Our culture emphasizes the individual over the collective. People that are struggling are blamed for their struggles despite the enormity of the social circumstances. Recognizing that you can’t do it alone is a herculean task. Usually, it takes a crisis to get there. When you do get to that point, it should be easy to access the help you need, but the reality is, there is nothing easy about it. The systems set up to help people often cause them further harm. TTT Rockstar Nikki Bell-Peña is no stranger to helping others, she will share her journey of being on the other side and how our systems need to change.
Nicole Bell is the founder of Living in Freedom Together, Inc. (LIFT), which was a survivor-led non-profit working to end prostitution and provide viable pathways out of the sex trade. Under Nikki’s leadership LIFT opened many programs addressing the ending of systems of prostitution and promoting recovery from trauma, substance use disorder, and mental health disorder. LIFT opened Jana’s Place, the first recovery home for women exiting prostitution with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders in the nation, as well as HARBOR (Healthcare, Advocacy, Room Board, Outreach and Rehousing), a zero barrier access shelter for survivors of prostitution and sex trafficking, and created the CATI (Creating Alternatives To Incarceration) Program, a pre-arraignment diversion program in partnership with the Worcester District Attorney’s Office. She has written trauma-informed curriculum and has created survivor mentoring programs for youth and adult survivors of systems of prostitution. Ms. Bell also leads policy and advocacy work to effect social change at the local, state, and national levels. Ms. Bell presents both nationally and internationally on the importance of ending all systems of prostitution through the promotion of the Equality Model, which incorporates social change with legislative action and increased funding for services to assist survivors of the sex trade in exiting prostitution.
Ms. Bell has received recognition for her work with this underserved and marginalized population, including Worcester Magazine’s Hometown Hero, Advocate of the Year 2016 WAASE, Worcester Woman of Consequence 2016, Worcester’s Most Inspirational Women for 2019, Love Takes Action Award from New York Life Foundation 2021, and Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance Public Policy and Advocacy Award 2022. She was named one of Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2019, and was awarded a 2020 Outstanding Law Enforcement Award from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for her commitment to violent crime prevention and intervention. Ms. Bell sat on the Executive Council for World Without Exploitation and was appointed to the Executive Office of Public Safety’s Justice-Involved Women’s Committee.