Samuel Merritt University THRIVE: Culturally Driven Prevention and Response Program for Addressing Trafficking Among Alameda County Girls; Leveraging Health Sciences Universities To Bolster Resources

With funding through the OVC 2024 Preventing Trafficking of Girls program, Samuel Merritt University (SMU) proposes a project titled, “Value Hope Education and Respect (Value H.E.R.).” The primary purpose is to prevent sex and labor trafficking among Black and Latinx girls in Alameda County, California. This proposal seeks support for a partnership with culturally specific subgrantees A Sista's Touch and Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR), utilizing SMU's health sciences expertise and training facilities to expand the community’s offerings of culturally responsive and trauma-informed interventions. The primary activities include expanding A Sista's Touch’s prevention education and empowerment programs for Black girls and their families and strengthening BAWAR’s support services for Black and Latinx girls who are survivors of trafficking or sexual abuse. Additionally, the initiative will train SMU’s students in the College of Nursing and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs in trafficking prevention and response, equipping them with skills and training for culturally appropriate and trauma-informed interventions. The expected outcomes encompass increased trafficking awareness and prevention among target populations, enhanced access to culturally appropriate support, and a trained healthcare workforce skilled in trafficking response. The initiative will also boost the operational capacities of A Sista’s Touch and BAWAR, enabling them to offer comprehensive services that address both sex and labor trafficking. The geographic service area includes Alameda County, which is considered the third-largest trafficking hotspot in the United States, emphasizing intervention in high-risk Oakland neighborhoods with a target audience of Black and Latinx girls disproportionately impacted by trafficking. There are four subrecipients for this award: Evaluation Coordinators Consultant (Oakland, CA); MSW Clinical Supervisor (Oakland, CA): Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR) (Oakland, CA); and A Sista's Touch (Oakland, CA).