Two weeks ago, I started my summer experience with the International Rescue Committee as an Anti-Trafficking caseworker intern. I was very excited because although not an easy topic by any means, I believe it’s an important issue where I will be able to educate myself and find ways to make a difference. My first week started a little slow as I had to complete the onboarding process before I could actually start my role as an intern. I completed all sorts of trainings to prepare me for the position: I learned the basics about human trafficking and how to recognize signs, learned about ethical workplaces, sexual harassment in the workplace, what to expect from working with a non-profit organization, safety & security, fraud & corruption prevention, and also how to use different softwares operated by the IRC.
The transition to my internship has been a little different than my usual routine because the position is mainly remote. I am used to moving around and going to a lot of places, so I’ve had to adjust to staying in and working on my laptop a lot. Now that I’ve formally started my position, I’ve gotten more familiar with the rhythm of the work and forged a good relationship with my supervisor (who I meet 1:1 once a week). This past two weeks I’ve focused on our services spreadsheet: to find resources for the North Florida counties the IRC serves. I’ve mainly entered data and done research of services (food pantries, clothing drives, mental health, pregnancy, legal, etc) that we use to connect human trafficking survivors with local community resources–encouraging self-sufficiency.
I’ve learned a lot so far and look forward to the next blog!
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