Ohio Department of Youth Services’ Statewide Response to Human Trafficking
Chelsea Gaffey, LSW & Rebekkah O'Bryan, MBA, LSW | September 23 | 10:15-11:15 am
Topic: Programming, Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
From 2019 through 2021, 37 youth were identified as survivors of human trafficking by the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS). We know this is only a fraction of the youth in the custody of the statewide juvenile justice system who have experienced exploitation. How can we do a better job of identifying youth who have experienced trafficking? How can we collaborate with other partners to better serve these youth? In this training, the presenters will discuss ODYS’ holistic response to human trafficking through highlighting four key subjects: (1) policy regarding the identification and response to youth in ODYS, (2) the use of the ODYS Human Trafficking Screening Tool (ODYS HTST), (3) strategic statewide partnerships with anti-trafficking organizations and other agencies, and (4) the importance of survivor-led prevention. At the end of this training, participants should be able to identify strategies for community collaboration, recognize the importance of survivor-led prevention, and understand how to implement the ODYS HTST in their own agencies, as it is a non-proprietary screening tool that can be utilized by other agencies and organizations. Although this training focuses on the practices of ODYS, the exploration of their goals and methodology for identifying and responding to juvenile victims of trafficking is relevant for all youth-serving organizations.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of ODYS
· Discuss key aspects of DYS’ statewide response
· Highlight the Human Trafficking Screening Tool