Texas advocacy project (TAP) proposes to implement statewide services for victims of human trafficking

The Texas Advocacy Project, Inc. (TAP) was awarded a $586,468 project grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs under the Services for Trafficking Victims program (CFDA 16.320). The grant will allow TAP to build its capacity to provide free, trauma-informed civil legal and social services to victims of both sex and labor trafficking across the state of Texas, including rural and underserved communities. Key activities include providing information and referral services, emotional support and safety services, civil justice system assistance, collaborating with human trafficking partners, and training for partner organizations. The expected outcomes are increased safety, independence, self-sufficiency, and well-being for victims of human trafficking through the delivery of comprehensive services and the enhancement of the statewide coordinated response to human trafficking in Texas.

The purpose is to build taps capacity to provide free, trauma-informed, civil legal and social services to victims of both SEX and labor trafficking, and to collaborate with and train partner organizations across the state. The geographic service area is the entire state of texas, including rural and underserved communities. The intended beneficiaries are communities most vulnerable to human trafficking and traditionally underserved in texas including, those experiencing poverty, ethnic minorities, immigrants and migrant workers and their youth, and homeless or runaway youth. Activities will include: providing information and referral services (information about victims rights and/or referral to other victim service programs); providing emotional support, safety, and health services (crisis intervention, case management, and/or safety planning); providing civil justice system assistance (legal support with immigration, prosecution interview advocacy, criminal record relief, and/or victims rights representation); collaborating with human trafficking partners across texas; training for human trafficking partners; and collecting data and participating in evaluation activities. Expected outcomes include the provision of trauma-informed, civil legal and social services to victims of SEX and labor trafficking, to help get them safe both physically and emotionally, as well as enhancing texas statewide coordinated response to human trafficking, through collaboration and training, to achieve increased safety, independence, self-sufficiency, and well-being for victims of human trafficking.