Pikes Peak Anti-Trafficking Program

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 direct services to victims of sex trafficking 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 under Purpose Area 1 to TESSA will identify trafficking victims, meet the nuances of human trafficking victims’ short-term and recovery needs, and train partner agencies in victim identification and intervention. TESSA will (1) collaborate with federal, state, and local law enforcement and human trafficking coalitions, local service providers, and community and faith-based organizations to create an action plan that a) identifies and prioritizes gaps and barriers to providing human trafficking victim services, b) establishes comprehensive response protocols to ensure that trafficking victims are identified and referred for evidence-based services; c) implements evidence-base services; and d) delineates research questions, programmatic assessment metrics and expected outcomes; (2) build on current training and public awareness activities to increase the community’s trafficking knowledge and response; (3) establish a distinctive internal Human Trafficking Program by hiring staff specifically trained and dedicated to assist these victims; (4) add a safehouse specifically for Human Trafficking victims; and (5) integrate training and policies to serve human trafficking victims across TESSA’s service continuum so all TESSA staff and services are accessible and available to these victims. CA/NCF