Victim Services of Durham Region

Published purpose

This 30-month project will support Durham Region’s hospitals to address systemic barriers and improve policies and protocols to provide Human Traffic victims and survivors with appropriate, non-discriminatory and trauma informed healthcare, to address the root causes of gender-based violence. Victims Services of Durham Region will achieve this by establishing a human trafficking survivor advisory panel and gather data from survivors about their experiences in Durham hospitals. A toolkit outlining promising practices and recommendations to hospitals policies and protocols will be developed and training will be provided to hospital staff to improve trauma-informed practices. By the end of the project, the organization will have developed promising practices that increased networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, and advanced inclusive policies and practices. This project will engage with the Durham Human Trafficking Coalition and women and/or girls with lived experience to inform policy improvement. The organization will partner with the Lakeridge Health to develop and improve hospital protocols and facilitate training to hospital staff. The project will include ongoing evaluation, with the knowledge and tools created disseminated among community partners and the Human Trafficking Coalition.