Partners in healing

“Everybody chooses a job based on either what they like or what they're called to do—for me, case management to support survivors of trafficking is a calling.

Case managers are vital to support survivors of human trafficking. They provide individual care and coordinate resources by implementing trauma-informed practices. They're there to empower clients and help them rebuild their lives and achieve their goals.

Our job is to make survivors independent by challenging and empowering them instead of enabling them. That’s why individualized plans are so important. At Dahlia’s Hope, the care plans and goals are personalized and specific, and then we determine what resources will help the person achieve them. We can tailor our program to the the specific therapy that they need, connecting all of those different pieces for each individual.

Case managers always have to remember it’s not their job to fix things–we’re just there to help guide the survivors and be their partner in the recovery process. What I really like about Dahlia’s Hope is that they focus on independence, making sure that a client feels safe and supported throughout the process, and they make them feel empowered and strong enough to be independent. You're trying to help somebody go from being a victim to a survivor.

To me, change is beautiful. It is uplifting. When you see somebody come in that's had so many struggles, and they leave feeling confident with the ability to function and feel like they're part of a community, that’s satisfying. Even seeing somebody take one step forward is huge in my eyes, because for a lot of survivors, that one step can be life-changing for them.

Case managers do that side by side with survivors. You're not doing it for them. You're not making them better, you're not fixing them—you're on that journey together.”

Colleen Haskin-Merced

Program Consultant and Case Management Supervisor