Session: The Intersection of Sex Trafficking and Substance Use: Treatment and Interventions to Address Survivor Needs (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

This symposium showcases the work of a team of scholars working to address the critical gap in research focused on the needs of trafficking survivors with substance use disorder (SUD), and the lack of adequate services to this population. SUD is highly prevalent among trafficking survivors, whether as a risk factor that increases vulnerability to trafficking, a consequence of substances being introduced during trafficking, or a coping mechanism for the trauma endured. The four papers in this panel explore the complex intersection of trafficking and SUD, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and service delivery approaches that offer comprehensive support and resources to this population. Placing survivors and service providers as the key focus of inquiry, these four papers advance our understanding of humanistic service delivery with harm reduction and non-carceral approaches at the forefront.

The first paper grounds the symposium with a scoping review of SUD services that have been empirically tested with trafficking survivors. Noting that no studies involving adult survivors were identified, this scoping review provides evidence that there is a deficit of disseminated interventions available to address SUD in trafficking survivors.

The next two papers seek to understand available service provision from the perspective of providers. The second paper examines the understanding of harm reduction among service providers, and how harm reduction service delivery strategies are being applied to this population. Considering the limited accessibility and relevance of traditional abstinence-based models for this population, it is important to understand how harm reduction is applied in practice settings. The third paper highlights service providers’ perceptions of peer support and peer leadership for trafficking survivors. While peer mentorship has shown substantial promise in helping survivors navigate recovery, as those with lived experience can provide empathetic and, trauma-informed support, questions still remain around training, supervision, and re-traumatization of potential peer leaders. By appropriately assessing survivor’s readiness, the peer mentorship model will likely foster trust among survivors and providers.

Finally, the fourth paper uses the lived experience of survivors to explore the use of a system lens on survivor access to services. The research uses the intersectional risk framework to understand how various systemic factors—such as racial and gender discrimination, criminalization of sex work, and lack of access to housing—create significant barriers for survivors seeking substance use treatment. By integrating multiple perspectives, including the perspective of those with lived experience, the symposium aims to offer actionable insights on improving the accessibility and quality of services for this population.