New Team Member Orientation on Monday September 13th
We will be hosting an Open Doors Outreach Network Orientation on Monday September 13th, from 12:00 – 2:00 P.M. via Zoom. As a reminder, all new Open Doors Outreach Team members must attend an orientation conducted by the Voices for Florida Team as a part of their on-boarding process. If you have any team members who have not attended an orientation, or would like to have a refresher on the foundations of the model, please reach out to Lauren Herod to register or if you have any questions.
When: Monday September 13th, from 12:00-2:00 P.M.
Where: Zoom link to be emailed out to registrants
Who: All new Outreach Team members must attend an Open Doors orientation conducted by Voices for Florida as a part of their on-boarding process. Existing team members are welcome for a refresher.
Registration: Please email Lauren Herod to register for the orientation.
Register for Survivor-Mentor Cohort Training by Wednesday September 15th
Voices for Florida is pleased to announce that we will be hosting our annual Survivor-Mentor Cohort Training at the Voices for Florida headquarters located at 111 S. Magnolia Drive Suite 4, Tallahassee, FL 32301. This is a mandatory training for all Survivor-Mentors serving in the Open Doors Outreach Network. Training will take place on Thursday October 7th and Friday October 8th.
For Survivor-Mentors who will be visiting from outside of town, Voices for Florida is providing 2 nights of hotel accommodation at the Home2Suites Tallahassee, checking in on Wednesday October 6th and checking out on Friday October 8th.
Additionally, Voices for Florida is providing reimbursement for one rental car and fuel per region, as well as meals according to the State of Florida rate. All reimbursements must include a receipt. Food reimbursement rates are as follows – breakfast: $6.00, lunch: $11.00 and dinner: $19.00 for a maximum daily amount of $36.00.
Please RSVP no later than Wednesday September 15th.
Hotel reservations must be made by participants by clicking here and included in the expense reports for reimbursement. Alternatively, you can call to make a reservation and ask for the Voices for Florida group rate. The deadline to book your hotel reservation is Wednesday September 15th.
Car rental reservations must be made by participants and included in the expense reports for reimbursement. Only one rental car/fuel for in-person trainings per region will be eligible for reimbursement. The OAG has indicated that car rental reimbursement rates are limited to the State of Florida car rental contract as follows: Full Size – $29.50 per day (requires more than one traveler). Compact – $25.55 (for one traveler). The OAG will not reimburse above these rates. Please note that Voices for Florida will not reimburse for mileage for participants – only rental fees and fuel costs will be covered. Receipts are necessary for all reimbursements.
New Team Member Spotlight
Robin Silberman is the newest Open Doors Survivor-Mentor in the Big Bend Region. You can reach her at robin@wholechildleon.org. Please join us in welcoming her to the network!
Do you have any fun facts about you?
I love to travel and no place is off limits, I try to travel each year to a different country and I truly appreciate all the different cultures. I recently went whitewater rafting for the first time and decided to go with peak 5, which was both terrifying and exhilarating. I love mini bikes and slip and slides, an interesting duo.
I have 4 grandsons and somehow I became banana instead of nana and I love it.
I am quietly creative.
What is one achievement you’re proud of?
What I am most proud of is, I got a late start in life with college and I never gave up and made a commitment to help others and have continued this path. Below a story my son wrote:
Can I tell you a little story about this amazing woman right here? She’s my mom, so I’m a little biased, but I think you’ll appreciate it too…
After high school, my mom didn’t go to college. There were a lot of reasons for that, some her fault, most not. But it just wasn’t her path. And then all of the sudden there were two of us rascals (and we were rascals) running around, so her and my dad spent the next 15 or so years building a great life for us. She did all kinds of jobs and was good at most of them, but she always said she wanted to help people. And then in about 2000 she decided it was time. So she took her first community college classes, falling in love with psychology. I remember her going back to school because at first she was decidedly not good at it. She hadn’t written papers or done math in a long time. I remember helping her, and rolling my eyes at her, but I don’t remember telling her, at least back then, that I was proud of her. She finished community college. Then she kept going. And going! She never lost sight of wanting to help people, and she never stopped loving psychology.
It took about 15 years, but she got her master’s degree in counseling and therapy. And then, last week… do you know what happened?! She got her first job as a counselor! We are literally talking about a 17-year commitment from that first class until today. And I couldn’t be more proud. Congrats mom, and thanks for everything you’ve done for us. I love you!
What drew you to serving sex trafficked children and young adults?
What drew me to this field is being a survivor and understanding the importance of giving people a voice and allowing them the opportunity to be heard.
Hoyt’s Tool of the Week: Human Trafficking Tip App
The Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force has launched a new mobile app through tip411 that allows the public to help fight human trafficking. The app allows the public to communicate anonymously and in real-time with Task Force investigators. It’s available for free on both the iTunes and Google Play stores.
“This is one more tool to aid us in ridding our society of the evils of human trafficking. Involving our citizens in our mission, while safeguarding their identities, increases the probability that they will act when they see or hear something suspicious,” said Chief Anthony Holloway, St. Petersburg Police Department.
For those who don’t want to download the app, they can still send anonymous tips by texting keyword HTTF to tip411 (or 847411), adding a space, typing in their tip information, and hitting send.
Upcoming Webinars
Restore, Uplift, Ignite—Restoring Matriarchy, Uplifting Survivor’s Voices and Igniting Spaces of Healing (National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center)
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT
Kristin Welch with the Waking Women Healing Institute Inc., will share how they are building culturally founded, sheltered places of learning to increase wellness, prevent acts of colonial violence such as: sexual assault, human trafficking, resource extraction, MMIW, and how we heal. In this presentation participants will gain an understanding of Matriarchal and Land-Based services, Eco Systems of Care, and how to utilize the power of the collective to uplift survivor voices and build future Indigenous leaders.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
Wednesday, September 23, 6:00-8:00pm ET
Presented by Erik Young, M.Ed, LPC, LMHC. Free to participate. To register, email FLRSVP@Devereux.org
Back to School Basics: Childproofing Our Communities from Human Trafficking (Anti-Trafficking International)
Wednesday, September 23, 7:30-9:00pm ET
As our children go back into physical classrooms, social dynamics have shifted. Old friends have lost touch. New friendships were forged online. Social anxieties are intensified. Our children are likely meeting different people in person for the first time. These are great opportunities for our children to expand their friendships. They also create new opportunities for traffickers to exploit our children’s weaknesses. How do we keep our kids confident and safe as they go back into schools and real-world hangouts?
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
Wednesday, September 23, 6:00-8:00pm ET
Presented by Erik Young, M.Ed, LPC, LMHC. Free to participate. To register, email FLRSVP@Devereux.org
Faith Community & Human Trafficking Workshop (Gateway to Fr33dom Human Trafficking Taskforce)
Thursday, September 30, 10:00am-12:00pm ET
Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. P. “Doc” Nave with Bikers Against Trafficking
