Get to Know Kizzy Williams

For more than two decades, Bloomberg Fellow Kizzy Williams has been working to build a safer community for survivors of human trafficking.  

When Williams started this work, human trafficking was largely unseen and misunderstood, with many communities lacking the awareness, resources, and systems needed to address it. There were no formal assessment tools, no established protocols, and little shared understanding of what survivors actually needed. “As my clients allowed me to be a part of their healing process,” she says, “I learned from them. Those I served showed me how to be a service provider for them, an ally, and an advocate.” 

Currently Senior Client Advocate at Advocating Opportunity in Ohio, Williams works alongside thrivers and survivors, community providers, nurses, policymakers, and fellow advocates to improve the lives of those and communities affected by trafficking.  

Her day-to-day work includes supporting community providers, helping to build and expand local programs, training partners, and responding to the ongoing needs of those affected by trafficking. As a supervisor, she also mentors frontline staff, contributes to strategic planning and grant writing, and helps keep operations moving. 

One project she is especially proud of is the Nurse Advocate Program at Advocating Opportunity, which she co-developed with her agency’s RN, Nurse Advocate. This unique, evidence-based program provides survivors with support and advocacy as they access health care and other systems during their healing journey. The program also provides education, training, and support to partners in the medical field, all with a public health lens. Now in the final phase of a three-year pilot, the program is being evaluated for replication, with hopes of securing additional funding to sustain and expand its impact.  

While this program and others like it provide immense hope, Williams is candid about the emotional toll of this work. Her advice to those considering the field is grounded in her mission of community building and hope. She encourages prospective advocates to maintain professional boundaries, practice self-care, and build a support system outside of work. For anyone who may encounter survivors in their everyday lives, her guidance is simple and powerful: listen, believe them, and advocate for what they say they need. 

Becoming a Bloomberg Fellow is a natural extension of her journey. By deepening her public health training, particularly within the Initiatives’ adolescent health focus area, Williams hopes to widen her network, strengthen prevention strategies, and improve response efforts in her community.