Today’s post, “Connecting Survivors to Resources: Colorado’s Human Trafficking Hotline” by Katherine Miller, was originally published last December. During the Ascend Campaign, LCHT is working to expand survivor access to a 24/7 hotline with trained advocates!
The Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking (CoNEHT) is a 24/7 statewide hotline dedicated to providing resources and referrals to best serve the unique needs of trafficking survivors in our state. The hotline is operated and supervised by the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT), in partnership with Colorado Legal Services (CLS) and the Rocky Mountain Immigration Advocacy Network (RMIAN). We receive three types of calls on the hotline:
- Tips for law enforcement from community members
- Resource and referral requests for survivors
- Informational calls for training and volunteer requests
A Statewide Anti-Trafficking Resource
To best supports out callers, CoNEHT has worked diligently on putting together the most informed list of resources available across the state. This resource directory holds over 250 organizations that partner with CoNEHT to provide services sensitive to the unique needs of trafficking survivors. All agencies have human trafficking training, and are ready to respond to survivors in our state. These resources can range from shelter and case management to medical and mental health, and everything in between.
Volunteer Advocates
The backbone of the CoNEHT Hotline comes from our incredibly dedicated volunteer advocates and supervisory team. Ranging in age from 19 to 70, one of our strengths is having advocates from all walks of life: some are students, some are teachers; others are professional service providers, while some are looking to continue to create change as retirees. Our amazing group of advocates complete 50+ hours of victim advocacy training, including how to respond to callers in crisis. This requires them to be knowledgeable about human trafficking, trauma, emergency response networks, suicide protocols, and the services provided by the 250 organizations within the resource directory.
Our talented team of supervisors (also volunteers!) are committed to providing services that are trauma informed and survivor centered, with training that is evidence based and reflective of promising practices in victim advocacy. In a shared commitment to end human trafficking in our community, they help to ensure that someone is there to answer hotline calls, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Learn More About the Ascend Campaign!
From Colorado, For Colorado
There is something undeniably powerful about the service provided by a statewide hotline. Who knows Colorado better than those living and working in Colorado? Who knows the climate of anti-trafficking efforts in Colorado better than those who are invested in local communities across the state? The hotline resource directory is not just a list of names and numbers, it is people we have met face-to-face and worked with in the movement. We can verify that staff members of resource locations have been trained in human trafficking and are knowledgeable about the unique needs of trafficking survivors. We know when a shelter closes or opens, who to call in the event of an emergency, and when and where the next task force meeting is and who is leading it. Ultimately, we are able to keep up with changes in the field because we are deeply connected to the work going on statewide. The CoNEHT Hotline is critical to combatting human trafficking and informing public policy in our state. It matters. It really matters.
Which means that your contributions matter, too! During the Ascend Campaign, your donations will help support hotline advocate training, hotline marketing and administration, and much more. We want to keep this invaluable Colorado resource available to the entire state. Will you help us?
Are you interested in getting more involved with the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking? We are currently accepting applications for hotline advocates, and we have an upcoming training in June. Does your agency or organization want to know more about how to support anti-trafficking in your community? Request a training or speaker today.