Greetings to the Iowa NAHT Blog subscribers
The following content was drawn from the National Human Trafficking Hotline monthly newsletter. For more information, please call the hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or visit the hotline at humantraffickinghotline.org.
Vicarious Trauma Toolkit
The Office for Victims of Crime, along with Northeastern University’s Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice and the National Center for Victims of Crime created this resource for first responders and victim service providers. This toolkit aims to equip victim service organizations with evidence-based tools to address the impact of vicarious trauma on staff and volunteers. Vicarious Trauma Toolkit
Faith-Based Partnership to Combat Human Trafficking
Communities of faith have a crucial role to play in the anti-trafficking field. As integral members of the community, faith communities are in a position to identify situations of trafficking, report tips to law enforcement, and connect victims with life-saving resources. Many communities across the U.S. have launched successful initiatives to educate the broader community about the dangers of human trafficking and equip community members to identify victims and respond to suspected trafficking situations appropriately.
Since 2007, the Hotline has received over 4,000 calls from representatives of faith-based organizations. When communities of faith welcome survivors with open arms and without judgment or mandates, they can create an environment that promotes healing and engagement.
After a woman came into his church identifying as a victim of human trafficking, Pastor Andrews contacted the National Human Trafficking Hotline for help. The woman, Carmen, told Pastor Andrews that she had just escaped her situation and needed a safe place to stay. Carmen was afraid for her safety and hesitant to share the details of her experience, but Pastor Andrews was able to help her feel at ease and they called the Hotline together. The Hotline Advocate who spoke with Pastor Andrews and Carmen explained how the Hotline could confidentially assist Carmen in connecting with services. Carmen was not ready to report her situation but wanted referrals for shelter. The Hotline Advocate provided shelter referrals and, with Pastor Andrews’s assistance and advocacy, Carmen was able to get connected to a long-term program for shelter and other services.
Many survivors have communicated how important their faith community was to them as a social and spiritual support system, both while they were being trafficked and throughout their recovery process. The National Human Trafficking Hotline has created a written document entitled Faith-Based Partnerships to Combat Human Trafficking as a resource for the faith community that details action steps that will help faith-based organizations maximize their impact in our work against human trafficking and efforts to help survivors as they restore their freedom.