Through this award, heartland family service (HFS) will implement sanctuarys human trafficking survivor service enhancement and services expansion project

Through this $949,986 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (CFDA 16.320 - Services for Trafficking Victims), Heartland Family Service will implement the Sanctuary's Human Trafficking Survivor Service Enhancement and Services Expansion Project. The key objectives are to: 1) improve access to and awareness of Sanctuary's trauma-informed services for survivors of labor and sex trafficking, especially those from vulnerable communities; 2) enhance existing programming to improve self-sufficiency and wellbeing of survivors beyond program exit; 3) strengthen referral processes for immigrant/foreign national trafficking survivor services; and 4) develop services specific to labor trafficking survivors. The project will partner with the Immigrant Legal + Refugee Empowerment Center, employment agencies, and other experts to provide culturally-informed, holistic support to survivors. It will also conduct training and outreach to build capacity among systems that may encounter trafficking victims. The project period runs from Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2027.

The purpose is to improve access to and awareness of sanctuarys wraparound trauma-informed services available to survivors of labor and SEX trafficking or exploitation, especially those disproportionately affected by racial and ethnic disparities, living in historically underserved areas, or being trafficked for labor. Project activities include: 1) become more abreast on the needs that survivors who identify from vulnerable communities have, including immigrants, foreign nationals, lgbtqia+, and those with disabilities; 2) enhance existing sanctuary programming to ensure survivors are connected with resources to improve self-sufficiency and wellbeing beyond program exit; 3) strengthen program and community processes for information on and referrals for the immigrant or foreign national human trafficking survivor services available in the omaha-council bluffs MSA; and 4) develop services specific to labor trafficking survivors across all sanctuary programming components, including crisis stabilization shelter; advocacy, accompaniment, and outreach; safety planning; and case management services. Sanctuary will enhance program services through partnering with immigrant legal + refugee empowerment center to develop a better understanding of immigration relief options for survivors by becoming culturally informed regarding services for immigrants and refugees. The project will develop partnerships with employment agencies and other life resiliency experts, utilize the voluntary service model and engagement strategies, and provide regular referrals to resources to improve survivors safety and self-sufficiency outcomes. Sanctuary will also work to target systems that may encounter trafficking survivors by providing training and outreach surrounding human trafficking awareness and identification. Through this process, the program will develop a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to build better communication and collaborations with entities previously not connected focusing on the immigrant and foreign national service provider community. HFS will provide training annually to program staff ensuring evidenced based and evidenced informed practices are at the forefront of the programs work especially with enhancement of labor trafficking survivors ensuring undue harm is not caused. Finally, HFS will conduct continued assessment of survivors safety needs though safety planning at time of intake and throughout their stay, allowing for survivors to fully gain their physical and psychological safety.