Freedom From Trafficking - Specialized Mental Health Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking

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 Heartland Human Care Services is funded under Purpose Area 2 which is designed to offer specialized mental health services to all survivors of sex and labor trafficking—domestic and foreign national; male, female, and transgender; adults and children—in Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Will Counties. Under this project, HHCS will bridge the mental health gap for survivors in the Chicagoland area. HHCS will partner with local and state providers and law enforcement agencies to ensure that survivors have access to the mental health services they need to heal and recover. The project goals are to: 1) serve 40 survivors with individual counseling and 20 survivors with group counseling; 2) provide 75 survivors with psychoeducation workshops and nontraditional therapy; and 3) train 45 mental health providers on trauma-informed care for human trafficking survivors. HHCS will use its human rights-based service philosophy to empower survivors to retake control of their lives, feel safe, enjoy physical and emotional health, and realize the human rights to which they are entitled. CA/NCF