Responding to Sexual Exploitation: Tracia's Trust

Continuum of Services

Child and Youth Care (CYC) Experiential Worker Training

Since 2007, through a partnership with Red River College and Ndinawe, a full time 12 month program is offering training and education in the field of child and youth care (CYC) to former sex trade workers. Designed to help with getting kids off the streets, participants obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to intervene, assess, and formulate strategies that will enhance the quality of life for the children, youth and families they encounter.

It is well known that moving an experiential person – former sex trade worker – into stable and meaningful employment is particularly challenging and requires a multitude of supports. The Child and Youth Care Worker Training Program for Experiential Persons provides individuals who have past experience in the sex trade with community based, accredited training in a safe and supportive environment.

Chu Manitou Oyati Tipi

Nadinawe's second stage housing, Chu Manitou Oyati Tipi (Big Wolf Nation Lives Here) is an innovative, transitional living program which opened in 2009. It provides stable, supportive housing for youth who are at significantly higher risk than their peers due to multiple, chronic risk factors, including chronic involvement with child and family services, being street-involved, and experiencing sexual exploitation. The target group is high-risk youth, ages 16 and 17, who fit the above criteria and would benefit from an independent living program. The facility has 12 self-contained bachelor suites and the programming includes empowerment, opportunity, and independence through both structured and unstructured programming, cultural and recreational services.

Clan Mothers Healing Village

Offers a 'Healing Village' that provides mid-term to long-term support to women who have been victims of multi-generational trauma, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking as they begin their healing journey.

Dream Catchers

Dream Catchers, operated by Klinic Community Health Centre, is a program providing safe and therapeutic services for women and transgender individuals transitioning from the sex trade.

Weekly support groups are held.

Dream Catchers provides a safe, supportive place to start the healing journey.

Hands of Our Mother Earth Rural Healing Lodge

Hands of Our Mother Earth Rural Healing Lodge is a six-bed rural safe home that includes specialized services for sexually exploited female and transgender children/youth between the ages of 13 and 17.

The Rural Healing Lodge vision was inspired and developed in honour of the memory of children lost, and the ones that continue to be exploited and at great risk. Indigenous values are central to the vision, design, planning and development of HOME.

Honouring the Spirit of our Little Sisters

Honouring the Spirit of our Little Sisters is a six bed safe transition home in Winnipeg for female and transgender youth who are currently being subjected to sexual exploitation. Comprehensive, holistic programming fosters a safe, welcoming and respectful environment. Services include cultural opportunities, education, employment, training, mentoring, life skills and volunteerism.

Ndinawe Safe Home

The Ndinawe Safe Home is a 16 bed facility that provides accessible 24 hour shelter and basic necessities for Winnipeg children and youth who are living on the streets and are at risk of abuse and exploitation. Unlike most group homes, youth can admit themselves without the help of child and family service workers. The staff offer culturally appropriate counselling and recreational services which help youth develop positive and safe lifestyles in a welcoming, supportive and safe home.

Restoring the Sacred

Restoring the Sacred is an after-school, peer mentorship program for Indigenous youth who are transitioning from rural and/or northern communities to attend school in Winnipeg. The program provides a culturally safe environment where youth, ages 14-21 can develop positive relationships, enhance their life skills, and participate in social and cultural activities focused on developing healthy, happy, resilient and motivated youth leaders and achievers.

Sage House

Sage House, a program of Mount Carmel Clinic, is a health, outreach and resource centre that provides a wide variety of services to street-involved women (including transgender women). Staff members at Sage House provide support, resources and advocacy regarding education, addictions treatment, EIA, housing, child and family services, justice and harm reduction. Programs and workshops, facilitated by staff and peers, are also available.

Sage House also has a street outreach team that connects with women currently working in the sex trade, providing harm reduction services, crisis intervention and support.

Sexual Exploitation Unit

The Sexual Exploitation Unit (SEU) is housed at the Strategic Initiatives and Program Suport Branch, Families. It coordinates a provincial, multi-jurisdictional response to the issue of child and adult sexual exploitation through Tracia's Trust, Manitoba's Sexual Exploitation Strategy. Unit staff:

Provide expert advice on program and policy issues, or on specific cases, relevant to sexual exploitation and sex trafficking to government and to other multi-sector stakeholders;
Provide and coordinate the delivery of training on sexual exploitation and sex trafficking; and
Provide oversight with respect to specialized programs and services funded or initiated by the province that fall under the Manitoba Strategy.

Sexually Exploited Youth (SEY) Training

The long-term goal of the Manitoba Strategy is to abolish child sexual exploitation, appropriate training for our service systems, as well as general public awareness, is critical to this goal's accomplishment. Increased knowledge and skill for those people working with child & youth affected by sexual exploitation will increase success in intervening with high-risk youth. long-term goal of the Manitoba Strategy is to abolish child sexual exploitation, appropriate training for our service systems, as well as general public awareness, is critical to this goal's accomplishment. Increased knowledge and skill for those people working with child & youth affected by sexual exploitation will increase success in intervening with high-risk youth.

The training helps build:

awareness and understanding of one's own strengths, biases, and values, and
skill sets in working with children & youth affected by sexual exploitation.

This training allows for the participant to view the issue of sexual exploitation of children and youth by hearing the voices of those involved as a way to clarify important issues, dispel myths and misconceptions, and challenge conventional views of young people who sell sex.

To find out about becoming involved in this training, contact:

Jane Runner, Program Manager
Transition, Education and Resources for Females (TERF)
Ta Ka Ke Pimatisichik Iskwewak - Letting in the Light for Women
New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families
500 - 717 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3G 0M8
Phone: 204 - 786-7051 ext. 260
Fax: 204 - 772-7069
E-mail: jane.runner@newdirections.mb.ca

Street Connections

Street Connections, an outreach program provided by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WHRA), works on "preventing harm and promoting health" with at-risk populations – people involved with drugs, the sex trade and street life. The services provided help people to lower their risk through harm reduction.

Strong Hearted Buffalo Women Crisis Stabilization Unit (Strong Hearts)

Strong Hearted Buffalo Women Crisis Stabilization Unit (Strong Hearts) operated by Project Neecheewam is a 4 bed, short term resource for girls in crisis ages 12-17 years old who have been assessed and placed on High Risk Victim (HRV)/Assessed Consideration (AC) list. Strong Hearts is part of the Youth Crisis Stabilization System (YCSS) and works closely with Street Reach and the Mobile Crisis Team's Clinical follow up facilitators. The length of stay is 1-10 days and is determined in collaboration with the legal guardian (Agency) and Street Reach, Strong Heart's program managers and other supports. The goals of the program are to provide short-term crisis intervention and a safe and nurturing environment free of the fear of judgment, abuse, neglect and exploitation for youth at extreme risk to harm. Strong Hearts builds safe and trusting relationships based on the Seven Sacred teachings in a culturally appropriate setting while working with collaterals to build the capacity of the young adults who access this resource. All of the supports (family, social workers, placement supports) are encouraged to focus on connections with the girls to nurture their own relationships and engage the youth in their safety plan to mitigate risk upon returning to the community.

Honouring Our Journey

Honouring Our Journey, operated by New Directions, focuses on children, youth, women and transgender individuals who have been exploited through the sex trade. Honouring Our Journey uses a combination of approaches to help participants achieve their goals. Programs are participant-directed and delivered through a holistic model, balancing spiritual, mental, physical and emotional needs.

Honouring Our Journey assists in stabilizing living situations, promoting healthy lifestyles and building confidence and self-esteem.

Transition, Education & Resources for Females (TERF): Youth/Adult Transition Home

TERF focuses on children, youth, women and transgender females who have been exploited through the sex trade. The TERF Youth/Adult Transition Home is an 6-bed, independent living, residential care facility for sexually exploited youth ages 17 – 20 who are wards of the child and family services system. The project's goal is to ensure that exploited female and transgender youth have access to safe, supportive transitional housing.