Moving Towards Best Practice: Guiding Principles for Agencies Serving Survivors of Human Trafficking
Bethany Gilot, MS & Marissa Castellanos, MSW | September 22 | 10:15-11:15 AM
Topic: Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
There has been an increased focus in recent years on the provision of specialized community-based and residential services to survivors of human trafficking (HT). This includes multiple state/federal legislative initiatives to address the challenges of service needs, trauma, policy, and funding. As a result, there has been a growth in providers specializing in serving this population; however, there remains limited research towards best practice. The presenters believe in the value of clearly identifying best practices and providing guidance for service provision as a resource for providers, community partners, funders, and others addressing policy and practice related to HT. To address the gap in information on best practice in serving sex and labor trafficking survivors, the Administration for Children and Families Region 4 HT Advisory Group developed a best practices framework to guide and evaluate agencies providing services to this population. Pulling from existing research on best practices in victim services and other key sources (e.g., OVC), authors included 15 key principles with resources and strategies for application along with an assessment tool. This presentation provides the history and purpose of the Guiding Principles. It addresses each of the 15 principles, their practical application in the field, and an overview of the Self-Assessment Tool. Attendees will be able to assess their agency/community/state policies and practices across the focus areas and build a plan for applying the principles in their work. Participation will facilitate building capacity for service providers who are new to the field and enhance service structures for experienced providers.
Presentation Objectives:
· Discuss the history and purpose of the Guiding Principles for Agencies Serving Survivors of Human Trafficking
· Examine the intention and practical application of each Guiding Principle
· Show how the self-assessment tool can be used to evaluate capacity to provide services to survivors of human trafficking
· Provide existing resources to support organizational change