Mat-Su Trafficking Victim Services (MSTVS)

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 to Alaska Native Justice Center, Inc. is funded under Purpose Area 1, Focus Area 1 which is designed to serve victims of human trafficking in Southcentral Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su), located 40 miles northeast of Anchorage. Though the Mat-Su is Alaska’s fastest growing and second most populated region, it is primarily a rural area, comprised of 29 interconnected small communities dispersed across 24,682 square miles. A significant percent of Mat-Su residents are Alaska Native, and a disproportionate number of Alaska Native youth and adults have been identified as victims of human trafficking in the region. Mat-Su Trafficking Victim Services (MSTVS) goals are to: 1) Provide a comprehensive array of direct services for victims of all forms of human trafficking in the Mat-Su Borough; 2) Work in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement, local service providers, and community- and faith-based organizations to develop comprehensive response protocols to ensure that trafficking victims are identified and referred for appropriate services in the Mat-Su Borough; and 3) Conduct training and public awareness activities for professionals and community members to improve their knowledge of human trafficking and their ability to identify and respond to victims in the Mat-Su Borough. CA/NCF