Peterborough ON – (June 3, 2022) – SAFTY, a Fleming research project focused on creating Sex Trafficking Awareness Visuals and Training Materials Targeting Oppressed Female-Identified Young Persons, is looking for members for its Survivor Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC will help oversee the project’s development and help ensure it comes from a place of lived experience.

Project leads Heather Doughty, photographer and creator of INSPIRE: The Women’s Portrait Project, and Heather Sago, coordinator of Fleming’s accredited Child and Youth Care Program, as well as CYC program graduates and students will work alongside Survivors of Sex Trafficking with the hope of humanizing sex trafficking and highlight the act of seeking support. The project aims to build awareness of the sex trafficking process and the availability of safety resources amongst at-risk female-identified youth, caregivers, and service providers. The project also highlights targeted populations including Indigenous, Black, Trans and youth in care or previously in care.

The acronym SAFTY was chosen intentionally with the letter “E” left out to denote that there is no one-size-fits-all safety measure, and that safety should be unique to each individual. SAFTY also implies that there are no promises or guarantees to safety, only that those helping will do everything to assist victims to survive, and ideally thrive. Funding for the project, approximately $300,000, was awarded from Public Safety Canada’s Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime.

The seven-member SAC will be led by SAFTY research project supporter, sex trafficking survivor and Victim Services of Durham Region Crisis Intervention Counsellor Karly Church. Karly states that safety is the number one focus of those she works with and a key part of exit preparation- safety is not just ensuring someone’s physical well-being but working to ensure their basic needs are met.

The SAC will consist of a diverse cross-representation of Sex Trafficked Survivors, who are representative of oppressed populations such as those from/in care systems (child-welfare and/or youth justice), BIPOC, and 2si+LGBTQ communities, and at least three members will be residents of the central east region. At least three members will have exited within the last five years. Each member of the SAC will receive a $50/hour honorarium as well as travel coverage if required ($0.40/km). Members will need to commit to approximately four, two-hour sessions, in fiscal years 2022-2023 plus an additional seven hours of material review time in 2023.  The SAC would provide guidance on each of the four phases of the research steps:

• Service-provider focus groups
• Survivor and/or Survivor-led service provider interviews
• Survivor and/or Survivor-led service provider portraits
• Pilot of educational materials to female-identified young persons most at risk for sex trafficking, their caregivers, and/or potential service providers.

For more information on the project or SAC membership application requirements and deadlines, please see https://safty.ca or contact Primary Investigator Heather Sago at (705) 749 – 5530 ext. 1872 or email info@safty.ca

Fleming Child and Youth Care

Fleming CYC program standards exceed Ministry of Ontario requirements. It provides an extensive and high level of training in preparation for field work with a 100% employment rate several years running. The program has unique stream of courses related to children’s mental health and trauma, including sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, and advocacy. The program also features the Indigenous Perspectives Designation option. For more information about the CYC Program at Fleming College, visit: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/child-and-youth-care and be sure to check out their social media pages.

About Fleming CollegeFleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

For more information, please contact:
Sarah Deeth

Communications Officer

sarah.deeth@flemingcollege.ca

705-749-5530 ext. 1161

Web: flemingcollege.ca

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