Community Champion Spotlight: Storm Ehlers and Samantha Sahl
/To honor Human Trafficking Awareness Month, each week in January we will be highlighting 2 individuals who have gone above and beyond in the Greater New Orleans community to serve victims and survivors of human trafficking. This highlight is the “Community Champion Spotlight”. Each individual was nominated by Task Force members. Community champions represent a variety of different disciplines and perspectives from the anti-trafficking movement.
Our second highlight features innovators who are bringing new promising practices to the New Orleans juvenile justice system. This dynamic duo is helping to make the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court a leader in trauma-informed human trafficking response for system involved youth. These young professionals were nominated because of their commitment to evidence-based practices, and continuous engagement and collaboration with community members.
Thank you Storm and Sam for all you do for our community! We're so lucky to have you in the Greater New Orleans community.
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Storm Ehlers
Court Attorney, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court
""In this field, information is the fire clearing the fields for sustainable new growth, and it has been magical to watch it happen."
What is your role in the Greater New Orleans community?
As Court Attorney, I am a supporting administrative staff to the Judges of the Juvenile Court. I’ve researched, written, trained, and provided training on the topic of juvenile human trafficking and the ways in which the court can improve infrastructure and processes for dealing with these cases. I’ve drafted protocols and procedures, written grants to increase personnel and training and technical assistance (TTA) on the topic at the court, led TTA projects in this area, participated in task forces and represented the court in this area at local, regional, and national stakeholder meetings and conferences.
What has been your most successful experience working in the anti-trafficking movement?
There have been so many successes working with GNOHTTF and the anti-trafficking movement – seeing an entire workforce become educated on what trafficking is and how to begin to identify and address it, watching judges and community members become champions in New Orleans for child victims, collaborating with jurisdictions and professionals across the US and even in other countries, creating strong partnerships among agencies doing work with youth and adult victims, seeing agencies grow in their ability to provide services, watching new generations of young students find interest and sustain a drive for change in this area, and most importantly seeing youth begin to have access to help and systems of change, even among all the setbacks and challenges. In this field, information is the fire clearing the fields for sustainable new growth and it’s been magical to watch it happen.
What has been your favorite aspect of collaborating among task force partners?
My favorite aspect is when the systems we work in are actually working together and members in each system are communicating, supporting each other and the youth in question. Even temporary solutions to a youth’s stability can have a lasting effect on the outcomes for that youth and watching a group of professionals work together to support those outcomes is always heartwarming and encourages me to keep working.
Anything else you'd like to share?
The most important aspect of this work is continual self-care. No matter what aspect of the system you are working in on this topic, even the most far removed research desk job, even as a student intern, even as a short term volunteer, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself or else you can’t begin to show up for those around you. Continue to encourage your team mates and also seek the help, rest, and respite you need to keep up the good work! No one can do this work alone.
What are Task Force members saying about Storm?
"Storm is a lifelong learner who is constantly seeking to improve the way that she and the people around her understand trafficking. Her leadership in the MSC-TTA project brought together stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds (who don’t always see eye-to-eye) to discuss how to better serve trafficked youth, and she did a fantastic job navigating that process and creating connections.”
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Samantha Sahl, LMSW
RISE Coordinator, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court
"While it can be frustrating to work in a field where there is not yet an evidence-based best practice – it is also exciting and empowering to work with people who are so dedicated and passionate about finding innovative and sustainable solutions."
What is your role in the Greater New Orleans community?
I am the RISE Coordinator at Orleans Parish Juvenile Court (OPJC). RISE stands for Respect, Invest in, Support & Empower. RISE is an initiative at OPJC to improve the capacity and infrastructure of the juvenile justice system to identify and respond to child victims of human trafficking. We have designed and piloted a protocol to screen all youth for child sex and labor trafficking, and are working on efforts along with community partners to effectively keep trafficked youth out of juvenile detention and divert them into appropriate services.
What has been your most successful experience working in the anti-trafficking movement?
I really enjoyed working at the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center for 2 ½ years, and helping to create New Orleans’ first survivor services multidisciplinary team that brings providers and advocates together to coordinate service plans for youth who have been victimized by human trafficking. I have also enjoyed training NOPD officers and community members on recognizing and responding to human trafficking.
What has been your favorite aspect of collaborating among task force partners?
While it can be frustrating to work in a field where there is not yet an evidence-based best practice – it is also exciting and empowering to work with people who are so dedicated and passionate about finding innovative and sustainable solutions to this social problem. I love the collaboration and coordination that the task force facilitates.
Anything else you'd like to share?
My research and passion is centered on finding ways to incorporate youth voice and empowerment into the existing youth-serving systems and processes. Check out my article in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry entitled: “Using Shared Decision Making to Empower Sexually Exploited Youth.”
What are Task Force members saying about Sam?
"Sam is regarded as an expert in the Greater New Orleans community on issues related to child trafficking. Her knowledge, commitment, and passion to serve youth make her a person who leads by example. Additionally, her research centering youth involvement in service provision is changing the way that the community understands survivor-centered services.”
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