Screening and Services for Trafficked and Exploited Youth

The goal of the FY 2019 Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking Program is to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended. Funding through this program supports specialized services to victims of sex and labor trafficking, as well as for efforts to increase the capacity of communities to respond to human trafficking through the development of interagency partnerships, professional training, and public awareness activities over a three-year project period. This award made to The Center for Family Safety and Healing (TCFSH) within The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is funded under Purpose Area 2 to expand and enhance specialized trauma-informed mental health services to improve identification, retention, and outcomes for victims of human trafficking up to age 22 in a 15 county region of Central Ohio. Without early identification and intervention, trafficking victims continue to be in harm’s way and suffer significant emotional and physical consequences. TCFSH currently serves young trafficking victims and those at risk of trafficking in the Child Advocacy Center and Fostering Connections, a clinical program providing medical care to children in foster care. Additionally, TCFSH responds to victims of trafficking who present at the Emergency Department and other clinics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. This work grew out of an urgent problem, but is not yet specialized to meet the complex needs of young trafficking victims. Through this program TCFSH will: 1) design and implement accessible, person-centered mental health services to meet the unique needs of youth with trafficking histories; 2) test an effective screening and referral program to identify victims of sex trafficking within a specialized primary care program for youth in foster care and scale the program across a large, regional children’s hospital system to link victims with services; and 3) develop and deliver trauma-informed training for frontline hospital staff in outpatient, emergency department and inpatient settings to promote awareness and identification of exploited minors. CA/NCF