January is Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery involving people being bought, sold, and forced into slave labor and/or sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking (January is also National Stalking Awareness Month), though all different forms of victimization, overlap in many ways. Victims of human trafficking are often subject to the same kinds of abuse as are victims of domestic violence: restriction on freedom of movement, isolation, financial control, threats, intimidation, physical and sexual violence, and fostering of drug and alcohol dependencies due to their situations. In addition they: may not know the language, are not connected to any family or community of support, don't know their legal rights, may not trust law enforcement, and may fear deportation. Further, abusers can be traffickers, and can force their partners into highly exploitative situations. Continue reading for resources on human trafficking advocacy.

Emerging Issues: Confidentiality and HUD reporting requirements

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of domestic violence advocacy. It allows us to support and assist survivors in ways we couldn't otherwise do. Maintaining a survivor’s confidentiality can add another layer of difficulty when it comes to programming and grant reporting -- especially in regards to reporting on important grants from United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Based on guidance from federal regulations and national training and technical assistance providers we know that community based domestic violence programs cannot enter data directly into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) or share all of the data requested by the HMIS system outside of their agency.

The solution? Use a comparable database to compile reports that do not contain personally identifiable information. Here at Violence Free Colorado, we're working to find an easy-to-use, low-cost comparable database solution to allow you to meet your HUD reporting requirements and uphold confidentiality for survivors at the same time. We’ll keep you updated with our progress. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We’re here to support you! 

Another great tool we have to help you navigate challenging confidentiality requirements is our Confidentiality Toolkit project. It has sample forms and policies on a wide range of confidentiality topics, including what to do with a subpoena and how to protect confidentiality when creating community partnerships. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the toolkit and/or provide additional training about the topics. 

For all Training and Technical Assistance requests contact Liz Stuewe at  lstuewe@violencefreeco.org or phone 303-962-0938. 

Lindsay Christopher
Housing Program Manager

Hello Members and Colleagues, 

I am excited to begin my role as the new Housing Program Manager. I have been doing domestic violence work since 2011 with an emphasis in housing stability. I have done a little bit of everything over the years, including housing case management, grant coordinating, and collaborating with community partners to increase housing availability and access for survivors of domestic violence. I am originally from the east coast but moved to Colorado to pursue my degree and never looked back. In my free time I enjoy camping with my family and spending time with my daughter.

I look forward to working with you to stabilize housing for survivors.  Feel free to reach me by phone at 303-962-3321 or by email at lchristopher@violencefreeco.org.

Tamika Matthews
Community Impact Manager

I'm excited to join the Violence Free Colorado staff as the new Community Impact Manager and contribute to the amazing work being done here every day. I'll lead our strategic communications efforts and foster relationships through membership development.

I've been in communications for more than 10 years with a dedication to highlighting social issues, whether it's disability awareness, wounded warriors or - naturally - domestic violence. For me, there's nothing more important than sharing information, resources and stories with a purpose, and I couldn't be more excited to do it in this position.

I'm a Virginia native (please excuse the occasional y'all), though I spent my high school years here and felt a return to Colorado was always somewhere in my plans. I love a lazy weekend watching sports with my husband, experimenting in the kitchen, traveling and of course, writing. Say hello to me at tmatthews@violencefreeco.org or 720-728-8369.