A provider’s intentional orientation towards and efforts to offering care that specifically fosters environments that seek, respect, respond to, and celebrate the intersectional aspects that make an individual unique; it is, by nature, anti-oppressive, multicultural, and holistic.
Published in Chapter:
Human Trafficking
Jessika C. Boles (Vanderbilt University, USA) and Cheryl Murray Miyamasu (Independent Researcher, USA)
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 26
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5097-0.ch013
Abstract
More than 800,000 children and women are victims of human trafficking each year; they are kidnapped or sold into sex work under the guise of occupational opportunities or the promise of a romantic relationship. The developmental and psychosocial impacts of being trafficked are overwhelmingly challenging for both women and children; thus, there is international need for trauma-informed psychosocial supports that can validate victims' experiences while enhancing coping skills and resilience. Therefore, this chapter will describe the work of a certified child life specialist within a nonprofit aftercare organization in India dedicated to the physical, psychological, and educational support of women who have experienced trafficking. As can be seen, the foundational knowledge, skills, and interventions of a certified child life specialist, when paired with cultural humility and deeply grounded in trauma-informed care, can foster safe and therapeutic relationships while teaching and modeling the lifelong coping skills that are instrumental for ongoing healing.