Enhancing the Scope of Services for Human Trafficking Victims in Santa Barbara County

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance Program will expand or strengthen victim service programs for victims of human trafficking, including those that provide trauma-informed services in Santa Barbara County. Special efforts will be expanded to improve identification and service provision efforts for victims of labor trafficking. Primary project activities include having expert victim advocates and Rape Crisis advocates provide critical comprehensive victim services and a countywide 24/7 resource to identify and enlist appropriate services for sex and labor trafficking victims. In addition, activities will include training and public awareness efforts that have shown essential in improved victim identification efforts. Evaluation activities that provide a continuous monitoring approach examining effectiveness of project in achieving stated objectives and enable data-based decision-making will be employed. Expected outcomes include providing a comprehensive array of victim services throughout the county that effectively meet the individualized needs of victims of human trafficking related to safety, independence, self-sufficiency, and well-being; improving the effectiveness of the Santa Barbara County Human Trafficking Taskforce (SBCHTTF) collaborative efforts to ensure all trafficking victims are identified and referred for appropriate services; and increasing project effectiveness in achieving stated objectives through timely progress monitoring with Key Leaders and Staff and use of data-based decision-making. All victims of human trafficking are the intended beneficiaries of this project.