68 www.CharlestonWomenPodcast.com | www.ReadCW.com | www.Instagram.com/CharlestonWomen both labor and sex. “If an employer is very controlling of their staff, limiting or controlling communication or transportation,” said Burris, this can be a sign of labor trafficking. The victim mentioned above eventually fled her trafficker and lived in her car for over a month. On the day she contacted the TCHTTF she was put into an emergency shelter thanks to their rapid response. “Rapid response occurs with minors by following the SC Child Abuse Protocol, which incorporates human trafficking. For adults, this means offering the victim emergency shelter, basic necessities, etc. These things get expensive quickly; our team is always looking for funding for emergency response resources,” explained Burris, who expressed immense gratitude to those who partner with the TCHTTF and help contribute financially to their cause. The victim was able to work with her case manager to determine her needs because of the tools that the TCHTTF offers. “These include institutionalizing screening tools and mechanisms in agency intakes and training frontline stakeholders to recognize signs and respond appropriately. The Task Force is currently validating a screening tool to identify adult victims in the Charleston County Detention,” said Burris. The victim identified her needs as housing, mental health and employment and within three weeks, she was able to find stable housing and employment with the help of her case manager. “Housing, legal support, rapid response, data collection, community awareness, therapy, spiritual support — all of these things are necessary to adequately address human trafficking. These things take professional personnel, technology, real estate, marketing, etc., to make a reality in our community. We need community support and are so grateful for the support we have received thus far,” stated Burris. This victim, with the help of the TCHTTF partners, was able to furnish her living space and is now living independently and engaging in mental health services. This is one of many success stories that the TCHTTF can tell, but Burris emphasized that this is a collaborative effort. “The Task Force’s mission is collaboration. Making collaboration actionable and measured is what we are constantly refining and building,” she said. “The Task Force engages dozens of community-based and government agencies spanning from local, state and federal partners.” Burris added that it is imperative for local leaders to prioritize bringing attention to these issues. When asked about legal measures that the TCHTTF supports, she stated, “We support the separation of the crimes of prostitution, solicitation and procurement. S.244 is a bill aiming to do this. Also, H.3049 creates a civil cause of action for unauthorized disclosure of intimate images. The objectives of this bill are very important to give victims tools against online abuse.” But even more essential is the community’s support. To learn more about how to get involved and to find educational resources, visit tricountyhttf.org. Charleston Women in Philanthropy 54.9% 32.4% 4.2% Project: Build Capacity and Sustain the Foundation for an Effective Multi-Disciplinary Task Force This infographic highlights the accomplishments, key learnings, and data collected by the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force, funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation during Year 1 of the 5-Year project: Oct. ‘23 - Sept. ‘24. Accomplishment Highlights Objective 3 Institute Effective Information-Sharing, Data Collection, and Analysis Objective 2 Increase Victim Outreach, Identification, and Services Objective 1 Strengthen the Criminal Justice Response Accomplishment Highlights Accomplishment Highlights Statistics on Adult Survivors Served Adult Survivors of Human Trafficking Labor Trafficking Sex Trafficking Both 71 Key Learnings Language Barriers: Inadequate interpretation resources for SLED and VSPs highlighted the need for a plan to address language barriers. The Formation Project's experience with a victim over the phone emphasized the need for immediate language support, prompting the implementation of a two-part Language Access Plan. Tailored Financial Assistance: A one-size-fits-all financial approach was insufficient for survivors; individualized assistance based on survivors' unique needs and goals is essential for success . Key Learnings Key Learnings Dedicated Bilingual Case Managers: The hiring of two full-time bilingual case managers specifically for Spanish-speaking individuals has substantially improved service quality, addressing significant challenges in providing timely support and resources to foreign-born survivors. Screening Tools: Screening tools are an evidencebased and institutionalized manner to promote identification of human trafficking; it is imperative to have a 3rd party evaluator monitor the impact and validity of the tool and facilitate any refinement of the tool’s questions Data Utilization: Insights from the Peer-to-Peer event highlighted the value of publicly available datasets (e.g., Department of Labor, OSHA) in guiding labor trafficking investigations. Formal Information-Sharing Practices: Establishing formal information-sharing and data collection practices, prioritized by individuals rather than agencies, is crucial for effective collaboration and long-term relationship-building with government partners. Hotel/Hospitality Services Strategic Fact · Exploitation Type As we refine our labor trafficking strategy, it's essential to prioritize the hospitality sector, our secondlargest exploitation service type. most prelavant explotation type 2nd Oct. ‘23 - Sept. ’24 · Impact by Numbers 35 367 588 Criminal Justice Cases Opened Social Services Provided Legal Services Provided 1.) Initiated law enforcement subcommittee (~15 agencies involved) 2.) Interpreter strategy established 3.) Hospitality industry is key focus for labor trafficking 1.) With IST, refined Case Management Manual, raising standards of service provision 2.) Vulnerable adult victims are being systematically identified via jail screening tool 1.) Information-sharing MOU’s established with government agencies 2.) Comprehensive interactive protocol established
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1