The EXploitation Intervention and Transition (EXIT) Program

The Cause

RESET Society of Calgary first began in 1989 when our Founder opened her home to women wanting to leave the sex trade. Today, RESET continues to provide a lifeline for women wanting to exit sexual exploitation and sex-trafficking. Our Vision is for sexually exploited women and girls to know there is a way out. Our Mission is to provide comprehensive individualized support and safe housing to women and girls aged 16 and over exiting sexual exploitation and sex trafficking so that they may transform their lives. The EXploitation Intervention and Transition (EXIT) Program at RESET provides programming and support to women exiting sexual exploitation and trafficking. The proven, trauma-informed three phased continuum of services holistically supports Participants from exit and stabilization, to healing, capacity building and life-skills development, through to transitioning into independence and empowerment. The EXIT Program provides a full-time 12+ months comprehensive, individualized, wraparound life-skills and trauma recovery programming. The curriculum is specifically designed for women exiting sexual exploitation and trafficking and is delivered in our EXIT Classroom. To better serve and meet the needs of Participants in the EXIT Program we would like to retrofit our classroom with new desks and tablets for Participants. Tablets would allow Participants to fully engage in content being delivered in class, build skills, and enable them to access counselling, legal, and academic support. Currently our classroom can accommodate 15-20 women. Purchasing new desks would allow us to accommodate more women in class and enable us to be more effective in our delivery of programming. This funding would increase the quality of support we are able to provide by giving us the necessary tools to deliver programming and meet Participants needs.

Who Will it Benefit?

Calgary City Council estimates that at least 3,000 individuals are working in the sex trade in Calgary each year (CBC News-2014). Women wanting to exit sexual exploitation and trafficking face significant and complex barriers such as mental health, addictions, homelessness, poverty, and lack of safety and appropriate support. Women aged 16 and over seeking to exit sexual exploitation and trafficking by participating in the EXIT Program will directly benefit from these upgrades. EXIT evaluation results show women addressing immediate physical and mental health needs are able to engage in long-term healing and recovery that enables successful avoidance of sex-trade involvement.