A Survivor Parent’s Journey
Carolyn M. Kinkoph, MBA | September 23 | 10:15-11:15 am
Topic: Experience | Knowledge Level: Beginner
“Well-behaved women seldom make history” (Ulrich, 2008). This quote could be perceived as a cry for activism or permission to misbehave, but the scholarly context is quite different. It is best explained by pointing “out that the ‘histories of ordinary’ women have not been widely known because historians have not looked carefully at their lives” (Harvard Gazette, 2007). This quote can be used to describe the life of human trafficking victims whose lives may appear ordinary but on the contrary are quite extraordinary. Victimization is often hidden in plain sight, as will be demonstrated through this narrative regarding one mother’s struggles to understand and find resources. The timeline provides insight, information obtained from certified medical records, and detailed experiences from encounters with providers and various law enforcement agencies as a result of years of her daughter’s victimization. Unfortunately, this story does not have a fairy tale ending. To the world, Carolyn Kinkoph’s daughter, Courtney, appeared to be a high functioning 29-year-old woman who often denied victimization, hid mental health symptoms, and was not self-aware of her own psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. The failure of several systems resulted in her death. Human trafficking not only affects victims, it can impact their family and friends who also need support. Carolyn’s story is a testimony that silos must be broken for coordinated efforts within each system and across systems to build a multidisciplinary team who works together for seemingly ordinary people to receive trauma-informed comprehensive care in order to lead extraordinary lives.
Presentation Objectives:
· Describe the survivor mother's life experience
· Discuss the evolution of awareness and the impact on treatment decisions for her daughter
· Discuss what was learned as a result of this experience