Equator, Human Trafficking and the ACM

One of Equator's collaborating partners is the Amsterdams Coordinatiepunt Mensenhandel (coordination point for human trafficking, ACM). This organization offers social support to women leaving forced prostitution. Equator Foundation offers mental health support and care to clients of the ACM. This is delivered in two ways:

• Prevention
  Equator provides a prevention program at Roggeveen, the crisis and medium term accommodation for clients of the ACM. It consists of weekly group meetings for all women residing at Roggeveen. The meetings are jointly facilitated by a psychologist and a psychomotor therapist. The program delivers low threshold support and addresses complaints found amongst this target group. These problems include anxiety, trouble sleeping, recurrent nightmares, depression and PTSD symptoms. The group offers the women a forum in which they can discuss these issues. Besides, they receive psycho-education and practical advice and support and they learn to do exercises to better cope with psychological and physical problems.
   
  Besides, the prevention program aims to lower the threshold to psychiatric care for this group of clients. Program participants learn how psychological or physical complaints may relate to their past experiences, and they are informed about the possibility of receiving specialised care and treatment. The Equator therapists give advice to the ACM social workers on how to deal with emotional and behavioural problems in their clients. Whenever appropriate, the therapists can offer an individual consultation to clients or refer them to the Equator treatment program.
   
• Treatment
  Almost all of the ACM clients have been sexually exploited and violated. For many, these experiences are only the latest in a sequence of difficult and traumatic events. Sometimes more support is required than is offered by the prevention program. For these women, Equator offers individual and/or group treatment, ranging from supportive counseling to trauma-focused psychotherapy and/or medication.