FCJ Refugee Centre participated in the City of Toronto’s SPIDER Program, with a presentation by the Centre’s Anti-Human Trafficking Manager, Jovana Blagovcanin, about Barriers to Services: victims of labour trafficking and exploitation. The presentation was part of the Open Dialogues with Community Partners implemented by this initiative.

SPIDER (Specialized Partnership for Inter-Divisional Enhanced Responsiveness to Vulnerabilities) is mandated to reduce the reoccurrence of complex situations involving health and safety risks, and ensure the safe integration and inclusion of vulnerable Torontonians in their neighbourhoods and communities.

Vulnerabilities are defined as a gap between the challenges a person faces and the resources they can access when facing those challenges. This definition emphasizes service and resource gaps ─ not characteristics of the person ─ as the core driver of vulnerability.

Once engaged, SPIDER staff will arrange an Enhanced Service Coordination (ESC) meeting to review concerns, risks and how SPIDER could support. The outcomes of the ESC may result in a direct referral to a SPIDER partner or other community agency.