The task force will use comprehensive, trauma-informed approaches, promote racial equity to remove barriers to access among vulnerable communities

The County of Westchester, New York has been awarded a $494,138 cooperative agreement under the Department of Justice's Services for Trafficking Victims program (CFDA 16.320) to combat human trafficking in the region. The 3-year project aims to use comprehensive, trauma-informed, and racially equitable approaches to: 1) conduct proactive human trafficking investigations; 2) expand task force partnerships with underserved communities; 3) formalize survivor engagement and mentoring; 4) enhance access to services for victims, especially labor trafficking survivors; 5) develop survivor-informed policies and protocols; and 6) strengthen data collection and analysis. Key activities involve expanding education/training on labor trafficking, increasing intake/case management for labor trafficking victims, and establishing a lived-experience advisory council. The project will also provide training on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as disability inclusion. The cooperative agreement involves three sub-recipients: Neighbors Link, My Sisters Place, and Savannah Sanders, LLC.

Project activities: 1) conduct proactive investigations of human trafficking; 2) expand task force partnerships to underserved, marginalized communities and organizations serving populations at risk for labor trafficking; 3) expand and formalize survivor engagement and mentoring; 4) expand access to services for victims (IE. Labor trafficking); 5) develop accessible, culturally appropriate, and survivor-informed policies and protocols; 6) strengthen data collection and analysis. Expected outcomes include increased: 1) number of law enforcement and community partners trained to identify and refer victims of human trafficking; 2) rate of identification of individuals experiencing trafficking, especially labor trafficking; 3) number of individuals experiencing human trafficking referred for trauma-informed, survivor-informed services; 4) number of investigations/prosecutions of human trafficking cases; 5) engagement/input of survivors in task force activities. The service area of westchester county (1 million population) is a prime location for human trafficking due to its proximity to new york city, pandemic migrants, immigrant population, and industrial worker expansion in its 6 cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. Intended beneficiaries are victims/survivors of human trafficking; law enforcement; service providers; and underserved, marginalized communities at-risk of SEX and labor trafficking in westchester county. Subrecipients: neighbors link, my sisters place, and savannah sanders, LLC will: 1) expand education and training on labor trafficking for low income, immigrant communities; 2) increase intake and case management services for labor trafficking; and 3) establish a lived-experience advisory council. Training will also be provided on diversity, equity, and inclusion and disability inclusion. Finally, since 2020, the task force has conducted 66 investigations and prosecutions, and IT is estimated that service providers have served at least 165 survivors of human trafficking.