Women’s Resources of Kawartha Lakes is pleased to announce the launch of a new program initiative for youth and victims of Human Sexual Trafficking made possible through funding from the Provincial Government, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
This four-year program will address the two pillars of the new Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy through:
- Prevention, intervention and competency building for youth: Male and female youth who have witnessed, experienced or are at risk of HT will be engaged through an active education and awareness campaign and resiliency/competency building groups. We will also provide education and prevention strategies to parents and care givers. Mike Perry, Lead, Laws and Constitution for the Metis Nation of Ontario, and former Executive Director for the CKL Health team has been hired as a consultant for the Youth Outreach component of the Program.
- Supporting Survivors: Based on consultation with those with lived experience, Women’s Resources will implement a four-month stabilization program with each survivor in which they will receive 1:1 peer/ally (survivor) support from initial intake into the shelter, short-term housing and skill development/employment training. This intensive 1:1 support is designed to help break the revolving door cycle of victims returning to their perpetrators.
According to Lori Watson, Executive Director, “Women’s Resources has provided shelter and support to victims of human sexual trafficking through our shelter program for as long as I can remember. The trauma of human trafficking is significant. Emotional and physical recovery can be a long journey with victims of human trafficking returning to their abusers time and time again, out of fear and dependency. This funding will allow us to develop a stabilization program to support survivors from initial intake until they are established in secure housing, increasing their sense of safety, well-being and skills, all of which will mitigate the risk of revictimization.”
Women’s Resources is an approved member of The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking and Chair of the KL Human Trafficking Survivors Support team.
For more information, please contact Lori Watson at lwatson@womensresources.ca
