Flying Blind? Implementing a Trauma-Informed Care Approach in the Treatment of Trafficking Survivors

Abstract

Millions of people are exploited for labor or sex throughout the world. Governments and non-profit organizations have increasingly explored how to best help trafficking survivors overcome their adversity through services such as counseling, job assistance, financial assistance, family reunification, and housing. However, there are few evidence-based practices for how to best care for trafficking survivors due to transitory contact between survivors and care providers, a lack of organizational capacity for research, and the need to not withhold potentially beneficial treatment from any survivor. In 2018, the United States Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons suggested that one best practice is using trauma-informed care (TIC) due to survivors’ likelihood of having experienced complex trauma. This study examines 18 anti-trafficking organization employees’ perceptions and use of TIC in the treatment of trafficking survivors through interviews. A meta-analysis of research about the best practices of meeting the mental health needs of survivors shows in what ways providers using TIC to meet survivors’ mental health needs are not flying blind, but rather using evidence-based practices. A meta-analysis of research about the mental health needs of trafficking survivors is used to further develop providers’ understanding of survivors’ mental health needs and identify areas for further research.