ASPEN SURVIVOR CONSULTATIONS - FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The All Survivor Peer Empowerment Network (ASPEN) program ran from September 2021 – April 2022. YWCA Halifax convened monthly groups in partnership with POSSE (Windsor), Jane Paul Indigenous Resource Centre (Sydney), Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia (Truro), YWCA Halifax NSTAY Program (Truro) and Stepping Stone (Dartmouth). Up to 20 participants engaged with us every month (both recurring and unique) and were paid $50 per session to share their knowledge and expertise. Thank you to the Canadian Women’s Foundation for their support to this project!
The program goals were to better understand how service providers can support survivors to meet their needs and achieve their goals; understanding what needs survivors have that aren’t currently being met; and how service providers can take a trauma-informed, harm reduction approach to working survivors in meeting their needs. These consultations informed the development of the CASE program, as well as other programs currently in development. The following is a summary of what survivors view as gaps in the system, their service and support needs, and what they recommend services and systems should be doing to address these gaps and needs.
EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND HOUSING
People engaged in the sex trade need somewhere to sleep/rest during day because they mostly work at night
During the day, most shelters are closed, and people are asked to leave
It’s hard to keep a shelter bed when you’re working in the sex trade because most sex workers cannot be back by “curfew” as they work at night
There is little to no privacy or respect for people’s belongings- stuff is often stolen or gets thrown out in shelters and emergency housing without consent. It is devastating to lose items with sentimental value, and expensive to replace belongings on an ongoing basis
Rural shelter beds almost non-existent
In small communities, many of the landlords are individual people, who can be judgmental. Your name travels quickly, and even though landlords can be buyers of sex, they discriminate against them and often will not rent to someone in the community who is known to be in the sex trade, even if their involvement in sex work was not voluntary
The housing situation is so bad that each fall, people begin committing crimes and intentionally try to be caught so they can spend the winter in jail. When you get out of jail, you are put up in a hotel or at a transition house. Sometimes the easiest/fastest way to get housing is to enter the justice system via criminal activity
There is a serious lack of affordable housing options available across the province. There just aren’t units available, let alone units that are within the small budgets that people have access to (Housing allowance through income assistance is $535. Even with rent supplements and subsidies, this isn’t enough)
RECOMMENDATIONS - “We don’t just need housing, we need SAFE housing”
Housing with secure windows (difficult to break in to), solid doors (not easy to kick in), and some kind of stability
Landlords who are responsive with building maintenance and upkeep
Increase access to supportive housing: check in on people
Separate shelter options for people using substances and people in recovery. It is incredibly triggering for people who are in recovery to be sharing space with people in active use, let alone people from their past who they used to be engaged with
SAFETY
Need better access to safety planning resources and support
Halifax Regional Police task force used to be out patrolling and helped workers to feel safe (specific officers were named). This is no longer happening and contributes to a lack of safety for everyone engaged in the sex trade
Sex Workers who call police for help while working can be criminalized, not believed, or taken seriously by responding officers
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create an anonymous tip line to report bad dates and people who are exploitative
Develop a safe check-in process people can use while they are working
Offer free and accessible self-defense classes provided to sex workers
Create drop-in centers near known strolls with harm reduction supplies
Develop a third party reporting system to police
Establish crisis mental health support that does not involve police.
Create more peer outreach worker jobs to support people with resource navigation and service provision, as well as for emotional support and check-ins.
BASIC NEEDS – FOOD/HYGIENE/CLOTHES
Food bank resources are often distributed in large quantities with lots of space between pickups. Participants have nowhere to store this much food when precariously housed/unhoused
Food and hygiene items are hard to access outside of shelter system. It’s a shock when moving into second stage housing to lose access to supports previously in place in shelter
“I would rather steal than access food banks because food is always rotten and not edible”
Hygiene items are available, but you need to know where to find them. If you’re not well connected, they are difficult to access
It is very challenging to access size inclusive clothing options. It is “almost impossible” to access clothing in good condition when you are a size XL or larger
RECOMMENDATIONS
More free-standing pantries (community fridge model) pop-up around communities with hygiene supplies (deodorant, shampoo, soap, tampons/pads etc)
Smaller food bank orders that are available more frequently (e.g. weekly instead of monthly), with items that aren’t expired or moldy
More outreach is needed. If you are not “in the know” or connected, you have no idea where to go for support with clothing
TRANSPORTATION
Many rural communities have little or no public transportation
Other transportation services (taxis and Uber) are incredibly expensive, and many people have experienced harassment and abuse by drivers. Drivers are known to pass judgements based on where you are getting dropped off and picked up and have breached confidentiality by disclosing information to others in the community
Depending on the location, sometimes they just do not come to pick up participants, if the location holds a particular reputation which is outside the control of the individual requesting the ride
Accessing bus tickets often requires booking appointments in advance, and people do not always have the privilege of time
Rural areas lack access to support in getting a license: this includes access to the training books as well as time with a driving instructor
Lack of access to transportation makes it incredibly difficult to access things like court dates, methadone dispensing and other crucial appointments and resources
Relying on friends for rides creates vulnerability to exploitation. “When I get in my friend's car for a ride, the first thing they say is “Cash, hash or ass; how are you paying””
Many current transportation programs have limitations on what types of transportation are necessary and therefore eligible to be covered. Things that are in fact necessary to peoples’ wellbeing, but that often are not covered include social visits to prevent isolation, trips to meet basic needs like food, hygiene items, diapers, household supplies etc
RECOMMENDATIONS
Allocate funding to cover the costs of taxis and other forms of transit in areas without a bus system
Create transportation systems to support people in accessing appointments and resources like methadone dispensing, court dates, counselling appointments, visitations with kids, job interviews etc
Expand the definition of what is considered necessary transportation within current funding programs
SUBSTANCE USE/HARM REDUCTION/RECOVERY
There is a lack of support staff who can check-in on people to make sure they are safe (physically and emotionally).
This isolation can lead to relapse of high-risk behaviour and mental health challenges
Helps to feel belonging, feel seen, valued and important
RECOMMENDATIONS
Need more needle exchange locations with access to harm reduction supplies (needles, pipes, syringes, cookers, filters, ties, stems, condoms, matches, Fentanyl test strips, naloxone kits etc.) including safer use education
Would be great to see harm reductions kits dropped off to people (instead of having to go out and find them)
Alternatively, survivors would like to see more portable buses with supplies and support staff who are able to come to their communities
Additional treatment options for substance use are desperately needed
SELF AND BELONGING
People who are using substances are being judged constantly and turned away from places because of the way they are coping. This excludes them from accessing many social supports and opportunities to belong
[when you are using] “You feel like you don’t belong anywhere”
There is a lack of support available with encouraging and motivating people to do the things that are anxiety or stress-inducing and feel scary (i.e., completing and submitting job and school applications, making appointments).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Establish a mentorship program for people who are exiting the sex trade to support them with boundary setting, reintegration into “traditional workforce” and provide emotional support.
Create opportunities to be part of a team or community that is inclusive of individuals who use substances (drugs and alcohol)
Recreation opportunity ideas could include: cards, baseball, volleyball, board games, day trips out of the city, camping weekend, going to the movies, bowling
Create a training program for people with lived experience who want to become peer outreach workers that covers topics like: setting boundaries, navigating relationships from the past, how to approach encounters with past clients, managing triggers and developing coping tools, effective communication, administration and documentation etc.
Offer financial support to cover criminal reference checks, school fees, ID, access to birth certificates etc. for employment and education opportunities.