Outreach and Human Trafficking: Lessons Learned From Community Collaborations

This presentation is to describe the challenges, strengths, and lessons learned from a community collaboration on human trafficking between International Community Health Services (ICHS), a non-profit community health center and the Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA), a non-profit multi-social service agency. ReWA spearheaded a federal grant to provide outreach to refugee and immigrant communities to raise awareness about human trafficking. As part of this grant, ICHS was sub-contracted to assist with outreach to the Vietnamese community in the Seattle/King County area. This collaboration intended to build capacity of both community based organizations. Based on the Domestic Violence medical model, ICHS staff were cross-trained in human trafficking recognition, intervention and referral. Additionally, ReWA staff were cross-trained in health issues facing women and trafficking victims. Little is known and/or published about developing, implementing, and managing programs that address human trafficking. This presentation will highlight what is known and identify the challenges and lessons learned by both the refugee service center and the community health center throughout the collaboration.