Alex from SWOP behind bars Community Support Hotline kindly agreed to an interview here on Sex Worker Search blog.
As per the SWOP Behind Bars website =
The Community Support Hotline (CSL) is a centralized toll-free hotline that can be accessed by anyone in North America for assistance with safety planning, networking and accessing resources. We receive more than 200 calls a week seeking assistance with a wide variety of issues from crisis support around and assault or an arrest, to sex positive resources for medical and mental health resources to housing and transportation requests. All of our services and support are provided by other sex workers and survivors. You are NOT alone! Need help right now? Call the hotline and speak to a peer that understands!
1-877-776-2004
Can you please share what inspired the launch of the Community Support Hotline, and how its' goals align with SWOP Behind Bars’ mission to Create Community from the Inside Out?
The Community Support Hotline was born out of necessity—because sex workers kept telling us what they needed, and we believed them. During the height of the pandemic, we were getting flooded with messages from incarcerated sex workers and folks in crisis: people being evicted, outed, stalked, arrested, ghosted by outreach orgs, or stuck in exploitative situations with no one safe to call. Most mainstream hotlines either ignored sex workers, treated them like criminals, or tried to “rescue” them without consent.
So we created something different: a peer-led, harm-reduction-based hotline that listens without judgment and responds with real-world options. The Hotline is an extension of SWOP Behind Bars’ mission to “Create Community from the Inside Out” by centering those who are most often left out—especially sex workers who are incarcerated, in reentry, or navigating state systems.
What specific needs or crises faced by sex workers is the Hotline designed to address, and how do you tailor your responses differently than traditional hotlines?
We handle a wide range of issues: everything from someone needing help with a bad date or finding housing, to reporting violence from clients or law enforcement, to needing commissary funds, court support, or just someone to talk to who gets it. We’ve helped people get emergency contraception, leave abusive work situations, navigate anti-trafficking “rescue” raids, and even reconnect with lost family members.
What makes us different from traditional hotlines is that we don’t assume the caller’s goal is to exit sex work—we’re here to support people where they’re at. That means safety planning, resource referrals, and advocacy—without the saviorism. And we never call the cops.
How are your Hotline volunteers and staff trained to handle sensitive, high‑risk, or emergency situations, and what backgrounds or expertise do they bring?
Our Hotline team is made up of peer workers and allies with lived and professional experience in harm reduction, social work, crisis response, reentry support, and sex worker rights advocacy. Every volunteer goes through intensive training that covers trauma-informed care, consent culture, safety planning, anti-carceral frameworks, and how to support people navigating criminalization, domestic violence, or trafficking without defaulting to law enforcement.
We also roleplay difficult calls, have protocols for high-risk scenarios, and do a lot of debriefing and peer support behind the scenes. The work is emotional and nuanced—and we’re big believers in taking care of each other, too.
Can you share any success stories? Either specific if those involved consent to sharing, or in general terms what do Community Support Hotline's success stories look like?
Success doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s just a text that says, “I made it home safe.” Or someone finally getting a bus ticket and a prepaid phone after being stuck in a bad situation. Or helping a person in prison get their birth certificate so they can apply for a commutation. Or even just a survivor saying, “You’re the first person who didn’t make me feel broken.”
When consent allows, we share anonymized wins with our supporters to show that mutual aid and peer-led support works. Every story reminds us why we do this.
I was reading your Prank Calls, and Trafficking Conspiracies blog post and as a moderator on the sexworkers subreddit, I can empathise since I'm often the one who has to intervene when non sex workers post something on the subreddit that's more like an X Files screenplay than reality. Do you have any good techniques for encouraging callers to believe in the lived experience of actual sex workers rather than whatever assumptions, misconceptions, hype, click bait or fake news they've been misled by?
Oh, the X-Files of it all. We’ve heard it all—from the caller who was sure their neighbor was running a trafficking ring because of “too many Uber Eats deliveries,” to folks convinced that every OnlyFans creator must be a victim in disguise.
Our approach is to meet people where they are without validating their assumptions. We often say, “That’s a serious claim. Let’s talk about what trafficking actually looks like, and what sex workers say would help them stay safe.” Redirecting people toward lived experience, data, and survivor voices—without immediately shutting them down—goes a long way. And sometimes, a little humor helps too.
What can people reading this do to help? For example what volunteer opportunities do you have available? What are the pre-requisites for call handlers?
We’re always looking for volunteers—especially peer support folks with lived experience in sex work, incarceration, or harm reduction work. We also welcome allies who want to help with admin, fundraising, or social media moderation.
For Hotline volunteers, we ask for a strong grounding in nonjudgmental care, reliability, and the ability to manage emotionally complex situations. Training is provided, and we’re especially committed to mentoring folks from marginalized communities into leadership roles.
Anyone interested in volunteering can visit The Volunteer page on the SWOP Behind Bars Website and fill out an interest form.