providers regarding approaches needed in understanding and responding to individuals (adult and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children and who either seek or are referred for services regarding issues identified by such persons or by those referring them for services.
To develop a pool of health care providers in Maryland who agree to serve individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children, utilizing the therapeutic approaches advocated by the organization;
To educate the citizens of Maryland regarding issues faced by individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children;
To undertake other projects, programs, and activities not inconsistent with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as the need to do so presents itself in the opinion of the Board of Directors.

Our Vision

B4U-ACT promotes competent and effective professional services and resources in Maryland for individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children through education, outreach, communication, creativity, and initiative. B4U-ACT will be a leader in the development of competent and specialized services and resources that will be sought by individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children.

Our Values

Individuals who are sexually attracted to children are the focus of everything that we do. Compassionate assistance in dealing with the difficulties of living in society with an attraction to minors is essential to our success. Integrity is never compromised. Diversity is recognized and respected.

Resources simply are not available in most Western industrialized societies for an adolescent or a young-adult male who is dealing with a preferential sexual attraction to children or younger adolescents.

Jay Feierman, M.D.
University of New Mexico

Just as has been the case historically with homosexuality, society is currently addressing the matter of pedophilia with a balance that is far more heavily weighted on the side of criminal justice solutions than on the side of mental health solutions.

Fred Berlin, M.D.
National Institute for the Study, Prevention, and Treatment of Sexual Trauma