On the Path to a Survivor-Centered IPATH
Kara Clements, Nonprofit Management Intern
Center for Victim and Human Rights’ (CVHR) very own Emily Djabi has been appointed as committee chair to The Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Task Force’s (IPATH) Community Awareness, Prevention, and Education (CAPE) committee, formerly known as the Outreach Committee. Emily began her work at CVHR as a volunteer interpreter, as she wanted to be involved with CVHR’s cause in any way she could contribute, eventually accepting a job as Community Outreach Coordinator in 2016. She is a recent graduate of IUPUI’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, completing a Master of Public Affairs in Non-Profit Management in summer of 2017. She is eager for the opportunity to play a direct role in combating human trafficking as chair of CAPE Committee.
What exactly is IPATH? IPATH is Indiana’s statewide task force, comprised of law enforcement, advocacy groups, service providers, worker organizers, and community leaders with the goal of effectively addressing human trafficking throughout the state. There are some exciting changes to come! Aiming to become more professional and effective, IPATH is restructuring their committees to increase communication and collaboration throughout IPATH and partner agencies. One of those reformatted committees is CAPE.
CAPE’s mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking and provide education to residents of Indiana. Currently, CAPE is comprised of the Youth and Healthcare Working Groups (WG). The Healthcare WG includes healthcare, public health, and anti-trafficking professionals, and focuses on training those in medical-related fields to identify human trafficking victims. The Youth WG includes anti-trafficking professionals and the public who work to support member service providers working with youth. The Youth WG also educates youth with an interactive prevention curriculum and provides training for school personnel, encouraging the creation of school protocols relative to human trafficking.
As CAPE moves toward the future, the committee has many objectives for 2018. One of CAPE’s main ambitions is to efficiently raise awareness of IPATH’s work to the public. CAPE is also aiming to formalize their internal processes and structure, in hopes of professionalizing the committee and creating a more effective impact throughout Indiana. IPATH and CAPE are working diligently to make a positive impact in the community, so keep your eyes out for the changes to come.
