Repairing & Protecting the Survivor: Ally Relationship within the Anti-Trafficking Field
Alia Dewees & Kathleen Arnold, MSW | September 21 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Direct Service, Experience | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Survivor voice is a vital part of the anti-trafficking movement and should be integrated into every aspect of the work. However, many organizations that regularly support survivors in a client capacity do not know how to work with survivors in an expert role. Simultaneously, survivors are not prepared to advocate for themselves with organizations they used to receive services from as they transition from receiving those services to becoming consultants and survivor leaders. Attendees will benefit from the survivor-ally relationship modeled throughout the presentation as Lived Experience Expert (LEE), Alia, and ally, Kathleen, present on the concept of the survivor-ally relationship needing to be a dual relationship, one that is not only professional, but also supportive. Organizations must continue to encourage and champion survivors as they take on being experts in the professional sphere. Doing this will ensure LEEs still want to be contributors in this field years from now. The presenters will share on repairing and protecting survivor-ally relationships and appropriately elevating survivor voice and self-advocacy. Attendees will receive a deeper understanding of creating trauma-informed survivor-ally professional spaces and be equipped with examples of contracts, compensation tables, and best practices. It is vital for survivors and allies to work effectively so that survivor voices continue to be heard and valued. This should not come at the expense of LEEs. Survivors who desire to use their voices and stories to help those who come after them deserve to be equipped and supported into the next phase of life after personal healing.
Presentation Objectives:
· Teach survivors how to protect and safeguard boundaries as they transition from receiving services to embracing being an LEE and Survivor Leader
· Educate service providers on supporting survivors as they transition into empowered LEEs through advocating for their mental health, boundaries, and voice
· Equip allies to invest in their organization through having access to ethical and equitable LEE engagement policies
· Train attendees to receive and understand the purpose and outline of example documents and the intention of the documents to support the LEE and Ally relationships in the anti-trafficking field