NSI is not a rescue organization. Survivors are referred to us through many channels:

• Emergency shelters such as The Salvation Army and YWCA, among others

• The National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance (NTSA)

• Federal, state, and local law enforcement, including Homeland Security

• Survivors can also contact us directly by phone, email, text or website

We are able to accept local women if they are not considered at risk; we also welcome survivors from across the United States. Because survivors live in constant fear of their traffickers, we work with the NTSA and our other partners to place them at safe locations. This arrangement helps to ensure the safety and security of survivors, their families, and the staff and volunteers of NSI and other shelters.

While our programs typically range from 6 to 12 months, the length of stay depends on each survivor's individual needs and unique circumstances. Survivors are assessed during the application process and again upon admission; throughout their stay at The Harbor or Refuge Home, they work closely with case-management teams to track progress and make adjustments as necessary. Our goal is for each woman to leave The Harbor restored and equipped with the skills needed to live a healthy, independent life.

Once accepted into The Harbor | Refuge Home, survivors are required to fully participate in the restoration programs and activities. While our vision is for each woman to complete the programs and achieve her personal and career goals, they are free to withdraw from the programs at any time. In such cases, NSI attempts to help the survivor relocate to a safe environment; ultimately, however, the decision on where to go, and what to do, after leaving The Harbor | Refuge Home is the survivor's responsibility.

Examples of daily activities include group meals, individual and group therapy, chores, education and training, devotions, and recreation and free time. The programs provides structure, but are also tailored to address each woman’s specific needs.

• Drug and alcohol treatment

• Complex-trauma therapy

• Counseling and mental-health support

• Valid identification

• Education and job-skills

• Life-skills, such as financial and household management

• Driver's license

• Clean criminal-record

• Appropriate employment and adequate wages

• Safe, affordable housing

• Bank account

• Peer and community support

While our programs at The Harbor & Refuge Home address these needs, it can be daunting for sex-trafficking survivors to re-enter the community. That is why NSI's “Next Steps” project is so important: It will provide on-site, transitional living space for survivors who have completed the program and are ready for the next phase of their healing journey. Survivors need additional time, support, and mentoring as they take their first steps toward fully integrating back into the community.

Story telling policy

North Star Initiative is committed to providing the best resources and tools to educate our community on the realities of human trafficking. Yet, we acknowledge that the true experts are persons with lived experience. We honor the voices and stories of those who have experienced trafficking.

The stories below are meant to provide a glimpse into the real life of survivors, to humanize an experience often reduced to facts and statistics. Every experience is unique to each survivor, and while these are the actual stories of trafficking victims, they do not encompass all the forms trafficking may take. These depictions are not meant to invalidate other lived experiences.

To honor the women we serve and support their healing, North Star does not use photographs of actual survivors in our materials, avoids imagery that implies they are being represented, chooses dignifying language and avoids harmful language, and only publishes stories of women who have exited our program at least two years prior and only with their consent.