Hope Rising: Benefits and Challenges Associated with the Implementation of a Trauma-Informed Sex Trafficking Safe House in Rural New England
Jennifer Middleton & Carey Nason | September 23 | 2:45 - 3:45 PM | Room 2591
This interactive presentation uses longitudinal data collected from service recipients and staff to contextualize the benefits and challenges associated with the implementation of a new sex trafficking safe house in rural New England. Instruments used to evaluate resident outcomes include the: Post-Traumatic Stress Checklist-5 (Weathers, Litz, Keane, Palmieri, Marx, & Schnurr, 2013), Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression index (Radloff, 1977), and Protective Factors Survey (social-emotional support and concrete support subscales). Resident outcomes related to the program goal of providing trauma-informed treatment and support services to residents will be discussed. Staff experiences, which are equally important to consider when developing a comprehensive understanding of program impacts, were measured using the: Professional Quality of Life (Stamm, 2012), Secondary Traumatic Stress Survey (Bride, Robinson, Yegidis, & Figley, 2004), Trauma-Informed Practice Survey (Institute for Health and Recovery, 2011), Global Transformational Leadership Scale (Carless, Wearing, & Mann, 2000), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (CDC, 2013). The Program Director and Lead Evaluator will discuss the role that prior trauma histories, leadership characteristics, and trauma-informed practices play in regards to staff, and how this data can assist in monitoring staff perceptions of well-being, which can contribute to or mitigate staff turnover.
Participants will be able to:
· Describe the impact of an evidence-based, trauma-informed practice model on clients and staff;
· Articulate benefits and challenges associated with providing services to sex trafficking victims/survivors;
· Identify strategies for addressing challenges; and
Describe how data can be useful in informing the design of residential programs for sex trafficking victims/survivors.