Resources

Children who are or have ever been involved with the child welfare system may be at increased risk of experiencing human trafficking. Sometimes, this increased risk is related to the abuse and neglect children may have experienced before becoming involved with child welfare; other times, it is related to or compounded by the child’s experiences during their involvement with the system. Recently, several federal laws specific to child welfare have been passed or amended to help address trafficking among children. 

The purpose of this toolkit is to guide and support child welfare caseworkers in implementing the requirements of the federal statutes intended to protect children connected to the child welfare system from the negative outcomes associated with trafficking. This toolkit provides resources, strategies, and best practices for identifying, reporting, and responding to children who have experienced or are at risk of trafficking.

Psychological safety is integral to the success of any leadership development program. When psychological safety is present, people feel comfortable being their whole, authentic selves, and they respect each other. This fact sheet provides information and resources to help organizations create environments where people are able to share ideas and feedback without fear of judgement or retaliation, thereby fostering learning, growth, and innovation.

Employees come to work with various experiences that may influence their performance. Creating a work culture where staff feel safe and supported is critical for them to thrive — especially because nearly 83% of individuals in the United States have experienced some form of trauma in their lifetime. Employee’s response to trauma may manifest in the workplace in various ways. When left unaddressed, it can lead to poor performance, absenteeism and burnout.

This resource provides tips, strategies, and resources to support staff at all organizational levels in creating and sustaining a trauma-informed workplace.

The Survivor-Informed Practice: Self-Guided Assessment Tool was originally developed by fellows of the 2017 Human Trafficking Leadership Academy (HTLA) organized through the Office on Trafficking in Persons' National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) and Coro Northern California. This 2023 tool version was updated and included in the Toolkit for Building Survivor-Informed Organizations.

A survivor-informed practice includes meaningful input from a diverse community of survivors at all stages of a program or project, including development, implementation, and evaluation. The following tool has been developed to assist organizations in (1) assessing the degree to which their project or programming is survivor informed and (2) in identifying areas for improvement. Three areas for assessing survivor-informed practice are included.

OTIP’s National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) hosted a one-hour webinar on applying for OTIP grant funding. The webinar highlighted general guidance, tips, and lessons learned from past OTIP funding opportunities. This webinar was moderated by Jenna Novak (Deputy Director, NHTTAC) and included Sophia Papadimos (NHTTAC Consultant) and Flavia Keenan (Victim Assistance Program Specialist, OTIP) as speakers.

As a result of this webinar, participants learned the following:

• The application process and eligibility requirements for OTIP grants.
• What to consider when applying and whether an applicant is a good fit for an OTIP grant.
• How to avoid common mistakes and apply lessons learned from past grant applications.
• General guidelines and best practices for submitting a complete grant application.

The Toolkit for Building Survivor-Informed Organizations is a collection of new and existing resources that builds organizational capacity to meaningfully collaborate with and support staff, volunteers, and consultants with lived experience in human trafficking. The toolkit is a resource for anti-trafficking organizations, coalitions, task forces, volunteer programs, and other community and faith-based organizations that want to improve collaboration with those impacted by human trafficking. This toolkit provides guidance, tools, and resources that support professionally engaging people with lived experience when developing, delivering, and evaluating programs and policies. The 2023 update to this previously published toolkit includes three new chapters with recommendations and resources on (1) survivor leadership engagement; (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (3) wellness.

Le guide pour la détection de la traite des êtres humains adultes est désigné pour être utilisé dans divers domaines de soins de santé, de santé comportementale, de services sociaux et de santé publique. L’outil évalue les patients ou les clients adultes pour la victimization de la traite des êtres humains ou le risque potentielle de la traite. L’outil est centré sur le survivants avec une approche éclairée sure les traumatismes et culturellement approprié

The Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to help schools (1) identify students that may be experiencing trafficking or may have an increased risk for trafficking, (2) ensure educators and other staff comply with mandatory reporting laws, (3) ensure the safety of students, educators, and other staff when reporting human trafficking and other forms of violence, and (4) help students connect to service providers and/or programs intended to reduce further exposure to violence and victimization. 

Creating a safe environment and building rapport with students who have experienced trafficking are foundational elements of trauma-informed care. This handout includes several practical ways to enhance feelings of safety and security when screening a student for trafficking.

Participating in peer support groups can lead to positive outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders, but many peer support programs are not trauma-informed and it is unclear whether they are the best fit for individuals who experience human trafficking. The Conducting “Seeking Safety” Peer-Led Program with Individuals Who Experience Human Trafficking and Substance Use Disorder brief describes the process of planning and providing training and technical assistance (T/TA) to a survivor-led organization that is piloting a peer-led, evidence-based, and trauma-informed program called Seeking Safety with individuals who are experiencing trafficking and a substance use disorder. The September 2022 update to this previously published brief shares lessons learned from the pilot and offers considerations to inform potential next steps.