Through the montana trafficking victim rights project, the montana legal services association (MLSA) will build capacity in montana to serve victims of human trafficking and to provide civil legal aid…

The Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded a $440,000 Project Grant under the Services for Trafficking Victims program (CFDA 16.320) to the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA). The grant will be used to build capacity in Montana to serve victims of human trafficking and provide civil legal aid services for trafficking victims across the state, with a focus on serving rural, low-income, and tribal community populations. Key activities include working with training providers to build internal capacity, providing legal representation and services to trafficking survivors, and conducting education and outreach to build a trauma-informed referral process with victim service providers and criminal justice professionals. The project will serve the statewide community of Montana and aims to empower trafficking victims to assert their legal rights, keep themselves and their families safe, hold offenders accountable, and work toward recovery, independence, self-sufficiency, and well-being. The grant period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

Through the montana trafficking victim rights project, the montana legal services association (MLSA) will build capacity in montana to serve victims of human trafficking and to provide civil legal aid services for human trafficking victims. The project will serve the statewide community of montana, with a particular focus serving rural, low-income trafficking victims including those with H-2A visas and those from tribal communities. The goal of the project is to develop capacity and provide trauma-informed civil legal aid to trafficking victims in montana, empoweringtrafficking victims to assert and protect their legal rights under the law, to keep themselves and their families safe from violence, to help hold offenders accountable for their crimes, and to work toward recovery, independence, self-sufficiency, and well-being.project activities include 1) working with designed OVC human trafficking training providers to build internal capacity to serve trafficking survivors; 2) providing legal representation, advice, limited scope services, and representation to trafficking survivors; and 3) conducting education, outreach, and training for trauma-informed legal services referrals for victim service providers and criminal justice professionals in montana. Mlsas MOU partner, her campaign, is a residential trafficking victim service provider who will provide victim referrals and help build a trauma-centered referral process. Additionally, the montana coalition against domestic and sexual violence will help build the referral process and provide access to their network of trafficking victim service providers.