The Importance of Direct Services for Adult Survivors
We are often asked what this work looks like. It is difficult to convey what happens to your heart when you are speaking with a survivor and hearing their story. You see the inner child, and her need for healing and comfort. You start to see her walls come down, and trust begins to build. This work is about that relationship. Direct services provide a channel to build relationships. By providing food, clothing, and hygiene products, we are opening the door for her to return when those critical items run out. That is phase one as facilitated through our Drop-in Center.
Our GRACE jail program is phase two. We can spend more time with the women, when they are of clearer mind, and talk to them about trauma, addiction and healthy relationships. This allows them to open up to us and confide in us concerning their exploitation. This phase is so vital. When we show up as scheduled, and are not requiring anything from them in return, they begin to see us as people they can trust. In addition, we look for them on the court dockets and show up for them. When they see us there, it solidifies that we can be trusted.
Phase 3 will be our RISE program, where they can come to the Drop-In Center and work on their education online, fill out job applications, receive trauma informed counseling, participate in life skills classes, and socialize. This gives them a place to go, a place to focus, and a supportive team of people to encourage their successes.
Phase 4 will be our Residential Crisis Home, where they can have a family base. They can start to address their complex trauma. They can be surrounded by light and love. All in their own time. The time it takes to truly breathe. All these components make a full circle to put an end to the effects of trafficking. This is the “human” element of human trafficking, that often goes unaddressed and unnoticed. Arrests should be made. Traffickers should be punished. We all get that aspect. However, let’s not forget about the true cost of this crime. The survivors that we are so blessed to have in our lives, no matter the stage of their survival, are the strongest, most resilient women you could ever meet. If we are unable to provide them with direct services, we are unable to build relationships with them. Without relationships, they cannot heal and recover.
