SERVICES

Services Success Story
Responding effectively to human trafficking requires a comprehensive continuum of services to assist victims of commercial sexual exploitation in their ongoing healing process.

The first priority of any service provider is to stabilize the victim. Thereafter, attention shifts to providing ongoing coordinated support. Since child sex trafficking happens in every community, existing resources should be leveraged and if possible expanded to help our exploited youth…

H.E.A.T. Watch Programs for CSEC
Learn about the various programs in place to serve and stabilize victims of human trafficking, such as SafetyNet, the Young Women’s Empowerment Program, and Girls Court…

ServiceTools
Access resources, training examples, information, and more…

Services Success Story

A Comprehensive Services Response for Victims of Child Sex Trafficking in America

Responding effectively to human trafficking requires a comprehensive continuum of services to assist victims of commercial sexual exploitation in their ongoing healing process.

Services Success StoryThe first priority of any service provider is to stabilize the victim. Thereafter, attention shifts to providing ongoing coordinated support. Since child sex trafficking happens in every community, existing resources should be leveraged and if possible expanded to help our exploited youth.

Emphasis should also be placed on building a coordinated response between service providers, community based organizations, and government agencies that come in contact with this population to most efficiently use the services already in place. It is not a question of whether the victims of human trafficking have been and will be seeking services. Rather the issue is how we respond to their needs in the most effective and efficient means possible.

One of the keys to success is the training the community, law enforcement, government agencies, schools, and service providers to comprehend the victimization of exploited youth. Professionals need to identify and respond to warning signs, sometimes referred to as red flags. Professionals who would commonly intersect with exploited youth, such as teachers and school employees, health care providers, and social service professionals, should have an understanding of the myths and misconceptions of human trafficking, and learn the terminology and rules of “The Game.”

Additionally, providers need to work in unison with outside partners to establish a coordinated service response that does not duplicate efforts unnecessarily or allow victims to slip through the institutional cracks. Finally, a continued emphasis on the well-being of victims must be maintained, whether or not they choose to participate in law enforcement investigations and/or the prosecution of their alleged trafficker.

In Alameda County, our coordinated system response takes place among three main programs: SafetyNet, Girls Court, and the Young Women’s Empowerment Program (YWEP). Each program relies on the strength and coordination of multi-disciplinary partnerships, while ensuring their accountability through a victim centered approach. Below is an outline of SafetyNet and YWEP as they relate to services, and for more information on Girls Court, see the prosecution section of this booklet.

Establishing Services in your Community

We have found that it is necessary to have a full time H.E.A.T. Watch Program Coordinator to help facilitate efforts among law enforcement, service providers, government agencies and the community. This may or may not make sense for you depending on your resources and the nature and extent of the issue in your community. However, some level of coordination is essential. Hopefully, this role can be incorporated within your office to ensure coordination and training.

Moreover, some communities will not have service providers dedicated solely to helping sexually exploited minors. Again, agencies can use resources and programs already in place, if they are unable to create their own specific program. For example, most communities have their own rape crisis centers. These centers are ideally built to operate as first responders or case managers for exploited youth who are identified by law enforcement and hospitals. Local mental health facilities can also be trained to provide individual and family therapy for victims.

H.E.A.T. Watch Response

  • Learn about the various programs in place to serve and stabilize victims of human trafficking, such as SafetyNet, the
  • Young Women’s Empowerment Program, and Girls Court.
    Access resources, training examples, information, and more.

For more information, questions, and requests for training, email info@heatwatch.org.

H.E.A.T. Watch Programs for CSEC

Alameda County H.E.A.T. Watch Programs for Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth

“SafetyNet”

Prior to 2011, there was not a viable collaborative model in Alameda County to address the needs and safety concerns of commercially sexually exploited minors and those at-risk for such exploitation. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office took the lead in forming SafetyNet, a weekly multi-agency approach to dealing with the complex needs of this population.

Creating a Multi-Disciplinary Case Review

Starting in 2011, the group began with representatives from five agencies: the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, a forensic interview center, a rape crisis center, and a hired juvenile justice consultant.

The first step in forming the group was to identify our purpose, as well as the population we wanted to discuss. It was determined that we would talk about those who were at-risk or are already exploited youth. Referrals came from many agencies including probation, and law enforcement.

Throughout the course of the year, SafetyNet expanded its partnership to include representatives from 11 additional agencies, including local hospitals, Social Services, various CBO’s and Probation, to name a few. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a confidentiality agreement were created so that all parties felt comfortable and safe sharing information.

Each week the District Attorney’s Office and its partners convene the SafetyNet meeting. The District Attorney’s Office prepares a list of youths to be discussed. This list is provided prior to the meeting to the participants with a printout for each youth, containing background information, the status of any pending case, and any past or current safety concerns. Typically, 10-15 youths are discussed at the meeting. Each meeting is two hours long, and experience shows that any more than 15 youths does not allow for adequate discussion time. The SafetyNet meetings are led by an Alameda County Deptuy District Attorney.

Gathering and Analyzing CSEC Data to Inform Practice

In addition, SafetyNet maintains a database of all participating youths. SafetyNet gathers data regarding the demographics, system involvement, risk factors, victimization history, and other data points. The data is localized and tells a story about the needs and behaviors of exploited youth.

This is of critical importance because data collection best describes the nature and extent of the human trafficking and develops trends that would otherwise not be understood. As such, we have been able to analyze the data to inform SafetyNet members and the greater Bay Area of suggested policy and system changes for a stronger service response to sexually exploited minors.

Increasing Positive Outcomes for Youths

SafetyNet allows partners to address the specific safety concerns they may have about a youth referred to the group. It allows agencies to discuss any issues affecting the youth, addressing any policy considerations that may need to be addressed by an outside body.

The overarching goal is to provide a collaborative approach to increase the positive outcomes for the youth. We develop safety plans, make referrals to agencies, connect agencies who assist with Social Security or Medi-Cal, and discuss family dynamics that may affect the youth’s success after their cases are adjudicated.

We also develop aftercare plans for the youth who are removed from their homes and sent to placement. SafetyNet partners can make recommendations to the court, assist the partners in court, and help the family with support and continuity of care.

Young Women’s Saturday Program (YWSP)
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office advocated for legislation that statutorily authorized the Office to design and create a Diversion Program for exploited youth who enter the juvenile justice system. From that law and in conjunction with the Court and the Public Defender’s Office, the YWSP was born in 2011.

Building a Program for Girls|

Girls are referred to the program primarily from Girls Court and include girls who are currently exploited or who are at-risk for such exploitation. The YWSP meets on Saturdays for twelve weeks and participants are exposed to guest speakers who introduce them to entrepreneurship, financial literacy and building healthy relationships, to name a few topics.

The goal is to provide the tools and necessary support for young women in making healthier choices. The girls give feedback to the facilitators as well as to the court when they appear on their cases. The program is responsive to feedback from the youth and as such, it is tailored to meet their interests and needs.

In its efforts to expand, outreach has been made to various community supporters, including health care practitioners who can provide healthy exams and women in non-traditional careers who can talk to them about career options “outside of the box”.

Developing an Empowerment Model that Works

The working group met for five months to establish guidelines for eligibility, assist in curriculum development and discuss funding strategies. YWSP was initially funded through a national grant and has since been funded by a private grant. Funding can be from a private source, from Probation or District Attorney funding or from other public monies that are available for the treatment and development of system involved youth.

Since the program’s inception in late 2011, four sessions of the YWSP have been held. The most effective model is to engage an outside facilitator and a non-government advocacy program. In Alameda County, the District Attorney’s Office has engaged JPG Consultants and the Bay Area Women Against Rape to facilitate the program. Both are trained to provide trauma informed care for this population. Depending on the resources in your jurisdiction, facilitators should be well-trained to work with the exploited population and have familiarity with the traditional challenges this group has, in terms of trauma, risk factors, histories of running away, and more.

For questions, training and additional requests for assistance, email info@heatwatch.org.

Services Tools

H.E.A.T. Watch works with services providers and non-governmental organizations to provide wraparound services for victims, in order to ensure their stabilization. Below are some tools, resources, templates, and training examples that you can use in your own agency’s response. Make sure to check back often for updated material and information.

For programmatic support, email info@heatwatch.org.

If you plan to use specific H.E.A.T. Watch material, please credit the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, H.E.A.T. Watch Program.

H.E.A.T. Watch Material

“SafetyNet” Supplemental Material

  • Alameda County SafetyNet MOU – This document is disseminated amongst SafetyNet members once they agree to be a part of the weekly case review. The MOU outlines roles, responsibilities, and expectations from members. (0.2MB)
  • Alameda County SafetyNet Confidentiality Form – This form is used amongst partners and anyone who is approved by the table to attend. This form ensures that confidentiality of clients remains at the table. (0.2MB)
  • Alameda County SafetyNet Face Sheet Summary  This summary is used to prepare information for SafetyNet meetings. A packet of Face Sheet Summaries is created every week, of clients that will be discussed. There is also an agenda of the clients stapled on top of the Face Sheet Summaries, that specify new cases, in custody cases, and out of custody cases. (0.3MB)

Young Women’s Empowerment Program (YWEP)

Training Material

  • Human Trafficking 101 Master Presentation – Use this PowerPoint to assist you in developing your own training curriculum. The purpose of this template is to provide you with information that you can pick and choose as you see fit. This presentation includes background about the commercial sexual exploitation of children, myths & misconceptions, risk factors, statistics, and more (look in the “notes” section of the PowerPoint for talking points, sources, and links to external videos). (8.9MB)
  • Creating Successful Presentations – As you prepare or update your own presentations using PowerPoint, there are certain rules that you can utilize to optimize the audience’s experience. Quickly review this how-to guide on creating powerful presentations about human trafficking, while utilizing Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 Presentation Rule (0.7MB)
  • Understanding the role of a Victim Witness Advocate– This PowerPoint was created for one of our Bay Area H.E.A.T. Coalition (BAHC) Trainings. Learn what a victim witness advocate does to support victims on a human trafficking case. (0.3MB)

Resources