Identifying and Serving Victims of Human Trafficking Through Family Justice Centers: A Rural Family Justice Center’s Approach to Collaboration

Human trafficking has spread to virtually every part of the United States, including cities and rural areas in every state. In the state of Ohio, more than 1,600 victims of sex trafficking and countless victims of labor trafficking have been identified. Best practices recommend a collaborative approach to providing comprehensives services that improve prosecution of trafficking, protection of victims, and prevention of further trafficking. In this webinar, Sarah Warpinski and Laurel Neufeld Weaverwill discuss the methods they have used and plan to use in increasing collaboration to improve identification and services for trafficking survivors. The starting point for this collaboration is the similarity and overlap between serving domestic violence and trafficking survivors. They will share the benefits and goals of collaboration, as well as some of the obstacles to a collaborative service model for survivors, service providers, and legal professionals. Participants will learn why the Family Justice Center model is strategically suited to identify and meet the needs of trafficking survivors. These services might include law enforcement collaboration, advocacy services, and civil legal representation.