Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking

Published purpose

This 37-month project with Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking will develop and implement promising intervention practices that will entail trauma-informed mental health and harm-reduction focused addictions counselling and implementation of peer support programs to advance knowledge and enhance long-term, bilingual empowerment supports for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Northeastern Ontario. Specifically, the project will center the lived experiences of survivors, including Indigenous women and girls, and specific challenges, including intergenerational trauma, racism, colonization and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This will be achieved by providing trauma-informed mental health and harm-reduction focused addictions counselling to address trauma, developing coping skills, and building individualized care plans; implementing peer support programs for survivors to share their experiences rebuilding their lives, regaining independence and restoring relationships with family and community; and conducting an external evaluation of the pilot project while documenting the impact of the services provided on survivors of human trafficking. At the end of the project, the organization will have: 1. Helped restore relationships between survivors and their families and communities to inspire healing through peer support programs for survivors and loved ones; 2. Improved wellbeing for survivors facing mental health and addictions challenges through peer support programs as well as ongoing trauma-informed, harm-reduction focused addictions and mental health/trauma counselling; 3. Supported survivors in regaining their independence and reintegrating into their communities; 4. Expanded empowerment supports in northern, rural and remote regions of Northeastern Ontario, including for underserved populations; 5. Documented the impact of the services provided on vulnerable populations through attendance records and case management software. The project will include an external evaluation that will look at the success and scalability of the promising practices.