Training and Mobilization
IN OUR BACKYARD (IOB) is one of the leading anti-human trafficking organizations in the movement. IOB’s Founder and Executive Director, Nita Belles, is available to train and speak locally and nationally on many aspects of human trafficking and how to stop it. Many of the trainings can be tailored to fit your specific need, audience and mission.
Please take a look at our list of trainings below and contact us for more detailed information.
Types of Training
Human Trafficking 101
This training will be geared to different audiences, depending on the background and make up of the audience.
To Super Bowl and Beyond
Since 2010, Nita has worked in anti-trafficking efforts for Super Bowls. She brings stories and expertise that can only be gained by experience such as hers. This training can be a general presentation about human trafficking at Super Bowl or tailored to law enforcement, non-profits, social services, or the community in general.
Law Enforcement/Parole & Probation
This training will equip law enforcement to understand some of the dynamics in a successful human trafficking case, or equip Parole & Probation to recognize trafficking indicators in their clients. Additionally, Nita instructs on involving select non-profits to assist in retaining victim witness for cases, as well as using non-profits for tasks that provide much needed staff hours for law enforcement. Office of the Attorney General in Mississippi says “Many of the law enforcement officers present (in this training) indicated that the information provided was some of the most useful they had ever received at a training session of this nature – that it was not only relevant to their jobs but practical as well.”
Emergency Room & Medical Staff
This training equips medical staff to recognize human trafficking and to know how to effectively help human trafficking victims who come for medical services. It includes triage techniques which allow the victim to open up to medical staff and get not only the medical help they need but also services to assist the victim in getting out of the “the life.”
Colleges & Universities
This training not only helps students to recognize human trafficking, but motivates them to do what they can to stop it by prevention and raised awareness. It also brings examples of what other campus’ have done to form groups, fundraise, and stop and prevent human trafficking on their campus and beyond.
Churches and Faith Based Organizations
Faith based groups are offered some of the best opportunities to help stop human trafficking in their areas. This training educates and motivates both individuals and groups about human trafficking, the “do’s and don’ts” and how it can affect them individually and as a group and ideas to help mobilize tangible work in this area. Nita has served as an Assistant Pastor and a Chaplain and has a deep understanding of the dynamics of faith based groups and how to form a successful and sustainable campaign against human trafficking.
Self Care and Secondary Trauma in Anti-Human Trafficking Work
Those involved in anti-human trafficking often work hard and long because their hearts are moved to make a difference against this atrocity. Workers in this movement are beginning to experience compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, compassion satisfaction and burn out. Nita’s encouragement to those in this movement is “I have it on good authority that you are just as precious and worth caring for as those you are trying to help.” This training provides practical ways to help staff and individuals maintain their own mental health while they passionately work in this movement.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
This training is specific to the area of CSEC where it relates to human trafficking. How to recognize, victim responses, how to find appropriate services, how to stop a child from becoming a victim of CSEC, social services, law enforcement and non-profits working together for a child, how to retain a victim witness while helping the child move toward emotional health and freedom.
Labor Trafficking
This training will focus on the different types of labor trafficking, the common denominators in labor trafficking cases, and how labor trafficking and sexual abuse or sex trafficking are often intertwined. Also Nita tackles the issue of how to overcome our communities fixation with sex trafficking in order to raise awareness and provide more services for labor trafficking victims.
The Link between Pornography and Sex and Labor Trafficking
Pornography has become increasingly violent, and much of what is shown involves force, fraud and coercion. Nita will discuss the increasing number of reports surfacing about pornography and sex trafficking, how the two are intrinsically intertwined.
If you are interested in a training session in your area or if you would like to book IOB Founder and Executive Director for your next training or speaking event, please click below: