![]() This allows a precedent to be established, and results in a sincere and honest working relationship. ![]() I have learned appropriately timed honesty, no matter how painful the truth, is key to the healing process. It is important to help her feel heard and understood. I meet her in the morning at the time we agreed on. I need to assess for safety, suicidal tendencies and begin a case plan. My schedule has now changed a bit for the next day. Tonight I work to show her that there are people who will meet her needs without requiring her to meet a quota. She needs permission to buy anything, and she sits here with no options of a place to go. This is a victim who claims she chose “the life”-even though she has never been able to use any of the money for herself. Each encounter meant $75–$150, depending on the service. She had a daily $2,000 quota she needed to meet, and she worked until she met it. I am tired and I can only imagine how tired she must feel. It is approaching midnight before I am able to sit down with her. My clinical role tonight is to address basic needs, and start to build the rapport necessary to continue providing services to Lisa. She doesn’t understand he is going to be charged with human trafficking. Her only concern is to see her boyfriend. Tonight, her whole life has changed, and she’s not completely aware of it yet. She doesn’t have a place to go, she has no money, no one to call. Her boyfriend, the declared love of her life, is now in custody. She is scared and unsure the circumstances are different now. She isn’t the hard and uncooperative young girl she was six months ago. She remembers me, and I can feel a sense of relief from her when she sees me. He’s trafficked many girls up and down the state of California. Over the months, this investigation found Lisa’s pimp is a high-level trafficker. Although Lisa refused to cooperate with law enforcement before, since she fit the definition of a victim of sex trafficking, they have been working to find and arrest her trafficker. She was picked up by police while in the car with her pimp. As an ethical standard, we honor self-determination, despite how obvious the abuse and exploitation appears. At the time she did not see herself as a victim of human trafficking, and refused services. Money was exchanged, she was apprehended and brought in to start an investigation against her trafficker, who was also her boyfriend.ĭuring that first call-out, I was her victim advocate while she was detained for questioning. She made a date with one of our undercover investigators who showed up at a motel room as a sex purchaser. Six months ago, Lisa was picked up in a sting operation. I met Lisa six months earlier on a similar call. This particular case is different than many. This often looks like getting her food, something warm to wear and letting her talk about her boyfriend, the same man who was just arrested for human trafficking because he would pimp her out to make a profit. My role this time is to advocate for what makes the victim feel heard, safe and understood. They have a victim in need of an advocate after a traffic stop conducted earlier in the evening. when I receive a phone call from our task force law enforcement partners. Tomorrow’s work day starts tonight at 9:30 p.m. It’s not unusual for my days to begin much earlier than anticipated. Human trafficking is real and it is a big business. As I watch the fireworks start to light up the sky, reality settles in just miles from the happiest place on earth. I am driving toward Disneyland, just a mile or so from the police department where I will be meeting a victim of human trafficking. ![]() Responding to victims of human trafficking
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