Youth Human Trafficking Victims

The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking proposes to implement the Youth Human Trafficking Project in Northeast Ohio. The purpose of the project is to advance child welfare through an enhanced community trauma response, remove barriers for youth exiting the life of trafficking, and prevent youth from entering the trafficking pipeline. This in turn will reduce crimes associated with trafficking for the most marginalized youth in Northeast Ohio. The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking utilizes a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach in all programming. A multifaceted human rights and public health issue like human trafficking cannot be solved by one organization or system alone. Only when communities come together to unlock collective potential and collaborate can solutions be both developed and implemented.  Project activities include: 1) Working in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Executive, Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Human Services and other coalition partners, to strengthen existing systems. 2) Creating a coordinated response that includes a model of identification, trauma-informed care, and treatment. 3) Developing safe, secure, and appropriate placement or temporary housing that meets the unique needs of trafficking victims or at-risk youth. Expected outcomes include: 1) Creation of an enhanced community trauma response protocol for trafficked and at-risk youth in Northeast Ohio. 2) The development of trauma informed and culturally/linguistically responsive temporary housing solutions for trafficked and at-risk youth with supportive services for long- term stability. 3) A community wide response approach that will assure all professionals encountering at-risk youth are equipped to identify indicators, respond in a trauma responsive manner to gain the trust of the child, and provide a long-term stability solution for their individual future. 4) Improved and expanded prevention services that reach families with upstream support and tools. Northeast Ohio youth who have experienced trafficking or are at high risk of being trafficked are the intended beneficiaries of this project.