Survivor Speak Usa

SALT follows a multi-faceted curriculum designed to enable survivors to begin healing, build fellowship, and develop into leaders. Today’s survivor-leaders who struggle to be a part of the existing system of response need education, coaching, and mentoring. In addition to fostering healing and fellowship, SALT mentors survivors in building capacities to: mentor, support and train fellow survivors; collaborate with key agencies; educate the public and policy makers; address existing gaps and barriers to services; create appropriate intervention and aftercare strategies; and, understand current Maine laws regarding trafficking and exploitation. The training curriculum unfolds in weekly sessions over the course of 10 months. SALT builds participants’ confidence and knowledge base so they can break through institutional barriers and affect policy & institutional change. Participants receive coaching, one-on-one and group learning experiences, and participate in shadowing at anti-trafficking meetings and public hearings. SALT members learn everything from how to set an agenda for a meeting, to practicing active listening and public speaking, to analyzing and forming responses to proposed bills in the legislature.

If you are a survivor who is interested in learning more about SALT, please CONTACT US.

Survivor Advocacy Council (SAC)

Survivor Speaks holds a commitment to connecting with and learning from women still “in the life” and those just recently beginning to recover. The Survivor Advisory Council (SAC) is comprised of women currently experiencing sexploitation or very recently in recovery. This is crucial to keeping SSUSA on the pulse of what is impacting current survivors the most. Those in recovery who have no contact with women presently being exploited only have their individual stories to inform their understanding. That information is meaningful, but still limited. Survivors must be included in creating policy and best practices with and on behalf of today’s still exploited girls and women. To address sex trafficking today you need survivor voices of today. Our Director brings stories, ideas, and reflections from this group to SALT members, who engage from their own frame in recovery and leadership development. This collaborative, survivor-driven and horizontal decision-making process determines the direction, focus, and approach for all of the organization’s work.