What is Hands that Heal?

Hands that Heal: International Curriculum to Train Caregivers of Trafficking Survivors provides a comprehensive approach to serving victims of trafficking and educating caregivers so that they may appropriately and effectively provide care and support.

The Original Publication

In 2007, the original edition of Hands That Heal: International Curriculum to Train Caregivers of Trafficking Survivors (HTH) offered a beginning look into the world of human trafficking and slavery in the 21st century and sexual exploitation in particular. It set forth a holistic approach that promoted dignity for the individual survivor. This combination was often lacking in the provision of aftercare services. Thus, HTH provided a needed resource to care for survivors of this insidious form of injustice.

Needed Update

Eighteen years later, the unimaginable horror of trafficking continues. While the underlying factors that promote and sustain trafficking around the world remain the same, the strategies of the sellers and buyers of people have become more sophisticated and complex. This horror still wreaks devastation on the lives of millions of voiceless victims around the world. Were our efforts then wasted? If the traffickers and buyers keep changing tactics, how can we keep up? What response can the followers of Jesus Christ take to care for these vulnerable people?

As in 2007, the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST) remains committed to equipping individuals, churches, and non-profit organizations in their efforts to combat and prevent trafficking in vulnerable populations and provide trauma-informed, evidence-based, and dignity-inspired aftercare for survivors.

What Has Changed?

 This updated edition of HTH remains focused on providing an academic curriculum and training for community caregivers, but with a twist. This edition will be in the form of an interactive online book filled with an up-to-date review of relevant research about what works in the care of survivors, case studies to apply learning, and interventions that can be used to promote healing. This format allows professors and trainers to customize learning opportunities for the needs of their specific courses or ministries and makes learning tools available to more workers through an online platform. Regardless of the level of training, the original purposes stand:

• To increase awareness of the issues of human trafficking.
• To inform on the diverse recovery needs of survivors of trafficking that go beyond physical rescue. These needs can be extensive and require a longer-term commitment by care providers.
• To help future spiritual leaders gain an increased knowledge and sensitivity to the needs of survivors, particularly those who have been sexually exploited. This taboo and often misunderstood area is particularly important for those who have been sexually exploited. This taboo and often misunderstood area of injustice requires a deeper understanding.
• To connect Christ’s teachings, life, and mission to the church’s responsibility to the enslaved and exploited.
• To train future caregivers to operate in a trauma-informed and dignity-inspired manner.

The updated edition of HTH will continue to draw from various models of aftercare but will also seek to highlight some commonalities that exist across contexts and cultures. The broadened approach allows for organizations and ministries to flexibly apply interventions that match their local cultural, economic, social, and religious context. Nevertheless, common elements required for successful recovery (e.g., awareness of how trauma impacts social and emotional functioning and the need for dignity-promoting actions) will be given more space. Yet, this new edition is not about the agenda of FAAST, its member organizations, or any associated denomination. It is about the work of the Father to rescue the marginalized, the oppressed, and the poor. It will serve to inspire and equip organizations, churches, and communities with the tools required to design and serve in aftercare that is transformational.

Forms of publications

The Revised and Updated Hands that Heal will be available in a variety of formats: e-book, PDF, Kindle, and print. We highly recommend purchasing the e-book version, as the reader will benefit most from its interactive format. In addition, our hope and plan are to update the curriculum as new research, methods, and approaches become known. The e-book and the PDF version of the curriculum will be available to purchase from the Hands that Heal Store on our website beginning April 6th. The Kindle and print versions will be available on Amazon starting April 6th as well.