Attachment A Response to RFI# FWBPCWP27024.docx

Attachment A Response to Request for Information RFI# FWBPCWP27024 Restoration Facilities and Protective Services for Juvenile Victims of Human Trafficking

To respond to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ RFI# FWBPCWP27024 submit this document as an electronic word document that is compatible with Microsoft Word software. Email this document to the Issuing Officer, Melanie Mathes, at melanie.mathes@hhs.iowa.gov. Respondents are encouraged to confirm receipt of the email submission from the Issuing Officer.

Responses shall be concise with enough detail to facilitate clear understanding. Respondents shall not include victim-identifying information, confidential case information, exact confidential facility locations, or detailed operational security information in their responses. Respondents may address each question at their discretion. Respondents are not obligated to address each section or question. Interested parties may submit more than one response prior to the submission deadline. Please only include new information in subsequence submissions.

This document is due by email to the Issuing Officer by November 2, 2026, at 2 PM. For questions related to the RFI process, please see the RFI posted with these questions.

In the space below, please enter the name of a contact person for this response. Include that person’s title, company name, mailing address, telephone number(s), and an email address, if available. If other persons contributed to this response, please list them subsequently.

Contact Name:

Title:

Company:

Mailing Address:

Telephone Number(s):

Email Address:

The Agency is seeking a better understanding of the areas listed below. Respondents are requested to submit a response to this RFI by answering the following questions:

1. Describe your organizations experience serving juvenile victims of human trafficking, including commercial sexual exploitation and/or labor trafficking.

a. Please provide types of services currently provided, the population served, and the geographic area served.

2. Describe the restoration facilities, protective services, or other supports your organization currently provides that may be available to juvenile victims of human trafficking. Services may include, but are not limited to:

a. Immediate safety, crisis response, and stabilization;

b. Emergency, short-term, transitional, or longer-term housing;

c. Residential restoration services;

d. Community-based or nonresidential services;

e. Behavioral health and mental health treatment;

f. Medical care and substance-use services;

g. Case management, advocacy, and care coordination;

h. Education, employment, vocational, and life-skills supports;

i. Family engagement and reunification supports, when safe and appropriate;

j. Transition planning and aftercare; and

k. Other services supporting safety, stabilization, recovery, and long-term well-being.

3. Describe the population eligible to receive these services.

a. Please identify any applicable age requirements, service-area limitations, admission criteria, exclusions, or other eligibility requirements.

4. Can your organization serve juvenile victims of human trafficking who are not adjudicated as children in need of assistance, are not in the Agency’s custody, and are not otherwise involved with the juvenile court system?

a. If limitations exist, please describe them.

5. Identify any legal, consent, custody, guardianship, placement, funding, or other requirements that may affect a juvenile victim’s ability to access your services.

6. Describe your organization’s current capacity to serve juvenile victims of human trafficking. When applicable, please include:

a. Number of beds or service slots;

b. Approximate number of juvenile trafficking victims served annually;

c. Current waitlists or capacity limitations

7. Based on your experience, what are the most significant unmet needs or service gaps for juvenile victims of human trafficking in Iowa?

8. What barriers currently limit the availability or expansion of restoration facilities or protective services in Iowa?

a. Examples may include funding, workforce, licensing, facility requirements, transportation, rural access, referral processes, behavioral health resources, cross-system coordination, or other barriers.

9. Would your organization have interest or capacity to expand existing services or develop new services for juvenile victims of human trafficking in Iowa?

a. What resources or changes would be necessary for your organization to expand services or capacity?

10. At a high level, describe practices your organization uses or recommendations to protect juvenile trafficking victims from continued exploitation or return to the person involved in their trafficking. Please consider issues such as:

a. Confidentiality;

b. Contact with alleged traffickers;

c. Technology and social media;

d. Missing or runaway risk;

e. Transportation;

f. Visitors and communication;

g. Law enforcement coordination; and

h. Staff and victim safety.

Do not provide exact confidential facility locations or detailed operational security information.

11. Does your organization currently participate in interstate referrals, placements, housing arrangements, or service networks for trafficking victims?

a. If yes, please describe the general model and any lessons learned.

12. Describe the funding sources currently used, or potentially available, to support services for juvenile trafficking victims.

13. Describe the workforce, qualifications, training, or specialized expertise necessary to effectively serve juvenile victims of human trafficking.

a. Please identify any significant recruitment or retention challenges.

14. Describe evidence-based, evidence-informed, trauma-responsive, survivor-informed, or other specialized practices your organization uses or recommends when serving juvenile trafficking victims.

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