The SWIM Project’s goal is to develop advisory boards in seven communities across BC in order to participate in knowledge exchange that focuses on survival sex workers who may be affected with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and/or are struggling with addition while pregnant and are involved with Child and Family Services.

We plan to do this by:

  • sharing promising practices through a website;
  • receiving training on five initiatives;
  • hiring coordinators with lived experience to act as the liaison between survival sex workers and the community;
  • ensuring mentors are in place for the co-ordinators; and
  • supporting the co-ordinators through mentorship.

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Mandate of the Advisory board
The mandate of the advisory board is to support the co-ordinators in each community by connecting them to community agencies, valuing lived experience and sharing information regarding upcoming initiatives that focus on survival sex workers, FASD and child and family services.  

Structure and Membership
The group will meet on a monthly basis through phone conversations and/or emails.  Minutes and action points from the meetings will be recorded, and made available in a timely matter to all advisory board members.

The membership will be comprised of individuals, community agencies, police, city officials, sex work community, government and health officials with broad experience and expertise in different aspects of the issues.

Roles of Advisory board include:

  • Provide support and guidance to the co-ordinators throughout the project ;
  • Connect co-ordinator to the larger community and guiding the integrity of the project;
  • Assist in identifying appropriate agencies to implement services when appropriate;
  • Receive training in SWAT model, FASD Collaborative Family Homes, Access to Justice, Mom’s mentoring mom’s program, and PATH;
  • Participate in continuing to develop continuum for this population;
  • Participate in a network with seven communities across BC;
  • Sharing promising practices with all communities in order to increase capacity and identify gaps that are consistent in each of the seven communities.