Trafficking and Exploitation Service System (TESS) Partnership

The Trafficking and Exploitation Services System (TESS) is a multi-sector inter-agency provincial partnership of over 70 agencies and organizations working with children and youth engaged in the sex trade across Nova Scotia. TESS is the extension of groundwork laid through Canadian Women’s foundation funding from 2016 to 2021 and is currently funded by the Department of Community Services through until 2025.         

TESS Purpose and Mandate

The primary purpose of TESS is to create a coordinated, community-based system of response to youth who are being sexually exploited. They do so through initiatives such as:  

  • Provide opportunities for members to collaborate, network and build capacity in their communities to address and respond to the issue 
  • Developing service standards and delivering training of best practice for first responders and service providers that are streamlined for effective and supportive intervention 
  • Developing community-based intervention models which includes both protocols for immediate emergency intervention as well as sustained long-term exit supports 
  • Developing community specific structural supports and system changes which engage government, community stakeholders, and survivors off sexual exploitation 
  • Developing prevention strategies which are critical, long-term, and address exploitation on both the supply and demand side 
  • Producing a comprehensive and collaborative Action Plan for the province of Nova Scotia to address and disrupt youth sexual exploitation and trafficking 
  • Convene community-based action groups to assess and address the issue across Nova Scotia 
  • Streamline responses and referral process to mental health, addictions, childcare, educational, and employability supports through coordination and collaboration 
  • Develop and deliver training, guidelines, and emergency response protocols for stakeholders 
  • Create a provincial asset map and service directory outlining a clear understanding of each partner’s strengths and limitations 
  • Work with rural communities to develop their own emergency response protocols for victims 

Values and Philosophies

All TESS Partners are aligned around the following Values and Philosophies that were informed by our survivor advisory team:  

  • Dignity, Safety, and Respect 
  • Imperative for Action 
  • Survivor-Informed 
  • Participant-Directed 
  • Non-Judgmental Approach 
  • Root Causes 
  • Meaningful Inclusion 
  • Appropriate Representation 
  • Systemic Change 

TESS Activities 

Partner Meetings – There are three tiers of partnership involvement for TESS: Core Group, Working Groups, and Regional Groups. Each of these groups have their own scheduled meetings, where information and resources are shared, feedback is taken discussed, and new or ongoing initiatives are developed. Information is also shared between groups, and partners are asked to co-chair on multiple groups to increase communication, collaboration, and transparency.  

Training – YWCA Halifax has developed a free training series for service providers, front line workers, and first responders which cover a wide range of topics related to CSEC. We offer two versions of this training: a smaller 2-hour training course and a full-length two-day training. Both training courses include introductory topics such as language, context, risk, identification, best practice in service provision and collaboration. The 2-day training also includes more advanced modules developed to include topics such as the Criminal Justice Path, Supporting Impacted Families, and Regional Strategies.  

Public Education and Awareness

TESS has its own logo and public social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, TESS was involved in the Hearing Them paper series and the Safer Spaces White Papers Series.  

For more information or to connect with TESS Partnership, email TESS@ywcahalifax.com