Healing Opportunities through Perseverance and Empowerment (HOPE)

Special Service for Groups, Inc. (SSG), through its division APAIT (SSG/APAIT), proposes the Healing Opportunities through Perseverance and Empowerment (HOPE) program to address the needs of underserved adult Asian and Pacific Islander (API) human trafficking (both sex and labor trafficking) victims in Los Angeles County (LAC), CA. SSG/APAIT will partner with three other local service providers – the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), Chinatown Service Center (CSC), and Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC) – via subcontract to implement the proposed project. Each program partner possesses specific cultural and linguistic expertise in serving API communities and this expertise is the cornerstone of the program design and implementation. These agencies will collaborate to deliver a range of victim-centered services to 45-60 API survivors of human trafficking, including screening and assessment, crisis response, mental/behavioral health services, case management, medical services, and legal services. CAST operates a 24/7 hotline that will serve as the primary point of entry to the program for victims, as well as a critical bridge to services. CAST will provide brief screening, assistance with emergency transportation and housing, and linkage to SSG/APAIT, who will provide assessment, case management, mental/behavioral health services, and linkage to medical services at CSC and legal services at Thai CDC. Collectively, these services will address the individual needs of survivors and help to support long-term recovery, health, and well-being. As part of a comprehensive approach, SSG/APAIT and partners will also collaborate with and train local providers (including law enforcement and other service providers) to enhance capacity to identify trafficking victims and provide referrals for appropriate services.