Role of the advocate

At the heart of the advocate’s role is direct engagement with people: victims, survivors, and in general, individuals who are on a spectrum of engagement in the sex industry or vulnerable to exploitation.

Trust is central, and we recommend a trauma-informed approach to help you cultivate trust, develop your relationship and guide you in this work. See our section on trauma here, and our model of care here for more information and support.

A survivor’s journey is not a linear trajectory. An individual may move quickly from one stage to the next, and/or become stuck at another, or return to an earlier stage. This is a common experience.

Therefore, service providers should be flexible in these changing circumstances.

Emotions, needs, plans, outcomes and contexts perpetually change, and being open better equips you to quickly recalibrate. The value of this skill is ten-fold for those you work with as these individuals have endured trauma often tied to experiences of instability.

As their advocate, you can offer the stability they need, even in changing circumstances, to help them feel anchored and able to handle the changes themselves.

Technology is a necessary consideration when thinking about the process of communication, particularly in terms of the convenience it offers. For example, when a survivor wants to connect with their worker, in-person counselling sessions may not always be feasible and some survivors may feel more comfortable texting over calling.

Being accessible through multiple modes of communication can aid in strengthening the relationship you have with the person you are working with, and further assist them along their journey.

It's important to note that facilitating communication needs to be balanced with self-care. Self-care and establishing boundaries are critical when working in a profession where susceptibility to compassion fatigue and burnout are high.

Please refer to our model of care for more information about self-care.

Safety planning is a critical way to help reduce harm for the individuals you are working with. This is a significant aspect of your work supporting survivors and we've dedicated a section to it. You can learn more about it here.

In addition to the safety of the person you are supporting, it's important to consider your own safety. Sexual exploitation and trafficking are criminal activities and you may be at risk for your involvement supporting survivors. If you feel this risk, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from harm.

Some practical steps to achieve this include:

• Having basic business cards with just your contact information rather than including your agency information, title or any other details that may suggest involvement in anti-trafficking work. This idea can be extended to your voicemail and email address (for email addresses, consider including only your first name).
• Avoiding public appearances (speaking with reporters, being on social media or any public websites that can tie your identity back to your work).
• Securing chauffeured rides to court or accompaniments while in the courthouse.
• Being mindful of where you are and your surroundings.
• Checking in with your supervisor after offsite appointments.

It's also important to recognize the impact this type of work has on your mental and emotional health. Vicarious trauma will naturally occur when you become invested in supporting individuals who have experienced trauma and it's important to address it.

For more information about vicarious trauma and how to cope, click here.

Case management may occupy the majority of your work. It revolves around understanding the needs of the individual and offering appropriate support. This work is survivor-led, where the individual is at the centre of their care. The survivor identifies in what direction they would like to head, what goals they would like to achieve, the steps they would like to take to achieve them and at what pace.

At Covenant House, we recognize survivors will move away from us when the time is right for them, and they may return as well. This understanding is a part of providing trauma-informed care, and for this reason, we do not “close” files. On occasion, we may officially transfer primary care support to another agency if deemed appropriate, based on the individual’s age and/or needs.

Assessing the engagement level (active, somewhat active or inactive) for each case on a monthly basis, both independently as well as with your team, is an important activity. It's an opportunity to identify the stage of change for the individual, review cases and reflect on how to provide the best support in helping survivors make a shift. This process also helps in gauging caseloads, how much work each team member can take on and how effective the agency's efforts are in not only supporting survivors but staff as well.

Knowing the stages of change can help guide your interactions and how to provide support. For more information about the stages of change and how to engage with individuals who have been sexually exploited or trafficked, refer to our resource here.

In addition to the internal aspects of the advocate's role where you work directly with survivors, there are external aspects as well.

This includes an array of activities like being attentive to policies and resources that affect survivors and facilitating the engagement of third parties. Managing relationships with other agencies, such as other service providers and the police, also factor in.

Your primary responsibility should be to the individual you are supporting. This responsibility should guide how you interact with external professionals and what you share unless you are legally mandated to follow through with certain actions.