Through this award, buffalo rising against violence at erie county medical center trauma recovery center (brave TRC) will expand comprehensive services to support the needs of human trafficking…

This $525,550 Project Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (CFDA 16.320 - Services for Trafficking Victims), will enable the Erie County Medical Center Corporation in Buffalo, New York to expand comprehensive services for human trafficking survivors. Key activities include:

• Hiring dedicated personnel to support project activities
• Expanding and strengthening victim services for all forms of human trafficking
• Developing and expanding trauma-informed screening protocols across hospital systems to more effectively identify trafficking victims
• Increasing community collaboration and capacity for identification, services, and referral pathways for trafficking survivors
• Ensuring accessibility of services for victims who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited English proficiency

The project will run from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027, with the goal of identifying victims of all types of human trafficking and ensuring a comprehensive array of services is available to meet the individualized needs of survivors, including foreign nationals, U.S. citizens, male survivors, and those exploited by labor trafficking.

Through this award, buffalo rising against violence at erie county medical center trauma recovery center (brave TRC) will expand comprehensive services to support the needs of human trafficking survivors and increase community capacity to screen, identify, and appropriately refer survivors for services. Brave TRC will utilize project funds to hire personnel dedicated to project activities, expand and strengthen victim services for all forms of human trafficking, develop and expand trauma-informed screening protocols across hospital systems in order to more effectively identify trafficking victims. The project will also increase community collaboration and capacity regarding identification, services, and referral pathways for trafficking survivors, with data-driven decisions guiding outreach, training, and collaboration activities. Brave TRC will identify victims of all types of human trafficking and ensure that a comprehensive array of services is readily available to meet the individualized needs of survivors, including foreign nationals and U.S. Citizens, male survivors, and those exploited by labor trafficking. Additionally, strategies to ensure accessibility of services for victims who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited english proficiency will be implemented and communities especially vulnerable to trafficking and the organizations serving them will be of particular focus for this project.