StreetReach

StreetReach is part of Tracia’s Trust, the Manitoba government’s strategy to prevent sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of children and youth.

The StreetReach program currently includes a Winnipeg team (formed July 2009) and northern team (re-established in Thompson in June 2020). The program combines the mandated child welfare legislation, working in collaboration with non-government partners and law enforcement to provide a comprehensive and coordinated rapid response to address the safety and wellbeing of our most vulnerable children and youth.

Manitoba’s StreetReach Program is based on the Dallas (TX) Police Department’s High Risk Victims Unit model. It has four goals:

1. Stop children and youth from running away from home or other residences (they are at their greatest risk for victimization and violence when missing).
2. Prevent future sexual abuse and exploitation.
3. Redirect youth whom are chronically absent from home or placement, to stop them from being victimized.
4. Intervene with those who exploit young, high risk victims.

The StreetReach Worker focuses on providing outreach services for high-risk children and youth who are in danger of becoming victims of sexual exploitation or who have already become victims of sexual exploitation.

The StreetReach Outreach Worker is responsible for a combination of direct contact street outreach and the investigation and tracking of at risk youth.

Working in a collaborative framework, StreetReach maintains good working relationships with partnering agencies such as the Winnipeg Police Service (Missing Persons Unit), Social Workers, family members and caregivers. Outreach Workers also identify and report offenders suspected of sexually exploiting children and youth in our community. StreetReach Workers provide education and consultation relative to their specialized services for sexually exploited youth to Child Welfare, stakeholders, collaterals, and care providers.

The StreetReach team is comprised of case managers through the Department of Families, Child and Youth Services Division, Child Protection Branch (CPB), outreach workers through Blue Thunderbird, The Link (formerly Macdonald Youth Services), Marymound Inc, Knowles Centre Inc, and Neecheewam Inc. There are mental health clinicians through Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre and an addictions specialist through Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.