6    Multisector and Interagency Initiatives Addressing Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors

All of the sectors involved in responding to commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors—victim and support services, health care education the legal sector and the commercial sector—have specific roles to play. However, an adequate response to these crimes requires collaboration and coordination among all of these sectors, as well as at all levels—federal, state, and local. Yet the efforts of individuals, groups, and organizations in different sectors and with different areas of expertise tend to be disconnected. The IOM/NRC report highlights a number of examples of initiatives that have overcome this barrier to a comprehensive response.

Multisector and interagency efforts to address commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors at the federal level include task forces and other partnerships, such as those mandated by the 2013 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act [21, 22, 23, 49].

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

BJA (Bureau of Justice Assistance). 2013. Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force
Initiative.
https://www.bja.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?Program_ID=51

Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force.
http://www.cookcountytaskforce.org

OVC (Office for Victims of Crime) and BJA. 2011. Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Strategy and Operations E-guide.
https://www.ovcttac.gov/TaskForceGuide/EGuide/Default.aspx

OVC and BJA. 2013. Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking FY 2013 Competitive Grant Announcement. https://www.bja.gov/Funding/13HumanTraffickingSol.pdf

OVC. 2013. OVC-Funded Grantee Programs to Help Victims of Trafficking. http://www.ojp.gov/ovc/grants/traffickingmatrix.html

President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. 2013. Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States 2013-2017.
http://ideascale.com//userimages/accounts/91/912839/Victim-Services-SAP2013-04-09-Public-Comment-B.pdf

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 2013. The D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/programs/cp/human_trafficking.html

U.S. Department of State. 2012. Annual Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/reports/pitf

Examples of state and local efforts include the following:

• Washington State— Washington State’s Model Protocol for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children is focused on fostering collaboration and coordination among agencies, improving identification of these crimes, providing services to victims and survivors, holding exploiters accountable, and working toward ending these crimes in the state [50]. The protocol calls for use of a victim-centered approach by law enforcement, the courts, victim advocacy organizations, youth service agencies, and other youth-serving professionals to ensure that victims of these crimes are treated as such rather than as criminals. The protocol encourages multisector collaboration through state, regional, and local efforts. For example, it calls for the use of multidisciplinary teams to provide immediate consultation on cases of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors as they arise and to participate in meetings to share information and collaborate in the management of each ongoing case.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Washington State Model Protocol for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children.
http://www.ccyj.org/Project%20Respect%20protocol.pdf

• Multnomah County, Oregon—In 2008, Multnomah County initiated a coordinated multisector response to commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors. Specific work groups focus on legislation, assistance for victims and survivors, law enforcement practices (e.g., arrests, investigation, and prosecution of exploiters and traffickers), and physical and mental health care. Steering committee members include law enforcement; the district attorney’s office; the Departments of Health, Community Justice, and Human Services; survivors; and nongovernmental service providers. Several strategies are used to ensure collaboration across agencies and among various systems. For example, the county created a special unit within the state child welfare agency for victims and survivors of these crimes [51, 52].

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Multnomah County Community Response to Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children.
https://multco.us/csec

• Suffolk County, Massachusetts—In Suffolk County, more than 35 public and private agencies participate in the SEEN Coalition. SEEN’s multisector, coordinated approach to identifying and serving high-risk and sexually exploited minors includes three components: (1) cross-system collaboration, (2) a trauma-informed continuum of care (see Section 4), and (3) training for professionals who work with children and adolescents. To facilitate collaboration and communication among coalition members, SEEN established formal relationships and protocols, including a steering committee and advisory group, multidisciplinary teams of professionals, and a case coordinator who serves as the central point of contact for all reported victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking [53].

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Support to End Exploitation Now (SEEN) Coalition.
http://www.suffolkcac.org/programs/seen

• Alameda County, California—H.E.A.T. (Human Exploitation and Trafficking) Watch is a multidisciplinary, multisystem program that brings together individuals and agencies from law enforcement, health care, advocacy, victim and support services, the courts, probation agencies, the commercial sector, and the community to (1) ensure the safety of victims and survivors and (2) pursue accountability for exploiters and traffickers. Strategies employed by H.E.A.T. Watch include, among others, stimulating community engagement, coordinating training and information sharing, and coordinating the delivery of victim and support services. The program uses a multisector approach to coordinate the delivery of support services. For example, multidisciplinary case review (modeled on the multidisciplinary team approach) is used to create emergency and long-term safety plans. Referrals for case review are made by law enforcement, prosecutors, probation officials, and social service organizations that have come into contact with these youth. This approach enables members of the multidisciplinary team to share confidential information with agencies that can assist youth in need of services and support.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. 2012. H.E.A.T. Watch Program Blueprint.
http://www.heat-watch.org/heat_watch