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.
Dr. Alycha Boehm is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Kutztown University. Prior to this role, she spent 11 years as Clinical Supervisor and co-founded a residential safe house for youth survivors. Her dissertation is titled, “The Intersection of Shame and Trauma in Survivors of Child Sex Trafficking”.
Caitlin Agneta is a Licensed Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist-Individual at Bloom for Women. Caitlin has clinical experience working with youth and adult survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation in individual and group settings. She is also a member of the Lehigh Valley Anti-Trafficking Collaborative.