The Impact of Service Gaps on Survivors of Sex Trafficking and Exploitation
Alycha Boehm, MSW, LCSW & Caitlin Agneta, MSW, LSW, CCTS-I | September 18 | 1:45-2:45 pm EDT
Topic: Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation in the United States face countless barriers on the path to healing. A general lack of awareness of the severity and reality of human trafficking amongst the public has only intensified the challenges survivors face. Research supports the presenters’ experiences in the field regarding how this lack of awareness has created gaps across the vital systems survivors need to exit trafficking, impacting their ability to achieve their goals for safety, success, and freedom. Exiting and healing from the trauma of trafficking requires a multi-disciplinary approach that can comprehensively address a variety of complex needs. Presenters will discuss strategies such as consistent collaboration and cross-training between agencies that can increase holistic care for survivors. The importance of having lived experience experts at the forefront of anti-trafficking care will also be emphasized during the presentation. No single agency can meet the needs of every sex trafficking survivor, and some agencies may receive more robust trauma-informed training than others. Agencies with additional resources must inform their community partners of best-practice strategies so survivors can feel adequately supported at any exit point. Including lived experience experts on staff and advisory boards and reducing perceived power dynamics can also help increase feelings of safety and decrease feelings of shame and guilt among survivors attempting to exit trafficking. This presentation concludes with a call to action for collaboration and inclusion of survivor voices in each community represented by the audience.
Presentation Objectives:
• Review critical needs of survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation
• Describe gaps in service delivery faced by survivors
• Explain how to address and navigate service gaps with the resources available in one’s own community
• Discuss how to use collaborative models like MDTs that include survivor voices