Centering Lived Experience in Social Work Practice: Implementing the Adult Human Trafficking Screening Tool through Survivor-Led, Trauma-Informed Training

Background and Purpose: Human trafficking remains a critically under-identified issue within social work and social service systems, despite practitioners often being among the first to engage with survivors through clinical, outreach, and systems-level interventions. Conventional screening and training models frequently lack trauma-informed sensitivity and cultural humility, which hinders effective identification and response. This study aimed to implement the Adult Human Trafficking Screening Tool (AHTST) using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, centering the voices and leadership of individuals with lived experience. Objectives included: (1) evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of survivor-led role play as a training method; (2) assessing changes in practitioner knowledge, confidence, and trauma-informed communication skills; and (3) exploring the experiences of survivors serving as co-trainers and co-researchers. The central research question was: How does survivor-led training influence social work practitioners’ readiness and ethical engagement in screening for human trafficking?

Methods: This participatory implementation study engaged social work professionals across health, behavioral health, and community-based service settings in a southern U.S. state. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling in collaboration with agency partners known to serve populations at risk for trafficking. The intervention consisted of a three-hour training session combining instructional content on the AHTST with survivor-led role play. Lived experience experts co-developed the curriculum and served as facilitators and standardized role players. Post-training qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with both practitioners and survivor-trainers. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns related to participant experiences, perceived training effectiveness, and collaboration dynamics.

Results: Key themes emerging from the qualitative data included increased practitioner empathy, reduced anxiety around “saying the wrong thing,” and a strengthened appreciation for learning directly from survivors. Participants described the survivor-led approach as impactful, authentic, and essential for real-world preparation. Survivor-trainers expressed feeling respected and empowered, highlighting the importance of active involvement in shaping professional learning. They also emphasized the need for emotional support, ethical boundaries, and thoughtful logistics in co-facilitating trainings.

Conclusions and Implications: This study demonstrates that survivor-led, CBPR-informed training is both feasible and effective as a workforce development strategy in social work. Integrating lived experience experts as co-researchers and co-facilitators enhanced trauma-informed communication, ethical engagement, and mutual capacity-building. The findings point to the importance of institutional support for survivor leadership, equitable compensation, and the continued development of survivor-centered approaches. This model offers a replicable framework for embedding culturally humble, trauma-responsive practices into social work education and service systems, advancing both health equity and social justice.