Suffolk County Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking Project

The purpose of this award, funded under the program OVC FY 2020 Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking, is to develop, expand, and strengthen assistance programs for minor victims of sex trafficking. Under the authorizing statute, the term "sex trafficking of a minor" means an offense described in section 1591(a) of title 18 or a comparable state law, against a minor.

The Suffolk County Probation Department leads this proposed project to be implemented by five nongovernmental organizations, who will receive 67 percent of the grant funds to ensure delivery of residential care and integrated services for minor victims of human trafficking by promoting the availability of effective, tailored services for minor victims of human trafficking and their families to support their safety, security, and healing after the crime. The EAC Network Safe Harbour Program will provide the overall assessment and case management of youth referred to the program and provide weekly services on the campus of MercyFirst (a residential child welfare organization) to ensure that all youth, including unaccompanied minors in the program, have access to all available services. The Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island will provide victim-centered, trauma-informed counseling services to victims of human trafficking including group and individual mental health treatment, emergency mental health assessments, and crisis intervention. The Hope for Youth Diagnostic and Emergency Group Home will work with project partners to provide a safe and secure environment for adolescent males and females in need of emergency housing and/or respite while providing behavioral stabilization through therapeutic milieu treatments. Lastly, the Probation Department will issue an RFP for a provider agency to offer long-term safe and supportive housing options for minor victims of trafficking. CA/NCF