Community Based Rehabilitation – CBR

Understanding its importance for survivors of human trafficking

Why do we need CBR for survivors of human trafficking?

  • When  a person is trafficked, they lose the support of their family and the community access to their education and a dignified livelihood, face physical and mental trauma.
  • The process of CBR ensures that the survivor takes back their lost place in their community and reclaim their own agency.
  • Invest in community development with survivors as major voice of change.

WHAT IS Community Based Rehabilitation ?

  • The focus of attention is the survivor and her immediate community.
  • The survivors, (and if required, her family) decides what their priorities and needs are at that present time.
  • Survivor works together with local organizations,   government, institutions, in order to access the   relevant and appropriate services.
  • The major role of NGO and CBO is as referral organisations
  • The goal is to ensure fundamental right to life, dignity and justice and facilitate empowered, connected and responsible citizens in their communities.

Key differences between CBR and Institutional care :

  • Based on the principles of human rights and social equality
  • Concept of inclusion and empowerment
  • Survivor is the decision maker and taker
  • Reach out to large number of survivors
  • Identification and utilization of local community resources
  • Sustainable rehabilitation plan
  • Access to social justice along with legal redress
  • Since it involves local resources the cost incurred is very low as compared to institutional care
  • Based on the principles of prevention and preemption.
  • Concept of separation and exclusion
  • The primary decision maker is the professional
  • Reach out to a very limited number of survivors
  • Utilisation of limited professional resources
  • Limited period plan
  • Access to legal redress only
  • Cost incurred is very high and cannot be sustained in long term.

What is Shakti CBR model?

  • The Shakti CBR model has five pillars based on the CBR matrix.

These are :

Case management, Meaningful livelihood and financial inclusion, survivor leaders strengthening CBR models in other states.

SHAKTI Model
Outcome -1

Strengthening the Restorative Care based, trauma informed and rights based

Case Management

System in two districts of West Bengal

Outcome – 2

Promoting

Meaningful livelihoods & financial inclusion

Options and access to entitlements leading towards women empowerment

Outcome – 3

Strengthening the

MIS using App-based technology

For evidence based project reporting, advocacy, media engagement, research and policy engagement

Outcome – 4

Strengthening

Survivors leadership

and capacity of campaigning in order to mobilize systemic duty bearers

Outcome – 5

Exploring scope and

Strengthening CBR models in 3 states

And policy engagement actions at the national level

Few Achievements of Shakti CBR model

  • Nearly 140 Survivors are associated with the Shakti Project across 2 districts of West Bengal LO SHGs have been formed to facilitate financial inclusion of survivors
  • Over 100 Survivors are exploring opportunities for sustainable livelihood through financial inclusion
  • There are 2 Survivor leaders groups functional. They are adding valuable voice for an inclusive movement to ensure protection of victims of human trafficking. One of the key outcome has been the formation of a national level forum of survivors of human trafficking called ILFAT
  • State level advocacy done with health and department of women and child welfare. The advocacy with health department was focused on access to quality mental health care at block and district level. The advocacy with WCD was on the line of sustainable livelihood are financial inclusion of survivors of human trafficking
  • A research is ongoing at national level to document the best practice in community based rehabilitation.
  • A cloud based MIS ensures the effective mapping of individual case progress as well as the project demands are tracked and issues are disposed accordingly.

Role of Social Workers in CBR

Social Workers should :

  • Create as sustainable partnership with the survivors
  • Encourage the survivor for more social engagements – with families, with communities and with other stakeholders.
  • Knowledge and information sharing with the goal of empowerment
  • Play holistic role of a community organizers, meeting facilitators, educate peer trainers, community advocates and activists and play a supportive role to the survivor.

Role of Survivor Leaders in CBR?

  • Creating safe community – Since most traffickers are from within the community, a survivor leader can help them identify and prevent other incidents of trafficking.
  • Identifying victims of trafficking – Since many victims escape their captor miss out on valuable opportunities. A leader can approach them and facilitate the victims to access suitable services.
  • Create a safe environment for themselves and other survivors – Challenge the stigma and myth associated with human trafficking and take up regional conversation within the community, family and other stakeholders.
  • Become a change agent and an advocate for the rights of survivors of human trafficking –  A survivor leader can speak about the paramount importance of a survivor led approach of rehabilitation and stress the need of witness protection, access to various suitable scheme and above all include their voice in policy development on rehabilitation for survivors of human trafficking