At Terebinth Refuge, we know that survivor recovery comes easier in an environment of community support. Our outreach and education efforts work within the community to educate and inform. In this blog, we highlight our partnership with the college of St. Ben’s and St Johns University, nursing students. Our founder and our shelter nurse both visit nursing students and staff biannually to provide valuable trauma-informed training.

What This Training Is

In this bi-annual training, future nurses are given the information they need to recognize trafficking and act accordingly. Nurses, as healthcare professionals, play a key role in providing compassionate care and support to survivors of human trafficking. These trainings are led by CeCe Terlouw-Kvistad and Nurse Emily Lange.

CeCe Terlouw-Kvistad

Cynthia “CeCe” Terlouw-Kvistad was working at the Heartland Girls Ranch in 2007 when she was given a mission from God to begin working towards the creation of Terebinth Refuge. Through continual work with the ranch, such as the Hearts for Freedom program, her heart was drawn to serving survivors of sexual trafficking and exploitation. There was a need for a space for adult women to find peace and recovery. In the spring of 2016, she began working specifically to found Terebinth. By August of that same year, Terebinth Refuge was recognized as a nonprofit.

Nurse Emily Lange

Nurse Emily graduated 27 years ago from the Bethel Nursing program. She has worked in various healthcare settings, from cardiac care to a nursing instructor to a high school nurse. For the past 10 years, Emily has been serving sexually trafficked or exploited women at Terebinth Refuge. Emily is trained to provide care as a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner).

Why This Training Matters

Trauma-informed care is a necessary skill in nursing. You never know what a patient has gone through. Knowing how to properly care for and build trust with patients traumatized by human trafficking adds a valuable tool to the nursing toolbox. Terebinth Refuge provides this training because:

• Nurses often encounter individuals who have experienced trafficking but may not disclose it.
• Understanding trauma-informed care helps build trust and provide appropriate support.
• Healthcare settings are critical intervention points. From TheLifeStory.org, 88% of survivors report having contact with healthcare workers, whereas only 6% of healthcare workers report treating a victim of trafficking.

Trauma-informed nurses with an ability to understand the indicators of trafficking could make a monumental difference in the lives of those who undergo trafficking.

What Nurses Learn

The exact specifics of what being educated on the signs and trauma behind trafficking change every year. However, here are some of the topics we try to cover and discuss.

Recognizing Signs

Trafficking survivors often display signs, behavioral and physical, that indicate trafficking. Here are a few signs to look for:

• Signs of long-term trauma: broken bones, bruises, or scarring
• Poor hygiene and malnutrition
• STDs and/or evidence of multiple abortions
• Substance use.
• Suspicious tattoos and/or
• Lack of control over personal ID or finances
• Not being allowed to speak for themself
• Inconsistency in information provided (medical, social, family, etc.)
• Unwillingness to provide details about the injury or illness

This list is not a complete catalogue, nor should one point be taken on its own to indicate trafficking. However, keeping these things in mind can help identify who needs help.

Trauma-Informed Communication

Communicating with survivors takes care and practice. In human trafficking environments, traffickers teach mistrust of the outside world. For that reason, showing kindness and compassion is key. Creating a safe and supportive environment is incredibly important. Being non-judgmental, open, and accepting are all good starts. Show that there is hope beyond their current situation.

In our training, we talk with the  RN students about what questions to ask and which to avoid.

Responding Effectively

Unfortunately, while good-natured, without proper support and process, an attempt to help can have detrimental consequences for the survivor. When there is a genuine cause for suspicion that a patient is in a trafficking situation, be sure to follow the protocols and training in place at your facility. Outside of building protocol, Human Trafficking Search has provided a Healthcare and Human Trafficking Toolkit. This toolkit contains research, training, and further resources for healthcare professionals.

Support & Referral

Knowing what resources are available to survivors is another fantastic way to show support. During Terebinth’s training, we provide nurses with the most up-to-date information on survivor resources and care. In Minnesota, there are several organizations that help and house survivors. Here is the MnDOT list of their partnered organizations. Another good resource for healthcare providers is HEAL Trafficking.

 

Continued community education is incredibly vital to our mission at Terebinth. We are more than thankful for the opportunity to speak with these nurses at St. Ben’s and St Johns annually, and look forward to our next meeting. If you’re searching for a way to help survivors, please contact Terebinth Refuge. We’d love to have you help provide hope and healing.