January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

An estimated 21 million people are trafficked globally at any given moment. This worldwide issue may seem like something we dismiss as, “This can’t happen here,” but trafficking can happen anywhere – in nail salons, restaurants, neighborhood homes, or local hotels.

According to the U.S. State Department, “Local communities face the realities and consequences of modern slavery, including weakened rule of law, strained public health systems, and decreased economic development, while traffickers profit from the exploitation of others.”

FUTURES is working on policy and program initiatives to prevent trafficking and help survivors heal and thrive. The scope of this work ranges from the prevention of labor and sex trafficking to ensuring justice for victims and empowering survivors with the tools for recovery.

We also provide training and technical assistance to organizations seeking to work collaboratively to effectively respond to human trafficking in their communities.

Here are just some of the resources and tools for helping prevent and end human trafficking in honor of this month and beyond:

Upcoming Events

Join us for a webinar on Jan. 31: What Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations Can Do to Address Human Trafficking.

To Read

• Human Trafficking: Breaking the Chain for Women (blog post)
• Human Trafficking: A Hidden Problem (information and resources)
• Collaborating to Help Trafficking Survivors: Emerging Issues and Practice Pointers (manual)
• Anti-Human Trafficking List of Resources (links)

FUTURES Programs & Initiatives

• Building Collaborative Responses to Trafficked Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Project: Training, resources, and technical assistance to organizations seeking to work collaboratively to effectively respond to human trafficking in their communities. For more information and to request resources and assistance, contact Mónica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org.
• Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Project: For more information on the project or to request technical assistance, contact us at PEOST@futureswithoutviolence.org.
• Project Catalyst: State and Territory Wide Transformation on Health, IPV, and Human Trafficking: Project focused on fostering intimate partner violence (IPV), human trafficking, and health leadership and collaboration at the U.S. state level to improve the health and safety outcomes for survivors of IPV and human trafficking and to promote prevention.

Recorded Webinars

• Case Management Approaches to Support Trafficked Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
• Collaborating to Address the Needs of Trafficked Survivors with Disabilities
• Collaborating to Address Trafficking in Rural Communities:  Lessons from the Field
• Collaborating with Community Based Organizations and Faith Based Communities to Address Human Trafficking
• Overview of Labor Trafficking and the Intersection with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
• What is Human Trafficking and Legal Options
• Legal Aspects of Human Trafficking for Health Providers
• Evidence-based “CUES intervention” to Address IPV/Human Trafficking in Primary Care Settings, and tools for Ryan White-funded HIV programs
• IPV/Human Trafficking and Substance Abuse and Treatment, with a lens on Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse Programs and DV Agencies
• Human Trafficking: The Role of the Healthcare
• Building A Health Care Response to Human Trafficking

To seek assistance for a trafficking victim, call the Department of Health and Human Services Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Help is available in numerous languages.