Maine Sex Trafficking & Exploitation Network In FY 17, the Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network (Maine STEN) spent much of our time coordinating and delivering training from York to Caribou. MECASA staff, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, developed and delivered mandatory human trafficking training for all full-time law enforcement officers. MECASA staff presented to 182 law enforcement officers as a part of the Chief’s Roadshow, and all other sworn officers will complete the training online. “I have been to other trainings about human trafficking and sex trafficking and all have been very informative, but this was very specific and focused on how to ask questions to recognize trafficking and how to help as an advocate. This was the next piece we needed as an organization.” — Training MECASA staff and local anti-trafficking multidisciplinary (MDT) teams delivered the Human Trafficking in Maine: Identification and Response training to over 350 service providers, law enforcement, and community members throughout Maine. Approximately 97% of participants said the training increased their understanding of dynamics and prevalence of human trafficking in Maine. This last year we convened the first statewide training on how to deliver services to survivors of human trafficking in the advocacy framework. Over 60 sexual assault and domestic violence service providers, including culturally specific and tribal service providers, gathered for a day in Bangor to hear from national speakers on how trafficking intersects with advocacy work. Topics included how to increase identification with trauma-informed practices, working with survivors of exploitation, and the intersection of labor trafficking and sexual violence. With the support and expertise of the Maine STEN Provider Council, we developed the first statewide outreach poster (see inset), designed to connect survivors of labor and sex trafficking and exploitation to support and services. Posters have been distributed throughout Maine by local antitrafficking MDTs and are available in English, Mandarin, Spanish, French, and Arabic. We also collaborated with Leighton Images to create a PSA, which has been broadcast statewide with airtime supported by DHHS as well as through airtime donated by Maine TV stations. 7
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