Shelter Best Practices

It is no surprise that NGO’s are on the leading edge of reaching to victims of modern-day slavery, particularly by providing shelter to those freed from abuse. This work with trafficking victims is providing helpful “lessons learned” about how to build or improve shelters that temporarily house trafficking victims.

While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, shelters around the globe have found some “common denominators” for success that may prove helpful to others. These shelter considerations include:

1. In-Depth Research on Location & Logistics:
   
   

   • Consider your geographic area and determine if an urban, rural or suburban location would serve the people you are serving best. For instance, if transportation is a concern, the shelter may be better located in an urban setting where public transportation is readily accessible. Some shelter directors an urban space that offers green space nearby.
     
     
   • Practically speaking, many shelter directors recommend renting a building first to ensure the location and logistics fit their needs prior to making a building purchase.
     
     
   • Also consider how many beds the shelter will house. Smaller shelters may have from two to eight beds, while larger ones can have upwards of a dozen. However, this factor should be determined by staff and budget considerations.
     
     
   • If your shelter houses domestic violence and trafficked victims you should consider segregating the groups. Because of the different, recent experiences of these groups, on occasion, unconstructive tension may arise between them.
     
     
   • If working with children, the shelter facility should include secure areas for them to play outside or on an enclosed roof.
     
     
2. Shelter Security:
   
   

   • As often as possible, shelters try to maintain a low profile. This serves two purposes. It protects the shelter from serving as a mass “easy target” for traffickers who may be seeking revenge. It also protects the victim, who may be serving as a witness in an upcoming criminal trial.
     
     
   • Shelter locations frequently become known by traffickers. Depending on the locations, high fences or, if possible an electronic security system can protect victims and shelter staff. Some shelters may segregate their clients, those at particular risk (testifying) may be kept in a more secure area.
     
     
3. Need for On-Hand, Support Services:
   
   

   • Trafficking victims are psychologically traumatized, may have drug and alcohol addictions and often require medical attention. Most need extensive physical and mental rehabilitation and assistance. Some shelters have found that alternative counseling services -- including dance therapy and art therapy -- help victims considerably. Shelters should employ trained social workers, and if possible, have them on hand to provide 24-hour counseling services.
     
     
   • Many shelters employ a variety of staff including therapists, house mothers, physicians, and job placement specialists. Some shelters get extra help from volunteers who serve as coaches, recreational leaders, etc. while others employ former victims as peer counselors. One method favored by service providers is to locate within a medical and/or psychological facility. This allows trafficking victims to receive easily accessible, medical attention and care while at the shelter.
     
     
4. Cooperation With Law Enforcement:
   
   

   • Police efforts to identify and refer trafficking victims to shelters are crucial to successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating victims. Police are on the front lines of trafficking arrests or brothel raids. Shelters can train local police on ways to identify and refer victims of trafficking. If possible, interactions between police and victims should take place in the presence of an advocate. Sometimes, female police officers can be more effective in working with victims.
     
     
   • Police patrols in and around shelter areas can also serve as a crime deterrent. However, if police are corrupt, their presence can intimidate trafficking victims and make them less likely to turn to law enforcement for help.
     
     
5. Legal Assistance:
   
   

   • Many trafficking victims end up in a foreign country. They may require legal assistance for several reasons. First, they may be unjustly treated by the foreign legal system as a criminal instead of as a victim. They may need help filing visas and legal paperwork to keep them in country, pending prosecution of the trafficker(s). Second, victims may testify against their traffickers in court and will require legal representation and counsel prior to testimony. Depending on the country, victims may also sue the trafficker/brothel owner/employer for compensation or damages. Trafficking victims may also need legal assistance to be repatriated to their home countries.
     
     
6. Victim Reintegration Assistance:
   
   

   • How do you and victims define a successful reintegration? With child victims this often means re-establishing ties with family members and including parents in the children’s reintegration and rehabilitation process. For adult victims it may mean establishing independent living arrangements away from their hometowns where they may be labeled or experience discrimination.
     
     
   • One important consideration for NGO’s and service providers is follow-up with those who have been reintegrated. Former victims may continue to need moral support/counseling. Parents, who may have had a role in their child’s exploitation, should be monitored periodically, so the child isn’t re-trafficked. Greater follow-up means less likelihood that victim will be re-trafficked. Shelter programs need to fully consider what the desired outcome and goal is for the victim’s successful recoveries and craft a counseling and reintegration process based on that desired goal.
     
     
7. Job Training Programs:
   
   

   • If the reintegration process includes securing employment before clients leave the shelter, ideally a job placement specialist should be employed to assist clients. The job training/placement program should include all the proper training and techniques a potential employee will need in securing a job. NGO’s should try to link up with businesses or the government to help develop job opportunities.
     
     
8. Language Support:
   
   

   • In many countries the most vulnerable, potential victims are foreigners who can’t speak the language. Accordingly, for victims from a particular country there needs to b e someone on staff or a volunteer who speaks their language.
     
     
9. Unique Considerations:
   • While the above points highlight some common “best practices,” most shelters have many viewpoints on how long victims should be housed. Depending on the shelter’s goal – for instance, reintegration or employment considerations, length of stay can vary from several days to almost a year or longer. Location concerns also vary and are often determined by whether shelter care is purely therapeutic or community-based and reintegration-driven. For example, a purely therapeutic shelter would want a more park-like, rural setting while a long-term shelter may be better located in an urban setting for easy access to employment opportunities.