Covenant House Vancouver has dedicated the past 3 years to learning about best practices for anti-human trafficking and exploring how those practices can be brought home to our youth. This process came from understanding that almost all youth- serving organizations will engage with those at risk, experiencing, and who have survived human trafficking. We have learnt that any youth-serving organization can pivot practice to offer evidence-based supports for anti-human trafficking with 5 key pillars of work. The purpose of the workshop is to educate and galvanize the youth sector including organizations that specifically work with those at risk, victims, and survivors of trafficking along with organizations working with the general youth population. This workshop is informed by an extensive research project that included a literature review, staff focus groups, consultation throughout North America, practice tours, and a thematic analysis. The 5 pillars of increasing organizational capacity to address human trafficking are explored: Staff Awareness, Anti-Human Trafficking Service Model, Resources, Networks, and Youth Awareness and Empowerment. The workshop is designed to engage participants in understanding how anti-human trafficking work can be part of all youth work and how all youth work is either a preventative tool and/or intervention for human trafficking. This workshop is designed to highlight the opportunity of therapeutic alliances developed within youth serving organizations to addressing human trafficking.
Kathleen Cashin completed her BSW at the University of Calgary and MSW at UBC with a focus on social and international development. Kathleen has been a social worker in Vancouver with a focus on homelessness since 2015 and has been with Covenant House Vancouver since 2019, currently serving as the Manger of the Foundations Program and Special Projects.