Anti-Human Trafficking Community Integrated Service Hub: nCourage
Dani Mills, MSCJ | September 22 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Programming, International | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
There are many best practices and models for offering support and services for victims and survivors of sex trafficking; Peel developed a collaborative integrated service hub, nCourage, to coordinate its large community. Peel is the second-largest (1.5 million), municipality in the Greater Toronto Area. It’s located in Canada’s largest economic area, close to the United States, Canada’s largest airport, and has 5 major highways. Peel continues to be a hot spot for sexual exploitation, and is facing various economic crises, which has increased risks and vulnerabilities in its community (Region of Peel; Ontario’s Housing and Homelessness Crisis). Between 2015-2019, leaders advocated for a response to Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in the community; as a result, nCourage was developed and opened in 2020. nCourage increases access to dedicated services and supports for victims/survivors and individuals at-risk of CSE. The objectives of nCourage are: 1) To increase access to dedicated holistic supports, such as health, legal, educational, and other services; 2) Increase engagement among service providers to leverage existing services by offering them onsite at nCourage; and 3) Increase collaboration, coordination, and evidence-based practice across the system responding to human sex trafficking. nCourage has now been open 3 years and has increased access to supports for victims and survivors of sex trafficking. nCourage has gained valuable insight through feedback from victims and survivors regarding the integrated model and looks to share its model and learnings to services interested.
Presentation Objectives:
· Discuss the service model development and program service delivery
· Discuss outcomes and feedback of the program from victims and survivors who have received services
· Explain how the evaluation of the program has supported best practices and next steps