Upskilling Social Welfare Personnel to Support Young Survivors of Trafficking & Exploitation in Vietnam
Luke Talikowski, LLB, BSW, MIH; Tran Thi Thu Ha, BA, MPH & Karolina Edna Talikowski, BA, PGDip, MCPMs | September 22 | 10:15-11:15 AM
Topic: Programming, Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Advanced
Child exploitation and trafficking in Vietnam, particularly children living in the streets and children with disabilities, presents in the form of forced street hawking/begging, labor trafficking, and sex trafficking (US State Department, 2016). Children and youth who have experienced these types of traumatic events are at increased risk of long-term mental health conditions: brain changes, emotional disorders, impaired cognitive functioning, general physical development, and social dysfunction. Yet, psychological and social work services for trafficked children are extremely limited in Vietnam. Approximately 235,000 social welfare personnel, of which 35,000 are professional social workers and 200,000 are welfare staff with no professional background or training, are responsible for addressing this issue (MOLISA, 2020). To address the dearth in trained professionals, Health Right International (HRI) and its local partner, Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), successfully implemented a project dedicated to building the local capacity of key stakeholders to support vulnerable children and families to deal with the psychosocial consequences of trafficking. Further, the project involved direct psychological interventions, both individual and group therapies, to enhance child mental health and well-being. Due to COVID-19 precautions, 2021 project adaptations will utilize an online platform for upskilling social welfare personnel, considering IT limitations in some areas of the country and staff movement restrictions. This presentation is intended to provide attendees with information on the lessons learned related to upskilling child protection providers. This includes training results, participants’ feedback and shared experiences, and further training/intervention needs.
Presentations Objectives:
· Describe the risk factors that make children more susceptible to sex/labor traffickers
· Discuss content development for training welfare staff engaged in supporting child protection and the survivors of human trafficking
· Explain training evaluation and assessment methods for upskilling providers to support young survivors of trafficking and exploitation