Coordination 

Collaboration 

CapaCity 

Federal Strategic Action Plan 

on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking 

in the United States 

2013-2017 
“We will invest in helping trafficking victims rebuild their lives.” 

– President Barack Obama, December 31, 2012 
Coordination, Collaboration, CapaCity 

Federal Strategic Action Plan 

on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking 

in the United States 

2013-2017 

	


 


	


	


	


	


	


	

Co-Chairs of Planning ProCess 

Department of Justice (DOJ)
	

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

President’s interagenCy task forCe 

to Monitor and CoMbat traffiCking in Persons
 

Department of State (DOS) 

Department of Defense (DOD) 

Department of Justice (DOJ) 

Department of the Interior (DOI) 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Department of Labor (DOL)
	

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

Department of Transportation (DOT) 

Department of Education (ED)
	

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

Domestic Policy Council (DPC)
	

National Security Staff (NSS)
	

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) 

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
	

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
	
Human trafficking is a denial of our common humanity and an affront to our ideals as 

Americans. My Administration is committed to combating this modern incarnation of slavery. 

That is why I am proud to release the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of 

Human Trafficking in the United States 2013-2017, a collaborative effort involving more than 15 

agencies across the Federal Government. 

Survivors of human trafficking have had their lives ripped apart, and they deserve holistic, 

streamlined, and compassionate assistance as they rebuild their lives and their futures. This 

Plan’s victim-centered approach is necessary to effectively meet the needs of survivors, whether 

they have been trapped in a home as a domestic worker, brought to the United States as a 

migrant laborer under false pretenses, or forced to engage in commercial sex acts. While the 

work to combat human trafficking and assist victims has been tremendous, there is more to be 

done. This Plan is part of my commitment that more will be done. 

Human trafficking is insidious and widespread, so we have forged partnerships across the 

Federal Government, and with survivors; private entities; state, local, and tribal governments; 

non-profit organizations; philanthropies; and the faith community, to expand our efforts and 

reach as many survivors as we can. 

To those who are suffering and have suffered the horrors of human trafficking, our message 

remains: We hear you. We insist on your dignity. And we share your belief, that if just given 

the chance, you can forge a life equal to your talents and worthy of your dreams. 

Sincerely, 

b 
Dear Reader: 

Human trafficking is a crime that 

strikes at the very heart of the American 

promise: freedom. In response to this 

abhorrent crime, government agencies 

and nongovernmental organizations have 

formed strong and growing partnerships 

aimed at ending this violation of 

fundamental civil rights and human dignity. 

We are honored to co-chair the first Federal 

Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims 

of Human Trafficking in the United States 

2013−2017 (Plan), which lays out a 5-year 

path for further strengthening coordination, 

collaboration, and capacity across 

governmental and nongovernmental entities 

dedicated to providing support to the 

victims of human trafficking. The Obama 

Administration is providing unparalleled 

leadership to address this crime. The 

President’s request for an interagency 

plan to strengthen services to trafficking 

victims demonstrates the Administration’s 

commitment to anti-human trafficking 

efforts and reaffirms federal responsibility 

to support the victims of human trafficking. 

With guidance from the President’s 

Interagency Task Force to Monitor and 

Combat Trafficking in Persons, we worked 

across agencies to develop a plan for 

victim services that provides a roadmap 

for aligning federal efforts to aid victims, 

improve understanding among federal and 

nonfederal entities who work to support 

victims, expand victim access to services, 

and improve outcomes for survivors of 

human trafficking. We partnered with 

government and nongovernmental 

stakeholders across the country through the 

receipt and careful consideration of public 

comments on the draft strategic action plan, 

and by conducting listening sessions and 

community meetings. Creating the Plan 

was an energizing process that brought 

together experts in the field and fostered 

the development of innovative strategies 

and solutions. 

In developing the Plan, our agencies 

were able to draw on long experience 

in protecting and supporting victims 

of human trafficking. For example, the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services has supported extensive outreach 

efforts aimed at trafficking victims, built 

community capacity to address human 

trafficking through local coalitions, 

and supported services to hundreds of 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
 

victims through grants, contracts, and certifications for foreign national victims. The Department of 

Homeland Security has integrated the identification of human trafficking perpetrators and victims into 

its operations and implemented critical immigration protections for victims and penalties for traffickers. 

The Department of Justice has supported the development of multidisciplinary task forces across the 

United States to investigate and prosecute traffickers, support victims, and educate the public; and 

provided funding to victim-serving organizations that work to ensure that all victims have access to the 

comprehensive services they need to rebuild their lives. In addition, our federal, state, local, tribal, and 

territorial partners continue to demonstrate commitment and leadership through ongoing and increasing 

participation in interagency discussions and initiatives on victim services. 

The Plan will remain a living document. We will revisit and refine the Plan as promising practices 

emerge and as we identify additional opportunities for coordination. We anticipate future expansion of 

the Plan to reflect enhanced government partnerships with the nonprofit, public, and private sectors and 

strengthened holistic responses to the needs of victims of all forms of human trafficking. 

We look forward to the work ahead. 

Sincerely, 

Eric H. Holder, Jr. Kathleen Sebelius Jeh Charles Johnson 

Attorney General Secretary of Health 

and Human Services 

Secretary of 

Homeland Security 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
 

 


	


	


	


	


	


	

Commitment to action  


in sUPPort of the FEDERAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ON SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED STATES 2013−2017 

PRESIDENT’S INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 

Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons or modern day slavery, is an affront to the most basic of human freedoms. 

To combat this unspeakable crime and protect its victims, we build on more than a decade of progress in developing services 

and support networks that provide survivors of human trafficking with a path to freedom, independence, and self-sufficiency. 

We recognize that services must be provided in a manner that respects survivors and endeavors to integrate their experience 

and their voice. 

As members of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, we commit ourselves anew 

to a holistic and comprehensive victim-centered approach, one that is meaningfully informed by survivor input and accompanied 

by well-coordinated and effective public awareness and outreach efforts designed to identify victims and prevent anyone from 

ever becoming a victim of this crime that tears at the social fabric of our Nation. 

We will uphold a system that recognizes all victims of human trafficking—whether adults or children, male, female, or transgender 

individuals, U.S. citizens or noncitizens—regardless of the type of modern day slavery they endured. 

We will build new partnerships and collaborate with international, federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local counterparts, the 

private sector, and nongovernmental organizations and advocates to amplify our efforts and multiply our forces. 

As the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, we will work tirelessly to fulfill the 

commitments set forth above and continuously evaluate our efforts and adapt our goals as needed to ensure the most effective 

U.S. Government response. 

Department of State (DOS) 

Department of Defense (DOD) 

Department of Justice (DOJ) 

Department of the Interior (DOI) 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Department of Labor (DOL)
	

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

Department of Transportation (DOT) 

Department of Education (ED)
	

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

Domestic Policy Council (DPC)
	

National Security Staff (NSS)
	

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) 

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
	

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
	

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
 


 


 


	


 


 


 


	


 


 


 

table of Contents  


Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................1
 

Plan Development ..........................................................................................................................3
 

Human Trafficking in the United States ...........................................................................................5
	

Vision .............................................................................................................................................9
 

OVERARChING ThEMES 

Use of Terms: Victim and Survivor..................................................................................................8 

Use of Terms: Victim-Centered and Trauma-Informed Approaches ..............................................10 

Responsible Entities .....................................................................................................................11 

Integrate Survivor Experiences and Input.....................................................................................12 

Standards of Care ........................................................................................................................14 

Use of Terms: Training, Outreach, and Awareness........................................................................26 

GoAl 1. AlIGN EFFoRTS: Promote a strategic, coordinated approach to the 

provision of services for victims of human trafficking at the federal, regional, 

state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. ........................................................................................11
 

Objective 1: Provide federal leadership and direction to improve victim services ......................13
 

➤ Implement recommendations for systematic change 

➤ Identify promising practices 

Objective 2: Coordinate victim services effectively through collaboration 

across multiple service sectors...............................................................................15
	

➤ Develop and promote standard terminology 

➤ Ensure federal funding is strategically coordinated 

➤ Improve coordination at the national, regional, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels 

GoAl 2. IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING: Expand and coordinate human 

trafficking-related research, data, and evaluation to support evidence-based 

practices in victim services. ..........................................................................................................18
 

Objective 3: Establish baseline knowledge of human trafficking and victim 

service needs through rigorous research and reporting ..........................................19
 

➤ Research human trafficking in the United States 

➤ Identify resource gaps 

➤ Establish new data collection mechanisms 

➤ Share data and reports 

Objective 4: Support the development of effective responses to the 

needs of human trafficking victims ........................................................................22
 

➤ Evaluate screening and training tools 

➤ Improve the quality of evaluations 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
	 


	


 

	 

	 

	 

	 

GoAl 3. EXPAND ACCESS TO SERVICES: Provide and promote outreach, 

training, and technical assistance to increase victim identification and 

expand the availability of services. ...............................................................................................24 

Objective 5: Increase victim identification through coordinated 

public outreach and awareness efforts...................................................................25 

➤	 Conduct outreach and awareness activities and provide resources for the general public 

• Activities to highlight National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month 

• Tools and resources 

• Web sites and social media 

➤ Conduct outreach and awareness activities and provide resources for targeted 

communities 

• Businesses and employees 

• Housing providers 

• Medical community 

• Philanthropic community 

• Transportation industry 

• Youth
	

Objective 6: Build capacity to better identify and serve victims through 

targeted training and technical assistance. .............................................................29
 

➤	 Expand training of Federal Government employees 

• Department of Agriculture 

• Department of Defense 

• Department of Health and Human Services 

• Department of Homeland Security 

• Department of Labor 

• Department of Justice 

• Department of State 

• Department of Transportation 

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 

• U.S. Agency for International Development 

➤	 Train and assist state, territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement organizations and 

criminal justice systems 

• General training 

• Task forces 

• Tribal law enforcement 

• Criminal justice systems 

➤ Train and assist service providers working with victims of human trafficking 

• Capacity building efforts 

• Improving service provision 

➤	 Train and assist the broader victim services field 

• General victim service providers 

• Domestic violence and sexual assault providers 

➤	 Train and assist allied professionals 

• Education systems 

• Faith- and community-based organizations 

• Labor and employment systems 

• Health care systems 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
 

 


 


	


	


	


 


 

GoAl 4. IMPROVE OUTCOMES: Promote effective, culturally appropriate, 

trauma-informed services that improve the short- and long-term health, 

safety, and well-being of victims. ..................................................................................................38
 

Objective 7: Foster collaborations and partnerships to enhance the 

community response to human trafficking .............................................................39 

➤ Develop networks to increase identification of victims of human trafficking 

• General partnerships 

• American Indian/Alaska Native communities 

• Faith- and community-based organizations 

• Labor and employment systems 

• Runaway and homeless youth systems 

➤ Develop networks to expand access to services 

• Comprehensive victim services 

• Employment and financial stability 

• Families and youth support 

Objective 8: Improve access to victim services by removing systemic barriers. ..........................41 

➤ Improve access to services and benefits 

• Housing 

• Comprehensive legal services 

• Immigration benefits 

• Victim compensation programs 

➤ Increase access to services for vulnerable populations 

• Victims with limited English proficiency 

• Victims with disabilities 

Appendix A: List of Acronyms.......................................................................................................45
	

Appendix B: Timeline ...................................................................................................................47
	

Appendix C: Public Comment Submissions ..................................................................................68
	

Endnotes.......................................................................................................................................71
 

Photo Credits................................................................................................................................72
 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
1 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

Executive Summary  


I

n commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Obama Administration reaffirmed the 

American values of freedom and equality by asking federal agencies to develop a plan to strengthen services for victims of 

human trafficking. Coordination, Collaboration, Capacity, the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, 2013-2017 (the Plan) embraces these principles and builds on the progress that our Nation has 

made in combating human trafficking and modern day forms of slavery through government action, as well as partnerships with 

allied professionals and concerned citizens. 

As our understanding of the scope and impact of human trafficking evolved over the years, we now recognize a more complex 

web of exploitation affecting diverse communities across the country. Today, we acknowledge that human trafficking affects U.S. 

citizens and foreign nationals, adults and children, and men, women, and transgender individuals who are victimized across a 

wide range of commercial sex and forced labor schemes. This Plan details a series of coordinated actions to strengthen the reach 

and effectiveness of services provided to all victims of human trafficking, regardless of the victims’ race, color, national origin, 

disability, religion, age, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, or the type of trafficking they endured. 

The purpose of this Plan is to describe the steps that federal agencies will take to ensure that all victims of human trafficking in the 

United States are identified and have access to the services they need to recover. This includes steps to create a victim services 

network that is comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to the needs of all victims. While prevention and prosecution 

activities fall outside the scope of this document, the Administration recognizes that addressing human trafficking through 

prevention, exploring and implementing demand reduction strategies, and using prosecution to hold offenders accountable are 

critical elements in the U.S. Government’s comprehensive approach to combating all forms of human trafficking. The Plan focuses 

on providing and coordinating support for victims and it aligns with all other efforts of the Federal Government to eliminate 

human trafficking and prevent further victimization, particularly as outlined in the Attorney General’s Annual Report to Congress 

and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons.1 

The Plan identifies several “core values” (page 9) related to trafficking victims’ services and key areas for improving service delivery. 

Recognizing that government alone cannot stop this insidious crime, the Plan is written to appeal to a wide audience in order to 

bring additional resources, expertise, and partnerships to end human trafficking and better support victims. For example, public 

awareness must be increased to engage more stakeholders and increase victim identification. There must also be an expansion 

of access to victim services. Finally, the quality of the services, not merely the quantity, must be addressed to ensure that victims 

are supported throughout their long-term journey as survivors. 

The Plan lays out four goals, eight objectives, and contains more than 250 associated action items for victim service improvements 

that can be achieved during the next 5 years. Federal agencies will coordinate efforts and work toward each of these goals 

simultaneously. Actions to improve victim identification are woven through each of the goals. The four goals are: 

1. aliGn EFFortS: 

Promote a strategic, coordinated approach to the provision of services for victims of human trafficking at the 

federal, regional, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. (page 11) 

2. iMproVE UndErStandinG: 

Expand and coordinate human trafficking-related research, data, and evaluation to support evidence-based 

practices in victim services. (page 18) 

3. EXpand aCCESS to SErViCES: 

Provide and promote outreach, training, and technical assistance to increase victim identification and expand the 

availability of services. (page 24) 

4. iMproVE oUtCoMES: 

Promote effective, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services that improve the short- and long-term health, 

safety, and well-being of victims. (page 38) 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 2 

While the Plan relies on the framework of the current budget and existing statutory authority, there are several actions included 

that federal agencies would like to take in the future should funding become available. A timeline for completion of each action 

and the responsible federal agency is included in Appendix B. 

Traditionally, individual federal agencies provide support to victims within their particular areas of responsibility. Coordinating 

anti-human trafficking efforts at the federal level is crucial to ensuring victims receive comprehensive services. Additionally, federal 

support will encourage regional, state, territorial, tribal, and local leaders to increase their engagement in and commitment to 

combating both sex trafficking and labor trafficking and supporting the victims of these crimes. To build community capacity 

for truly improved victim outreach and services, federal agencies will engage business, philanthropic, and civic leaders, thereby 

bringing the full expertise and resources of the country to bear in this effort. 

The interagency development of the Plan, informed by survivor and stakeholder input and the coordination of current action 

items, may be the most important aspect of this Plan. A list of the organizations that provided written feedback on the Plan is 

included in Appendix C. No single federal agency has the expertise, resources, or authorization to address fully the needs of 

human trafficking victims in the United States; however, by pooling the diverse efforts of the entire Federal Government and 

working closely with service providers and allied professionals, great progress can be made in the next 5 years. 

Continued engagement among federal partners, stakeholders, and communities is needed to truly make the vision of a comprehensive, 

trauma-informed, and sustainable victim service response a reality. Federal partners, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will continue to meet regularly to implement the actions detailed within the Plan and review progress made. 

Federal partners will also assess the gaps in the Plan and develop collaborative strategies to address identified needs. Federal 

agencies are committed to maintaining this Plan as a living document, serving as a roadmap for future initiatives. 
3 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	

plan development 

“In the months ahead, we will continue to take action by empowering investigators and law 

enforcement with the training they need, and by engaging businesses, advocates, and students 

in developing cutting-edge tools people can use to stay safe.”
	

– President Barack Obama, December 31, 2012 

The Plan is a part of the Obama Administration’s ongoing 

efforts to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, 

and it builds on the strong record of the President’s 

Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking 

in Persons. President Obama announced the development 

of the Plan in his September 25, 2012, remarks to the Clinton 

Global Initiative, during which he pledged to “do even more 

to help victims recover and rebuild their lives. We’ll develop 

a new action plan to improve coordination across the Federal 

Government. We’re increasing access to services to help 

survivors become self-sufficient.” 

Development of the Plan was a collaborative, multi-phase effort 

across agencies, led by co-chairs from the Departments of 

Justice (DOJ), Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland 

Security (DHS). 

Phase I: Initial Framework 

The co-chairs drafted the framework and key elements of 

the Plan with input from other members of the Senior Policy 

Operating Group (SPOG) and other relevant agencies. Federal 

partners first identified efforts that are currently planned by their 

departments and component agencies. HHS, along with the 

other co-chairs, then convened a multidisciplinary stakeholder 

meeting at the White House on December 10, 2012. Participants 

included survivors, law enforcement, victim service experts, 

nonprofit groups, and academia who met to identify gaps in 

services for human trafficking victims in the United States. That 

input helped to strengthen the core values and guiding principles 

on which this Plan is built, provide concrete action steps in the 

short term, and identify the many issues and steps that must 

be taken in the short and long term in order to improve victim 

services and combat human trafficking. 

Phase II: Expansion and Publication 

On April 9, 2013, the Initial Framework of the Plan was released 

for a public comment period of 45 days. The purpose of this 

public comment period was to provide an opportunity for 

stakeholders, experts within the trafficking field, and the general 

public to review the Plan, make recommendations to strengthen 

it, and suggest additional items that can be accomplished 

through federal collaboration with states, territories, tribes, 

and local communities or partners to improve the Nation’s 

response to victims of human trafficking. 

The Plan was widely disseminated and a Web site established 

to receive public comments in a transparent forum where 

stakeholders could read and respond to the comments of others. 

Additionally, there were six national and regional listening 

sessions held via conference call and in-person meetings. 

Stakeholders were invited to submit written comments by mail 

and e-mail. In this process, 497 distinct comments on the Plan 

were received via the interactive Web site, and an additional 

67 letters and messages were received via e-mail. 

The public comments became a central point of discussion during 

Phase II. The co-chairs facilitated weekly federal interagency 

meetings over a 2 month period. The purpose of the interagency 

meetings was to discuss public feedback and to identify areas 

and strategies for enhanced collaboration. Public comments 

were shared with SPOG members and other relevant agencies. 

They were distributed to many program offices and bureaus 

within each agency to ensure that all could use the comments 

throughout the development or implementation phases of any 

human trafficking-related effort. The co-chairs of this strategic 

planning effort then updated the Plan by incorporating new 

and revised action items submitted by federal partners. 

Published in early 2014, the Plan identifies new strategies to 

enhance victim services at the federal, regional, state, territorial, 

tribal, and local levels, and incorporates actionable stakeholder 

feedback received during the public comment period. While 

not all of the comments received from the public are reflected 

in the Plan directly, all were taken into account in the revision 

of the Plan. The receipt of stakeholder feedback is invaluable 

to federal efforts, and the comments will be used to inform 

future program planning. 

Phase III: Accountability 

Accountability and transparency are critical to ensuring the 

success of the Plan; thus, the process is driven by realistic 

goals with concrete action items that clearly outline which 

departments are responsible for each action and what year 

completion of each action is anticipated. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 4 

 

 

 

This Plan covers a 5-year period; however, in order to fully 

meet the goals and make the vision of a network of sustainable, 

comprehensive, and trauma-informed services a reality, the 

Plan depends on a diverse array of public and private partners 

working collaboratively with federal agencies to leverage 

resources effectively over a longer term. The Plan aims to have 

a lasting impact by developing ideas that can be replicated or 

scaled and that focus on systemic solutions, innovative ideas, 

and promising practices. 

HHS, DHS, and DOJ, in coordination with the SPOG, will 

continue to support ongoing federal agency engagement of 

the goals, objectives, and action items detailed in the Plan. 

The co-chairs will facilitate quarterly meetings of the SPOG’s 

Victim Services Committee, and coordinate closely with 

other Committee co-chairs, in order to report on the ongoing 

implementation of actions. A variety of interagency processes 

will be used to implement the actions outlined in the Plan 

and to make those efforts sustainable. Co-chairs and federal 

partners will continue to engage in dialogue and information 

gathering to improve the outcomes and impact of action items. 

To ensure the ongoing accountability of the Federal Government, 

and to ensure that the Plan remains adaptive as the anti-human 

trafficking field continues to grow, the co-chairs, in coordination 

with all SPOG Committee co-chairs, will collect, compile, 

and report updates from all federal partners to the President’s 

Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 

Persons on an annual basis. Annual reporting will include status 

updates on action items that were due for completion during 

the previous fiscal year and, where possible, include outcome 

data for action items. Outcome measurements may include 

indicators such as the number of individuals within the target 

audience reached during outreach events, awareness activities, 

or various in-person and online trainings. Other measurements 

may include: the number of materials distributed, new tools and 

resources developed, number of hits on a Web site or training 

downloads, outreach resources, research reports, and the 

number of research efforts completed each year. This annual 

report will be available publicly so that federal agencies remain 

transparent and communicative on progress made. Each annual 

report will include the results for the year and, to the extent 

possible, will show cumulative results on goals and objectives 

over the duration of the Strategic Action Plan. 
5 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human trafficking in 

the United States 

an overview 

Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons 

or modern day slavery, is a crime that involves the 

exploitation of a person for the purpose of compelled 

labor or a commercial sex act. While the Department of Justice 

(DOJ) has long enforced criminal laws against involuntary 

servitude and slavery, the enactment of the Trafficking Victims 

Protection Act (TVPA)2 in 2000 was a turning point. The United 

States directed its efforts to combat human trafficking toward 

the prosecution of traffickers, the protection of victims, and the 

prevention of the crime using the TVPA’s expanded criminal 

statutes and newly introduced victim protections and antihuman trafficking programs. This strategy is often referred to 

as the “3Ps,” prevention, protection, and prosecution. A fourth 

“P,” for partnership, is a crucial approach that underlies U.S. 

anti-trafficking efforts. Since 2000, Congress maintained support 

for this framework by reauthorizing the TVPA four times, in 

2003, 2005, 2008, and 2013. 

Under the TVPA, eligibility for victim services3 is limited to 

victims of a “severe form of trafficking in persons,” which is 

defined as: 

sex trafficking [i.e., the recruitment, harboring, 

transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person 

for the purpose of a commercial sex act] in which 

a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or 

coercion, or in which the person induced to perform 

such act has not attained 18 years of age; or 

the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, 

or obtaining of a person for the purpose of labor 

or services, through the use of force, fraud, or 

coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary 

servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.4 

While it is difficult to measure the magnitude of human 

trafficking, the International Labour Organization estimates 

that more than 20 million men, women, and children are 

victimized by forced labor and sex trafficking worldwide, 

including in the United States.5 Many of these victims are lured 

with false promises of well-paying jobs or manipulated by 

people they trust. They are forced or coerced into prostitution, 

domestic servitude, or other types of forced labor. Victims can 

be found in legitimate and illegitimate labor industries, including 

sweatshops, massage parlors, agriculture, restaurants, hotels, 

and domestic service. 

Statutory Framework and Government 

Response 

The TVPA created stronger tools for prosecutors, including 

increased penalties, mandatory restitution for victims, and 

funding for victim services. Subsequent reauthorizations further 

strengthened prosecutorial tools, awareness efforts, and support 

for victims in response to an enhanced understanding of human 

trafficking. For instance, the Trafficking Victims Protection 

Reauthorization Act of 20036 mandated new information 

campaigns, including public-private partnerships to combat 

sex tourism; required an annual report from the Attorney 

General to Congress about federal efforts to combat trafficking; 

and created a new civil cause of action allowing victims of 

trafficking to sue their traffickers in federal district court. The 

Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 20057 

authorized new anti-human trafficking resources, including grant 

assistance programs to expand victim assistance programs to 

U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who were victims 

of trafficking. The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims 

Protection Reauthorization Act of 20088 added measures to 

increase the effectiveness of anti-human trafficking programs, 

expand T visa protections, and strengthen the investigation and 

prosecution of human trafficking, among other things. Finally, 

the most recent TVPA reauthorization, which was included 

in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, 

enhanced support for state, territorial, tribal, and local efforts 

to address human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and 

victim services, with a particular focus on the sex trafficking 

of minors. 

The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat 

Trafficking in Persons (PITF), a statutorily established, Cabinetlevel coordinating task force chaired by the Secretary of State, 

brings together federal departments and agencies to address all 

aspects of human trafficking through a whole-of-government 

approach, including criminal and labor law enforcement, 

victim identification and protection, education and public 

awareness, international development, enhanced partnerships 

and research opportunities, and international engagement 

and diplomacy. The member and invited agencies of the PITF 

are the Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense 

(DOD), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Interior 

(DOI), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of 

Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services 

(HHS), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of 

Education (ED), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 

the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), the National Security 

Staff (NSS), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 6 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Agency 

for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Equal 

Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Senior officials 

designated as representatives of the PITF principals convene 

routinely as the Senior Policy Operating Group to carry out 

the priorities set by the PITF. 

State and local governments have increasingly built stronger 

response systems against human trafficking affecting their 

communities. Today, all states have enacted laws to better 

protect victims of human trafficking and enhance prosecution 

efforts, while continuing to identify ways to adapt to the 

changing methods used by human traffickers. DOJ’s U.S. 

Attorneys’ Offices and federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local 

law enforcement coordinate with community-based victim 

service providers in federally funded task forces to strengthen 

enforcement efforts. Mayors’ offices and city councils are 

increasingly appointing committees to identify gaps in services 

for victims of human trafficking and are partnering with the 

private sector and nongovernmental organizations, including 

faith-based communities, to help trafficking victims recover and 

rebuild their lives. State and county child protection workers 

and educators are also increasingly recognizing and responding 

to human trafficking and how it impacts the lives of youth in 

their care. 

Victims of Human Trafficking 

Victims of human trafficking come from all walks of life and are 

entrapped in many different settings. Victims can be anyone, 

regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, 

gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, 

or citizenship status. While there is no defining characteristic 

that all victims share, traffickers frequently prey on individuals 

who are poor, vulnerable, living in an unsafe situation, or are 

in search of a better life. These victims are deceived by false 

promises of love, a good job, or a stable life, and lured into 

situations where they are forced to work under deplorable 

conditions with little to no pay. Whether made to work in 

agriculture, a factory, or a strip club, forced into commercial 

sex, or abused in a home as a domestic servant, federal law 

recognizes these people as victims of human trafficking. 

The cases tell stories of a single trafficker who works alone 

to deceive and prey on victims; of families that have been in 

the business of human trafficking for generations; and of front 

businesses that appear legitimate at first glance but disguise 

human trafficking. Prosecutors have successfully demonstrated 

that someone can be enslaved without chains and that traffickers 

often go beyond physical abuse and use extreme forms of 

psychological abuse that exploit vulnerabilities to maintain 

control over victims and prevent them from escaping. To achieve 

their ends, traffickers instill fear of arrest or deportation, use 

threats of harm to a family member, perpetuate shame or guilt 

about what is happening, and warn of financial ruin. These 

experiences are traumatizing and often result in psychological 

dissociation, distrust, and gaps in the victim’s memory that make 

recounting a clear and complete story difficult. In addition, 

traffickers sometimes promote drug dependencies among 

their victims, keeping the victims reliant on the trafficker for 

access to the substances that fuel addiction.9 Law enforcement 

officers, prosecutors, and victim advocates learned that the 

unique and complex abuses inflicted on these victims demand 

a comprehensive and sustained trauma-informed approach. 

Providing Effective, Comprehensive Services 

to Victims 

Trafficking victims typically require numerous types of emergency 

and long-term services. Needed services include intensive case 

management, victim advocacy, shelter/housing, food, medical 

and dental care, mental health treatment, substance abuse 

treatment, support groups, interpretation/translation services, 

immigration and other legal assistance, literacy education, and 

employment and training services.10 

Primary sources of federal grant funding for services specific to 

trafficking victims are the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement 

and the DOJ Office for Victims of Crime. When victims are 

involved in trafficking investigations and prosecutions, some 

victim assistance is also provided by system-based victim/ 

witness coordinators and victim specialists housed within 

federal agencies such as DOJ’s U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and DHS’s U.S. Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Victims 

of human trafficking are also regularly identified and served 

by individuals working with related vulnerable populations 

such as child welfare systems, runaway and homeless youth 

programs, and domestic violence shelters.11 

Services offered to victims of human trafficking vary greatly 

across the United States and depend on a number of factors, 

including the location of the victim; the type of trafficking; the 

age, gender, disability, and immigration status of a victim; the 

type of funding available within the community; and the degree 

to which services within a community are coordinated. All of 

these factors demonstrate the complexity of the issue and the 
7 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

challenge of ensuring that all victims of human trafficking have 

access to comprehensive and specialized services that address 

their specific needs and aid in their full recovery.12 

Areas for Improvement 

After passing the TVPA, the Federal Government made significant 

improvements in developing a comprehensive victim-centered 

approach to fight human trafficking; however, there is more 

to do to ensure that trafficked persons have the tools to move 

forward and pursue a path of their own choosing. This Plan, 

developed with input from survivors and other stakeholders, 

addresses identified areas for improvement with strategies to 

enhance existing services and strengthen the ways the United 

States responds to the needs of human trafficking victims. 

Enhance coordination and improve guidance. Stakeholders 

identified a lack of consistent guidance from the Federal 

Government as a barrier to coordinated service provision. 

Differences in how human trafficking is defined and described, 

including among the various Federal Government agencies 

dealing with the issue, were also cited as a challenge for service 

providers who try to navigate the federal system on behalf of 

victims.13 They spoke about the confusion in working with 

agencies that have different or overlapping authorities and the 

potential benefits of using common best practices and guidance 

that span multiple federal agencies.14 They expressed concern at 

the lengthy and complicated process of connecting victims with 

available services and the lack of standards for these services.15 

Stakeholders also identified opportunities for enhanced victim 

identification through better coordination, information sharing, 

training, and engagement among federal agencies and state and 

local enforcement and inspection entities, including engagement 

of entire communities, philanthropic organizations, businesses, 

and medical and social service professionals.16 Finally, they 

stressed the need to include survivors of human trafficking in 

developing and evaluating policies and initiatives.17 

Expand data collection and research efforts. Data collection 

and evidence-based research are sorely needed to inform 

federal, state, territorial, tribal, local, and nongovernmental 

organization service provision.18 Current statistics on human 

trafficking are limited. Additionally, vulnerable populations and 

men and boys are often under-identified as victims, further 

driving unreliable statistics. The need for formal evaluation 

of programs was identified by stakeholders so that effective 

services and evidence-based practices can be identified.19 

Enhance understanding and awareness. Human trafficking 

is a hidden crime. There is a lack of understanding of how to 

identify victims of human trafficking—not just by the public, 

government officials, and law enforcement, but by victims who 

may not believe or understand that they are the victims of a 

crime.20 It is critical that those who may encounter victims of 

human trafficking are able to recognize the indicators of the 

crime. For example, public comments on the Plan noted a need 

for increased awareness among school personnel and other 

youth-serving agencies in order to better identify minor victims 

of human trafficking.21 Additionally, there is a wide variation 

among state and local law enforcement and service providers 

across the United States in understanding the services that are 

available to victims.22 

Overcome resource constraints and limitations in access to 

services. Service providers report that additional resources from 

both government and nongovernmental sources are needed 

to provide comprehensive long-term victim care and key legal 

services for all victims.23 There are also particularly underserved 

populations, including youth, male, and transgender victims.24 

Service providers also noted that it is challenging to provide 

access to specialized services tailored to the needs of victims 

that adequately meet these needs for the full length of time it 

may take to stabilize a victim.25 

Stakeholders identified housing and legal services as areas of 

particular concern. Sustainable housing is a significant issue in 

achieving long-term recovery and self-sufficiency for human 

trafficking survivors. Stakeholders expressed concerns about 

the lack of safe and appropriate housing options that meet 

the specific needs of varying types of victims. Additionally, 

crime victims face an array of legal needs resulting from their 

victimization, and human trafficking victims are no exception. 

Because foreign-born victims may not have legal status in the 

United States, they may be reluctant to come forward. Traffickers 

also use victims’ lack of legal status to exploit and control 

them. While human trafficking victims may be eligible for T 

or U nonimmigrant status, which allows victims to remain and 

work in the United States and assist law enforcement authorities 

in the investigation or prosecution of human trafficking cases, 

many victims continue to face legal constraints challenging 

their recovery process. The integration of the legal services 

network into the victim services network is a new effort that 

will require extensive collaboration and coordination. 

This Plan seeks to address these issues. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 8 

ViCtiM and sUrViVor 

The Plan uses the terms “victim” and “survivor” to refer to individuals who were trafficked. 

The term “victim” has legal implications within the criminal justice process and generally 

means an individual who suffered harm as a result of criminal conduct. “Victims” also have 

particular rights within the criminal justice process.26 Federal law enforcement agencies often 

use the term “victim” as part of their official duties. “Survivor” is a term used by many in 

the services field to recognize the strength it takes to continue on a journey toward healing 

in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. In the context of this Plan, which promotes 

improvements in outreach, identification strategies, and services, both terms are intended 

to honor those who have suffered, or are suffering, the effects of being trafficked. 
 


	

Vision  


We envision that every victim of human trafficking is identified and provided access to the services they need to recover 

and rebuild their lives through the creation of a responsive, sustainable, comprehensive, and trauma-informed victim 

services network that leverages public and private partnerships and resources effectively. 

gUiding PrinCiPles 

These principles helped guide the development process and structure of the Plan: 

The Plan should be developed collaboratively across agencies of the Federal Government and with a variety 

of stakeholders at the state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. 

The Plan should be realistic, action-oriented, capable of being implemented given current 

funding constraints, and user friendly. 

The Plan should demonstrate a vision and goals over the long term, but include specific tasks for 

accomplishment in the next 5 years. 

The Plan should be designed to help all partners remain accountable to stakeholders for commitments made. 

The impact of the Plan should be lasting and scalable. 

The Plan should be driven by solutions and innovation, and it should be based on evidence and lessons learned. 

Core ValUes 

Federal partners agreed on the following core values that inform the objectives and action steps outlined in the Plan: 

Survivors play a key role in elevating understanding and awareness of human trafficking, improving service delivery, 

and informing policy. Meaningful engagement with survivors in all aspects of program development, implementation, 

and evaluation is critical in order to develop effective service networks. 

Services should be accessible for all trafficking victims, regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, 

age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, or type of trafficking (sex or labor). 

Victim services should promote safety, healing, justice, and rights for victims, and should empower them to 

participate in efforts to bring traffickers to justice. 

Public awareness and an understanding of human trafficking at federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels 

are needed to improve victim identification and access to services. 

Anti-human trafficking efforts should be victim-centered and culturally relevant, holistic, comprehensive, 

evidence-based, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed. 

All those who engage with survivors must acknowledge and respect an individual’s experience of victimization 

and capacity to move beyond victimization. 

Services for long-term needs, in addition to services that address immediate and emergency needs, 

are critical. Survivors should be provided with tools and opportunities for financial stability that will support their 

long-term independence.
	

9 federal strategiC aCtion Plan 
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ViCtiM-Centered and traUMa-inforMed aPProaChes 

The victim centered approach seeks to minimize retraumatization associated with the 

criminal justice process by providing the support of victim advocates and service providers, 

empowering survivors as engaged participants in the process, and providing survivors an 

opportunity to play a role in seeing their traffickers brought to justice. In this manner, 

the victim centered approach plays a critical role in supporting a victim’s rights, dignity, 

autonomy, and self determination, while simultaneously advancing the government’s and 

society’s interest in prosecuting traffickers to condemn and deter this reprehensible crime. 

An understanding of a victim centered approach in the United States developed over time 

to respond to the needs of crime victims and continues to evolve as we learn new lessons 

and establish promising practices. 

A trauma informed approach includes an understanding of the physical, social, and 

emotional impact of trauma on the individual, as well as on the professionals who help 

them. A trauma informed approach includes victim centered practices, as it is implemented 

with trauma impacted populations. A program, organization, or system that is trauma 

informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for 

healing; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in staff, clients, and others involved 

with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, 

procedures, practices, and settings.27 Like a victim centered approach, the priority is on 

the victim’s safety and security and on safeguarding against policies and practices that may 

inadvertently retraumatize victims. 

federal strategiC aCtion Plan 10
11 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

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Goal 1: aliGn EFFortS 

Promote a strategic, coordinated approach to the provision of services for victims of 

human trafficking at the federal, regional, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. 

I

n order to leverage resources, maximize effectiveness, and reduce burdens on direct service providers, it is critical to coordinate 

federal response efforts. Federal efforts should be coordinated and complementary, not contradictory and confusing. Federal 

agencies recognize that while building capacity and improving the response to victims within their own agency is a critical step, 

it is not enough. Increased coordination and collaboration among federal agencies, and between public and private partners, is 

needed to further develop and sustain a comprehensive and trauma-informed service network for victims of human trafficking. 

The creation of this Plan is one of many actions the Obama Administration is taking to coordinate the Federal Government’s 

approach to combat human trafficking and assist victims. Prioritization of human trafficking among federal leadership, with an 

emphasis on the need for strategic collaboration, sends an important message about the urgency of these efforts and sheds light 

on this hidden crime. 

To reach this goal, federal actions fall under two objectives: 

objeCtiVe 1:	 Provide federal leadership and direction to improve victim services. 

objeCtiVe 2:	 Coordinate victim services effectively through collaboration across 

multiple service sectors. 

resPonsible entities 

The Plan describes some action items at the Department level (e.g., HHS) when more than one component 

within the Department will carry out the action, or when it is a Department wide initiative. Most action items 

detail the Department’s component level (e.g., HHS’s Administration for Children and Families) to identify the 

specific offices within each Department that are responsible for each action item. For clarification of Department 

and component names, refer to page 45 for a complete list of acronyms used in the Plan. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 12 

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integrate sUrViVor eXPerienCes and inPUt
 

Responses to victimization must retain a focus on the needs, beliefs, and interests of the victims. The Federal 

Government recognizes that engaging survivors in anti human trafficking leadership and decisionmaking 

is imperative to providing effective services. This is a core value of the Plan, implicitly woven through 

each goal and often discussed in federal interagency meetings. 

Feedback received during the public comment period reinforced the importance of this effort. Survivors 

expressed a desire to do more than share their stories to educate the public about human trafficking; they 

want to be included in the development of programs, policies, strategies, and materials. 

Federal agencies, including HHS, DHS, DOJ, DOS’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 

Persons, and the EEOC, will work in coordination with the Senior Policy Operating Group to develop a 

collaborative approach to explore partnerships with survivor groups in order to seek ongoing input from 

survivors on initiatives and policies. Specific agency efforts include: 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, in coordination with DHS, DOS’s Office to Monitor and Combat 

Trafficking in Persons, HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, and other DOJ component 

offices, including the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the Community Oriented 

Policing Services Office, will host a survivor forum to hear from survivors on effective, strategic, 

and meaningful ways to engage survivor groups and incorporate their perspectives. 

➤	 DHS will continue to engage nongovernmental stakeholders, including survivors, in meetings twice 

a year. These meetings will update stakeholders on recent activities and provide a platform for 

participants to offer individual feedback regarding current DHS Blue Campaign efforts. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, DHS’s U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program, and DOJ’s FBI and Office for Victims 

of Crime will integrate survivor experiences and perspectives into training and technical assistance 

materials designed for victim assistance specialists, law enforcement agencies, and service providers. 

➤	 DOJ’s Executive Office for United States Attorneys will distribute guidance to the U.S. Attorneys’ 

Offices’ human trafficking task forces encouraging them to seek survivor input where appropriate. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will explore the creation of a public platform to 

receive ongoing feedback on the quality of services accessed by survivors of human trafficking, 

including gaps in services and challenges to service delivery. 
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objeCtiVe 1: 

Provide federal leadership and direction 

to improve victim services. 

Federal agencies will take a leadership role to improve the 

alignment and effectiveness of victim services systems through 

the implementation of recommendations for systematic change 

and identification of promising practices. This Plan will provide 

the roadmap for federal efforts to develop innovative strategies 

to advance the anti-human trafficking field. In addition, the 

Federal Government will explore ways to promote this Plan 

and encourage states and localities to inform and align efforts 

to multiply their impact. The Federal Government recognizes 

the major contributions and critical role that states and localities 

play in victim services, and is ready to ensure federal efforts 

coordinate and enhance this work. 

Implement Recommendations 

For Systematic Change 

There are myriad government systems and programs, including 

refugee resettlement agencies, public health agencies, and crime 

victim compensation, that identify, serve, and support human 

trafficking victims. Fragmentation and lack of awareness in 

these systems are identified as barriers to victim identification 

and effective victim services. 

The Federal Government will solicit, publish, and implement 

field-driven recommendations to align and improve victim 

services across various systems. These efforts will improve 

access to services for victims, ensure that government services 

are more responsive to the needs of human trafficking victims, 

provide the field with further guidance and direction, and assist 

in the identification and promotion of promising practices. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will work to implement the recommendations 

of the 2012 report of the Attorney General’s National 

Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, Defending 

Childhood: Protect, Heal, Thrive (www.justice.gov/ 

defendingchildhood/cev-rpt-full.pdf). A subcommittee 

of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention will be formed to address 

agency responsibilities and a timeline for implementing 

recommendations. Partners include HHS’s Administration 

for Children and Families, Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration, and Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention; DOI; Corporation for National 

and Community Service; USDA; and DOJ’s Office for 

Victims of Crime and Office on Violence Against Women. 

➤	 The Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/ 

AN) Children Exposed to Violence, created in response 

to recommendations of the Attorney General’s National 

Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, will 

conduct public hearings and listening sessions in AI/ 

AN communities to help the AI/AN Task Force gain a 

fuller understanding of the issues surrounding AI/AN 

children’s exposure to violence, including the impact 

of human trafficking on AI/AN children. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will publish Vision 21: 

Transforming Victim Services, which includes extensive 

recommendations on improving strategic planning, 

research, capacity building, and funding for services, 

including specific references to human trafficking victims 

and the provision of comprehensive legal services, 

including steps that could be taken if additional funding 

could be brought to bear. The Office for Victims of 

Crime will expand legal assistance capacity for victims of 

human trafficking through current policy, programming, 

and funding. 

➤	 DHS, DOS’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking 

in Persons, HHS, and USAID will review and work with 

faith-based and other community-based organizations and 

leaders, as appropriate, to implement recommendations 

to combat human trafficking as outlined in the 2013 

report of the President’s Advisory Council on Faithbased and Neighborhood Partnerships, Building 

Partnerships to Eradicate Modern Day Slavery (http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/advisory_ 

council_ humantrafficking_ report.pdf). 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will rollout 

guidance on child trafficking for the child welfare and 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 14 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Coordination among federal agencies on funding is vital to expanding anti-human trafficking 

efforts. Lack of funding is often cited as a challenge to trafficking investigations and services, 

which go hand in hand. Creative or additional means of funding should be sought. Solicitations 

for joint grants should be concise and reviewed carefully for contradictory requirements.” 

– Indiana Office of the Attorney General
	

runaway and homeless youth systems on understanding 

trends in victimization, runaway patterns, and assessment 

and service delivery upon the return of such individuals. 

The guidance builds on best existing practices in victim 

services in related fields, such as domestic and sexual 

violence victim service programs. 

Identify Promising Practices 

While victim services were developed over the course of more 

than a decade, the anti-human trafficking field only recently 

matured to a place where promising practices can be identified. 

New service providers and veteran organizations expanding 

their missions to meet the needs of this emerging population 

are seeking reliable information on the effectiveness of the 

various approaches employed in the field. 

Federal agencies will identify emerging and promising practices 

that show evidence of effectiveness as an immediate first 

step. Long-term impact studies are needed to reinforce these 

designations. These resources will begin to form a practice 

base, available to federal agencies and nongovernmental 

organizations, from which evidence-based practices can be 

developed. In addition, the Federal Government will explore 

ways to promote this Plan and encourage states and localities 

to inform and align efforts to multiply their impact. 

➤	 Federal agencies, including DHS, DOJ, DOS’s Office 

to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, ED, and 

HHS, will explore convening meetings where allied 

professionals share lessons learned with federal agencies 

to inform the development of federal anti-human 

trafficking efforts. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, in consultation 

with HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, 

will gather input from expert stakeholders on the role 

domestic violence and sexual assault victim service 

providers play in addressing human trafficking and 

identifying promising practices related to sex trafficking 

of minors. 

➤	 DOJ’s National Institute of Justice will release a Research 

Triangle Institute evaluation of the Fiscal Year 2009 DOJ 

Office for Victims of Crime Services to Domestic Minor 

standards of Care 

Many providers are developing new programs and 

services to meet the needs of human trafficking victims 

in their communities. Stakeholders clearly expressed 

interest in the promulgation of uniform standards 

of care to shape and make consistent the quality 

of care provided for victims of human trafficking. 

Comprehensive standards of care will guide the 

development of programs that are effective, trauma 

informed, culturally appropriate, gender appropriate, 

and protect the safety of staff and clients alike. Federal 

agencies recognize the value of standards of care and 

are committed to working collaboratively toward 

this goal. Initial steps to move this initiative forward 

include: 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will publish 

Achieving Excellence: Model Standards for 

Serving Victims & Survivors of Crime. These 

Model Standards were developed by a broad 

based consortium of victim service experts at 

the federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local 

levels, including providers experienced in 

serving victims of human trafficking, domestic 

violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. The 

publication will include updated program, 

competency, and ethical standards, and will 

promote the competence and ethical integrity 

of providers and quality and consistency of 

program services in all settings serving crime 

victims. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, 

in coordination with DHS and DOJ, will identify 

minimum standards of care required by grant 

recipients providing services to victims of human 

trafficking. 
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Victims of Human Trafficking grants, which identifies 

promising practices in developing programs for trafficked 

youth. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, in consultation 

with federal partners, will publish a survivor-created 

guide on developing culturally competent services for 

commercially sexually exploited and trafficked girls and 

young women. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will assess 

and disseminate analysis of the impact, strengths, and 

challenges of any pilot program on human trafficking 

within the runaway and homeless youth program. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families 

and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration will provide a series of recommendations 

on meeting the mental health needs of victims. This 

follows up on the Assistant Secretary for Planning and 

Evaluation’s 2008 National Symposium on the Health 

Needs of Human Trafficking Victims. 

objeCtiVe 2: 

Coordinate victim services effectively 

through collaboration across multiple 

service sectors. 

Federal government agencies are in a unique position to work 

across multiple sectors. Stakeholders expressed a strong interest 

in federal efforts to better align the work of all agencies.28 

Federal agencies will participate in ongoing meetings, in 

coordination with the Senior Policy Operating Group, to ensure 

that various federal anti-human trafficking efforts are strategic 

and complementary. Increased collaboration and coordination 

within the Federal Government and among all levels of 

government will leverage resources, reduce duplication of 

efforts, and help to create a strong and consistent victim service 

network across the United States. 

Develop and Promote Standard Terminology 

Differences in how human trafficking is defined and described, 

including among the various Federal Government agencies 

dealing with the issue, are cited as a challenge for service 

providers and regional, state, territorial, tribal, and local 

government agencies that try to navigate the federal service 

system on behalf of victims.29 Feedback received during the 45-

day public comment period for the Plan stressed the importance 

of this effort and the need to align definitions at the onset 

of the 5-year Plan to ensure that any training and technical 

assistance materials developed under the plan use clear and 

consistent messaging. 

Federal agencies, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will engage in ongoing conversations 

to provide coordinated leadership and direction around 

terminology. Agencies will discuss differences in terminology, 

identify common terms, and provide recommendations to 

reduce confusion and enhance coordination. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will collaborate with 

DHS, DOL, DOS’s Office to Monitor and Combat 

Trafficking in Persons, EEOC, HHS’s Administration 

for Children and Families, and other DOJ components, 

including the Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services, to update, translate, print, and disseminate 

Trafficking in Persons: A Guide for Non-Governmental 

organizations (previously published in 2002). The 

publication will set forth common terminology for use 

by federal agencies in their anti-human trafficking work 

and can also be used for the purpose of public awareness 

and education on human trafficking. Federal agencies 

will seek and incorporate feedback, where appropriate, 

from survivors, victim service providers, anti-human 

trafficking organizations, and other stakeholders before 

updating the publication to ensure that the document 

reflects perspectives from the field. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will work 

with federal partners to clarify the definitions of child 

sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of 

children and provide guidance to grantees and service 

providers. Additionally, the Administration for Children 

and Families will consider the federal Child Abuse and 

Prevention and Treatment Act’s child maltreatment and 

caregiver definitions and their impact on services to 

victims of human trafficking. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

will work to update any publications related to human 

trafficking to include consistent language, federal statutes, 

resources, and other pertinent information as provided 

from federal partners. 

Ensure Federal Funding is 

Strategically Coordinated 

Federal funding for direct services, research, and law enforcement 

efforts are administered by separate agencies throughout the 

Federal Government. Grant recipients cited challenges when 

working with multiple federal grants due to discrepancies and 

gaps in allowable service provision.30 A strategic, coordinated 

approach is needed to ensure that all resources are being 

equitably and effectively distributed. 

Federal agencies, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will improve their efforts across departments 

to increase coordination of federal funding. Federal agencies will 

work to identify anti-human trafficking-specific funding, as well 

as other federal system funding for vulnerable populations, and 

provide guidance on how to leverage these resources to better 

serve the comprehensive needs of diverse trafficking victims. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 16 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore the costs and possibilities of effective funding 

models for victim services. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence 

Against Women, and HHS’s Administration for Children 

and Families will work together to review guidance and 

solicitation language to coordinate federal funding and 

to identify opportunities for expanding partnerships, 

including enhancing the provision of services to victims 

of human trafficking who are identified via domestic 

violence shelters, non-residential domestic violence 

programs, and runaway and homeless youth programs. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Bureau of Justice 

Assistance, and HHS’s Administration for Children 

and Families, will consider ways to complement and 

coordinate grant performance measurements and data 

collection methods. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Bureau of Justice 

Assistance will continue to publish solicitations and award 

grants for Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces, which 

emphasize a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort of 

law enforcement officials and victim service providers 

to offer the broadest range of services and resources for 

victims and the most diverse range of investigation and 

prosecution options in response to perpetrators. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will 

include human trafficking in grant solicitations where 

it is allowable and appropriate under the reauthorized 

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) statute. OVW 

will consider prioritizing victims of human trafficking 

in certain grant solicitations, such as those focused on 

youth, sexual assault, culturally specific communities, and 

violence in the workplace. Finally, OVW will incorporate 

input provided by expert stakeholders, DOJ’s Office 

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and 

Office for Victims of Crime, and HHS’s Administration 

for Children and Families to enhance service provision 

and accessibility for victims of human trafficking via 

existing VAWA grants. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will 

provide guidance to grantees regarding provision of 

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant-funded 

services to victims of human trafficking. OVW will 

also train program managers and other OVW staff on 

human trafficking issues and how to incorporate human 

trafficking into VAWA grants. OVW, in conjunction with 

DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs, will explore definitions 

of victims included in VAWA and their impact on services 

for human trafficking victims. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 

in coordination with other federal agencies, will consider 

incorporating one topic area or project devoted to human 

trafficking training in the Fiscal Year 2014 solicitation for 

Community Policing Development. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will continue to engage in ongoing fiscal 

year program planning that considers support of human 

trafficking efforts across funding authorities. 

Improve Coordination at the National, 

Regional, State, Territorial, Tribal, and 

Local Levels 

Alignment at the federal level is a critical first step, but the 

Federal Government must also work effectively with government 

and nongovernmental organizations at the national, regional, 

state, territorial, tribal, and local levels to better identify victims 

and create a seamless victim service network. 

Federal agencies, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will work to identify and share partnerships 

with national membership organizations that will foster 

communication and coordination among national, regional, 

state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. Federal agencies will 

collaborate to better support partners, strengthen the efforts 

of regional and local federal agency offices, and explore ways 

to encourage states, tribes, and localities to inform and align 

efforts to multiply their impact. 
17 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

➤	 Relevant federal agencies will identify regional and local 

offices and points of contact to assist with communication 

and collaboration efforts at the regional, state, territorial, 

tribal, and local levels; receive advanced training, and 

serve as resources for their agencies in dealing with 

relevant human trafficking activities. 

➤	 DHS, DOJ, and HHS, in coordination with the Senior 

Policy Operating Group, will convene regular meetings 

over the next 5 years to coordinate implementation of 

activities detailed in this Plan, identify opportunities 

for enhanced coordination, and share reports of Plan 

implementation activities with the President’s Interagency 

Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons 

and the public. 

➤	 An internal DOJ Anti-Human Trafficking Working Group 

will continue to meet quarterly to discuss and coordinate 

activities across and amongst component agencies. 

Increased federal task force coordination will be a central 

part of the ongoing discussions. Additionally, collaborative 

efforts will be made to link this working group with 

other DOJ efforts, such as the Access to Justice Initiative 

and DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention’s Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and 

Exploited Children. 

➤	 An internal HHS Human Trafficking Working Group 

will continue to meet at least quarterly to discuss and 

coordinate activities across and amongst component 

agencies, including coordination with regional, state, 

territorial, tribal, and local activities. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families 

will explore the possibility of coordinating with the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program to increase capacity of 

state and local partners to respond to human trafficking 

through enhanced volunteer support. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

draft a 3-year plan to distribute ideas for innovative 

outreach programming to grantees and the public through 

the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, and 

other channels, in coordination with the Runaway and 

Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance 

Center, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, the 

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the 

Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, 

and appropriate HHS Health Resource and Service 

Administration Bureaus and Offices. 

➤	 DHS’s Blue Campaign Steering Committee will continue 

to meet regularly and will be accountable to define and 

prioritize crosscutting strategic projects for all human 

trafficking-related capabilities for DHS. Additionally, 

the Blue Campaign Steering Committee will identify 

areas where Departmental resources can be leveraged 

more effectively, recommend program enhancements, 

and share best practices and lessons learned across the 

Department. 

➤	 DOS will continue to address the protection of A-3 and 

G-5 workers through its regular internal working group 

meeting on domestic worker issues, where it reviews 

allegations and cases and discusses strategies and ongoing 

efforts to prevent abuse and obtain compliance with 

DOS requirements. DOS will continue to streamline 

referrals of potential victims to the Department’s Bureau 

of Diplomatic Security, which coordinates with DOJ and 

other agencies, as appropriate, to investigate allegations 

of abuse and available services. 

➤	 DOS will continue to brief stakeholders annually, including 

nongovernmental organizations, to raise awareness about 

efforts to protect and identify victims of trafficking. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 18 

 

 

	 

	 

Goal 2: iMproVE UndErStandinG  


Expand and coordinate human trafficking-related research, data, and 

evaluation to support evidence-based practices in victim services. 

Due to the hidden and complex nature of the crime, the full scope of human trafficking in the United States is unknown. 

Statistics related to vulnerable populations and men and boys may be particularly unreliable. While rough estimates 

are available, increased efforts and improved means for research, data collection, and evaluation would improve the 

understanding of the prevalence of the crime, the needs of victims, and the effectiveness of services provided to victims of human 

trafficking. 

The anti-human trafficking field has provided services to victims of human trafficking through various strategies and delivery 

methods for more than a decade, making great strides in assisting victims to make improvements in their lives. There is an 

opportunity to conduct research on this effort to identify evidence-based practices in federal, state, territorial, tribal, local, and 

nongovernmental organization service provision. It is now time to reflect on lessons learned and to begin the process of moving 

from the use of promising practices to developing evidence-based approaches. 

To reach this goal, federal actions fall under two objectives: 

objeCtiVe 3:	 Establish baseline knowledge of human trafficking and victim service 

needs through rigorous research and reporting. 

objeCtiVe 4:	 Support the development of effective responses to the needs of 

human trafficking victims. 
19 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

		

		

		

		

		

	 

	 

	 

objeCtiVe 3: 

Establish baseline knowledge of human 

trafficking and victim service needs 

through rigorous research and reporting. 

Federal agencies will continue to work in coordination with 

the Senior Policy Operating Group to invest in strategic research 

requirements, such as the prevalence of human trafficking in 

the United States and the needs of victims. Agencies will 

identify, collect, evaluate, and share data related to ongoing 

efforts that will provide more reliable, timely information about 

human trafficking and the government’s response. 

Research Human Trafficking in 

The United States 

Research on the effectiveness of service delivery strategies 

requires the establishment of baseline data and rigorous study 

of those approaches and outcomes. Reliable information is 

needed to better understand the prevalence and characteristics 

of human trafficking in the United States, including both sex 

and labor trafficking. Additionally, victim service practices 

should be evaluated so that effective approaches can be scaled 

and expanded. 

Federal agencies, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will collaboratively design and implement 

research priorities to address knowledge gaps. Efforts will be 

strategically aligned to leverage the work across all federal 

agencies. 

➤	 The Senior Policy Operating Group Research and Data 

Committee will further develop and use a research 

matrix, cataloguing all U.S. Government-funded research 

on human trafficking since Fiscal Year 2002, to share 

information on research projects with the public and to 

guide Committee discussions about research gaps and 

future research. 

➤	 DOJ’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will release 

multiple research and evaluation studies of human 

trafficking germane to this objective. 

•		 NIJ will release two studies of labor trafficking. One 

is a Research Triangle Institute study that focuses 

on developing measures and indicators of labor 

trafficking in North Carolina, and the other is an 

Urban Institute study on the nature and characteristics 

of labor trafficking victimization in the United States. 

•		 The Urban Institute will complete a study that 

measures the size of the unlawful commercial sex 

economy in selected communities in the United 

States. 

•		 NIJ will release a Georgetown University study of the 

effectiveness of interventions to stabilize, rehabilitate, 

and integrate foreign national victims into the wider 

society. 

•		 NIJ will release a Colorado College study that assesses 

the elements of state-level legislation that are most 

effective at improving successful prosecutions of 

trafficking. 

•		 The Research Triangle Institute will conclude a study 

of the underreporting of trafficked minors in Illinois. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

examine the results of a 2-year pilot program that is 

providing foreign national human trafficking victims with 

pre-employment services prior to certification in order 

to inform future policy or program changes. 

➤	 The Fund for the City of New York will complete a DOJ 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preventionfunded study on the prevalence of the commercial 

sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), including sex 

trafficking, in the United States. This study will estimate 

the size and scope of CSEC in the United States, describe 

the characteristics and needs of CSEC victims, explore 

available services, and analyze prosecution outcomes 

for victims and exploiters. 

➤	 The National Academy of Sciences will release a DOJ 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention-
Federal Strategic Action Plan 20 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

		

		

“Include quality and impact in the evaluation of responses to human trafficking survivors. So 

often the focus is on the number of victims identified and how many people become certified 

or employed. Qualitative research is necessary to adequately assess other important measures 

of success (e.g., survivors’ improved feelings of safety and well being; preparedness to enter 

the job market; increased engagement in one’s community).” 

– Northern Tier Anti-Trafficking Consortium 

funded study of commercial sexual exploitation of 

children (CSEC) in the United States, which includes sex 

trafficking. This study investigates the scope and severity, 

causes and consequences, intersection with child welfare 

and juvenile justice systems, evidence-based responses, 

and international and local policy approaches to CSEC. 

The study will recommend strategies to respond to CSEC, 

including sex trafficking, in the United States. 

➤	 Through a DOJ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention-funded study, the Urban Institute will assess 

the characteristics and needs of both the lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgender, and questioning population, and 

the young men who have sex with men population, who 

are involved in the commercial sex market to learn about 

their interactions with law enforcement, prosecutors, 

and court personnel. In addition, the study will assess 

how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning 

youth enter the criminal justice system, what services 

are available after detention, and what percentage of 

youth return to the streets after serving their sentence. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, in partnership 

with DOJ’s National Institute of Justice, will fund a study 

of the impact of the population boom from an influx of oil 

workers, in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, 

on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, 

stalking, and human trafficking. 

Identify Resource Gaps 

➤	 In order to better target future efforts, an improved 

understanding of the services currently being provided 

is needed. The needs of vulnerable and underserved 

populations are not fully understood, which restricts 

the ability of providers to appropriately respond to the 

needs of these victims. 

➤	 Federal agencies will work in coordination with the 

Senior Policy Operating Group to strategically collect 

and share information about gaps on an ongoing basis. 

This comprehensive effort will leverage the specialized 

knowledge of each partner in the creation of a more 

complete understanding of the needs of the entire field. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will collaborate 

with DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the 

Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center to provide 

federal agencies with GIS mapping of services, formal 

collaborations (such as locations of the Office for Victims 

of Crime/Bureau of Justice Assistance Anti-Human 

Trafficking Task Forces, Anti-Trafficking Coordination 

Teams, HHS Rescue and Restore Coalitions, specialized 

legal services, DOJ Office on Violence Against Women 

grantees, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces, 

Innocence Lost Task Forces, and Project Safe Childhood 

Task Forces), and, to the extent the data are available, 

federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement 

data on locations of human trafficking arrests and 

investigations. Where appropriate, opportunities to 

engage technology companies and nonprofit agencies 

that can add to this effort will be sought. This initiative 

will assist in identifying gaps in resources and locations 

that require specific efforts to coordinate and align antitrafficking initiatives and the provision of victim services. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention and Office for Victims of Crime will conduct 

informal assessments of their grant-funded task forces 

to identify training and technical assistance needs and 

promising practices. 

➤	 Federal agencies will collaborate to gather information 

on under-resourced communities and emerging human 

trafficking trends and develop strategies to improve 

services and support. 

•		 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on 

Violence Against Women, and HHS’s Administration 

for Children and Families will gather information from 

experts and stakeholders on the needs of trafficked 

American Indian/Alaska Native women and girls and 

promising practices in service delivery. 

•		 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on 

Violence Against Women and HHS’s Administration 

for Children and Families will gather information 

from survivors, anti-human trafficking organizations, 

and service providers on the needs of trafficked 

boys and men, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 

and questioning victims, and minor victims of labor 

trafficking. 
21 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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•		 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women will explore 

providing funds to law enforcement and victim 

service providers in the Bakken area. The Office on 

Violence Against Women will also host interagency 

conversations with experts and stakeholders to share 

information and support these under-resourced rural 

communities, following up on a site visit to western 

North Dakota in July 2013, during which local law 

enforcement, tribal leaders, domestic violence and 

sexual assault advocates, the U.S. Attorney for North 

Dakota, state and tribal coalition leaders, and service 

providers from both western North Dakota and 

eastern Montana reported increased rates of human 

trafficking and sexual assault arising from the sudden 

population boom in the region. 

a note on data ColleCtion 

It is important to note that data sets from different 

agencies are collected for different purposes, including 

program evaluation, grant performance measures, 

administrative studies, and research studies. These 

data sets have different parameters and are unlikely 

to match. When analyzing human trafficking data 

in the United States, one must take the purpose and 

context of the data collection into consideration so 

that the limitations of the data are understood and the 

statistics are an accurate reflection of U.S. anti human 

trafficking efforts. Notably, data collection efforts 

must keep confidentiality and privacy protection of 

victims in the forefront to ensure that victims remain 

protected. 

Establish New Data Collection Mechanisms 

Stakeholders resoundingly agree that a strong baseline 

understanding of the prevalence of human trafficking in the 

United States, and the needs of those victims, is needed.31 The 

foundation for this baseline lies in the collection, coordination, 

and sharing of data in a consistent way using common definitions 

of human trafficking and related terms. Improved and expanded 

data collection will assist in creating standardized data and help 

to describe the extent and distribution of human trafficking 

throughout the United States. 

Federal agencies will continue to collaborate on identifying 

appropriate improvements in data collection efforts. When 

new data collection efforts are implemented, federal agencies 

will be clear about the purpose of the data collection. 

➤	 The FBI will build a data collection application to collect 

end-of-case reporting data for all civil rights investigations, 

including human trafficking cases. This data will be used 

for Uniform Crime Reporting purposes, as well as for 

varied statistical analyses. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will assist the Internet Crimes Against Children 

Task Forces, a national network of 61 coordinated task 

forces representing more than 3,000 federal, state, tribal, 

and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, to 

report data on the number of cases related to commercial 

sexual exploitation of children, including sex trafficking, 

handled by the Task Forces. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women will include 

human trafficking, where appropriate, in grantee and 

subgrantee report forms. After 2 years of data collection, 

data will be disseminated by inclusion in reports to 

Congress. 

➤	 In conjunction with the rule revisions for the Victims of 

Crime Act Assistance and Compensation Programs, DOJ’s 

Office for Victims of Crime will revise draft grantee and 

subgrantee data collection forms, which include human 

trafficking, where appropriate. The Office for Victims of 

Crime will work in coordination with DOJ’s Office on 

Violence Against Women to align grantee guidance on 

new data collection instruments as closely as possible. 

➤	 DOJ’s National Institute of Justice will host an expert 

working group, pending approvals, to tackle the 

methodological barriers hampering data collection and 

related research efforts on human trafficking. 

➤	 The Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center will 

convene an interagency working group to explore the 

value and feasibility of sustaining the data-gathering 

and analysis that informed the first National Human 

Trafficking Assessment, including the possibility of more 

indepth research on particular areas of special interest. 

➤	 EEOC will continue to explore ways of tracking data on 

human trafficking in its internal data collection systems. 

EEOC is exploring ways to improve the collection of 

human trafficking data for charges of discrimination, 

as well as internal and external outreach events and 

trainings. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore ways, within its existing authorities and using 

available resources, to better collect data from federal 

and state data systems and national surveys to support 

analyses that will uncover specific risk factors for human 

trafficking among runaway and homeless youth and 

children who experienced abuse or neglect. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore possibilities for improving coordination of data 

collection on human trafficking across its programs, 

including refugee resettlement, child welfare, runaway 

and homeless youth, and domestic violence grantees, 

where applicable. 

➤	 HHS will explore new data collection strategies, such 

as 1-day census counts and collecting data through 

public health methodologies, for compiling unduplicated 

estimates on the prevalence of human trafficking in the 

United States. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 22 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

“Data collection on human trafficking needs improvement. Federal statistics on human 

trafficking are only capturing a small picture of the problem. Until we have learned to identify 

all victims of human trafficking, statistics will not be reflective of the full spectrum of victims, 

including victims who are transgender, female, and male; citizens and foreign nationals; adult 

and child; sex- and labor-trafficked; free and still in bondage.” 

– Freedom Network 

➤	 HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration and 

intra-agency partners will consider adopting action from 

the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health 

Disparities to establish data standards for information 

collected related to victims of human trafficking. 

Share Data and Reports 

Studies of human trafficking have been limited in number and 

scope. As new and ongoing studies are completed, findings 

must be shared widely and effectively, both within the Federal 

Government and with nongovernmental stakeholders, to 

improve understanding of the dynamics of human trafficking 

and the effectiveness of current efforts. 

In coordination with the Senior Policy Operating Group, federal 

agencies will collaborate to identify priorities and resources 

for future research efforts. Additionally, coordinated efforts will 

be made to better share research conclusions with the field to 

spur innovations in service provision. 

➤	 The Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center will 

share a National Human Trafficking Assessment with 

relevant federal agencies. This first-ever, interagency 

human trafficking assessment is based on collated data 

from more than a dozen federal agencies. It will help 

the Federal Government allocate law enforcement and 

other resources by identifying existing and emerging 

hotspots for trafficking activity across the United States 

and revealing trends and patterns in victim recruitment 

and exploitation. 

➤	 Additionally, the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center 

will provide federal agencies a written report of best 

practices for data collection, data management, and 

data sharing based on its experience analyzing human 

trafficking data from more than a dozen federal entities 

for the National Human Trafficking Assessment. The best 

practices report will address data collection, storage, 

standardization, and formatting, as well as policy and 

privacy considerations relative to data sharing. 

➤	 The Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center will 

make the data sets developed for the National Human 

Trafficking Assessment available to the original data 

owners. The data sets will contain structured and 

cleansed data, which the data owner can use for further 

data reporting or analysis. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will create an annual 

aggregate data report for public dissemination that 

includes an indepth analysis of the Office for Victims 

of Crime’s anti-human trafficking grantee performance 

measurement data. 

➤	 DOL will collect and make available to federal partners 

relevant publicly available labor enforcement data 

aggregated by industry, type, and geographic area 

regarding labor exploitation. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland 

Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program will 

work to consolidate existing data on victims of human 

trafficking and immigration benefits provided to eligible 

foreign-born victims, including Continued Presence and 

T and U nonimmigrant visas, and publish the data on 

the DHS Blue Campaign Web site. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

release a report analyzing data received from its antihuman trafficking grantees during the first 10 years of 

victim outreach and service programs. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

identify the most effective mechanisms to communicate 

and disseminate analysis of trends on human trafficking 

through its various training and technical assistance 

centers. 

objeCtiVe 4: 

Support the development of effective 

responses to the needs of human 

trafficking victims. 

Federal agencies will evaluate and support field-driven initiatives 

to improve victim identification and services, with the longterm goal of establishing evidenced-based practices. To establish 

evidence-based practices, federal agencies will continue to 

identify emerging issues in the human trafficking field and 

engage stakeholders in defining and describing the challenges 

that remain. Preliminary investigations can form the basis for 

formal evaluations to continue to address gaps in knowledge. 
23 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

	 

	 

	 

		

		

		

Evaluate Screening and Training Tools 

Government agencies and private organizations developed a 

wealth of materials and resources to address human trafficking, 

although few were formally evaluated. Without evaluation, 

government and nongovernmental organizations are unable 

to establish the impact of these tools. 

Federal agencies will work to coordinate efforts and resources to 

formally evaluate the effectiveness of these materials. Evaluated 

materials will be shared with the field to enhance the impact 

of their efforts. 

➤	 DOJ’s National Institute of Justice will publish a client 

screening tool and user guide that were tested and 

evaluated by the Vera Institute of Justice to improve victim 

identification across diverse populations for use by victim 

service providers. DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will 

provide the electronically published screening tool to 

all trafficking victim assistance grantees and the field. 

➤	 HHS will leverage the work of DOJ’s National Institute 

of Justice to identify targeted screening tools for human 

trafficking for specific use within medical and health 

systems (including community clinics and emergency 

rooms), child welfare systems, mental health and 

substance abuse treatment providers, providers of services 

to homeless populations, human services programs, and 

other systems likely to encounter potential victims. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore the development of standardized health care 

protocols for intake (including increased focus on medical 

history and past intimate partner violence), evaluation/ 

examination, referrals, evidence collection, and long-term 

care (physical, oral, and mental) in human trafficking 

situations. 

Improve the Quality of Evaluations 

Government and nongovernmental organizations use a variety 

of outcome indicators and approaches to measure the impact of 

their efforts. This variety leads to a confusing array of inconsistent 

data and reports. 

Federal agencies are committed to planning future outcome 

evaluations that will provide the baseline data and structure 

to be used for more rigorous evaluation efforts to support the 

development of evidence-based practices. Federal agencies will 

work in coordination with the Senior Policy Operating Group 

to better align performance metrics across Federal Government 

anti-human trafficking programs. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and HHS’s 

Administration for Children and Families will convene 

a group of human trafficking victim service providers with 

the aim of identifying several performance measures that 

are commonly and effectively used to measure victim 

service outcomes. 

•		 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and HHS’s 

Administration for Children and Families will work 

with DOJ’s National Institute of Justice to explore 

ways to develop technical assistance guides, tools, 

and templates for adaptation by a variety of human 

trafficking victim service providers to improve the 

effectiveness of their evaluation efforts. 

•		 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore ways to leverage existing resources and 

performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of 

training curricula for stakeholders in the child welfare, 

runaway, and homeless youth systems. 

•		 DOD will gauge the effectiveness of its combating 

trafficking in persons training by including several 

questions related to human trafficking in the Status 

of Forces Survey. This survey polls approximately 

65,000 active duty and 80,000 reserve duty service 

members. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 24 

 

 

 

	 

	 

Goal 3: EXpand aCCESS to SErViCES  


Provide and promote outreach, training, and technical assistance to 

increase victim identification and expand the availability of services. 

Unfortunately, too many people in the United States have either never heard of human trafficking or believe it is a crime 

that only occurs in foreign countries. Proactive efforts by government and nongovernmental entities to identify victims 

is critically important because the pervasive use of coercion, and the exploitation of victims’ fears by perpetrators, leads 

few victims to seek assistance independently, either from law enforcement or service providers. Even when victims are identified, 

many first responders, including law enforcement and victim service providers at the federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local 

levels, remain unfamiliar with the range of services available to victims.32 Public outreach to expand general awareness, and 

targeted training and technical assistance for allied professionals likely to encounter victims of human trafficking, is a crucial aspect 

of victim identification and coordinated service delivery. Improved understanding of human trafficking will allow individuals to 

identify victims and to provide them with referrals for the comprehensive array of services available to trafficking victims. 

Federal agencies developed a variety of general awareness and targeted training materials based on their respective experience 

and expertise. Improved coordination and collaboration will allow for more effective and efficient development and distribution 

of information and materials, increasing the impact of these resources and awareness of human trafficking. Throughout the process 

of developing and updating outreach and training materials, efforts will be made to seek and incorporate feedback from survivors, 

victim service providers, anti-human trafficking organizations, and other subject matter experts. 

To reach this goal, federal actions fall under two objectives: 

objeCtiVe 5:	 Increase victim identification through coordinated public outreach 

and awareness efforts. 

objeCtiVe 6:	 Build capacity to better identify and serve victims through targeted 

training and technical assistance. 
25 Federal Strategic Action Plan

Federal partners, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will collaborate on a comprehensive review 

of existing government public outreach and awareness materials 

and strategies and provide recommendations on increasing 

the effectiveness and efficiencies of these materials. In this 

review, federal partners will focus on materials designed for 

both the general public and for targeted audiences, distribution 

of materials, engagement of partners, and the development 

of new materials as appropriate. Federal agencies will work 

to make key public outreach and awareness materials more 

accessible by locating them on a common platform.

Conduct outreach and awareness activities 

and Provide resources for the general 

Public

The general public remains unaware of the breadth and depth 

of human trafficking in the United States. It is important that 

the general public becomes more aware of human trafficking in 

order to increase victim identification and referrals for service. 

Federal agencies are engaged in a number of creative strategies 

to provide a special spotlight on human trafficking for the public. 

Agencies will share their strategies and work collaboratively on 

appropriate efforts to multiply the impact of their individual 

efforts. Federal agencies will collaboratively engage in special 

public outreach activities every January to highlight National 

Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Activities to highlight National Slavery and Human Trafficking 

Prevention Month

➤

➤

➤

awareness events across the country, and include FBI 

resources on human trafficking at public venues such as 

libraries, community centers, and faith-based facilities 

by displaying books, posters, and other materials on 

human trafficking, slavery, and/or civil rights. These 

materials bring awareness to the warning signs of 

human trafficking, alert the public that it is a crime, 

and provide the National Human Trafficking Resource 

Hotline number. 

 DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

will collaboratively engage in special public outreach 

activities every January to highlight National Slavery 

and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and will help 

promote guidance and promising practices identified 

and developed by other federal agencies via the Office 

of Community Oriented Policing Services Web site, 

e-mail blasts, Facebook posts, articles, and podcasts. 

 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

coordinate with interested federal partners to strengthen 

engagement and awareness of human trafficking among 

youth through integration of youth-informed and youthfriendly prevention and intervention messages.

➤

➤

Tools and Resources

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤
Federal Strategic Action Plan 26

While the focus of the Plan is on victim 

services, there is heavy emphasis on 

outreach, awareness, training, and 

technical assistance activities. Very 

few government agencies have the 

authority to include the development 

and provision of services to victims 

of human trafficking in their missions. 

For example, DOT is working hard 

to educate all of its employees 

and to collaborate with industry 

partners to increase identification 

of victims in transportation systems. 

Victim services, however, are not 

within the scope of DOT’s mission 

and operations. Actions focused on 

outreach, awareness, training, and 

technical assistance highlight the range 

of government agencies that include 

human trafficking in their missions, as 

well as the importance of increasing 

general understanding of the crime 

as a necessary step leading to victim 

identification and access to services. 

Note that this Plan does not include 

all efforts related to human trafficking, 

as additional efforts focused on 

investigation and prosecution fall 

outside of the scope of the Plan.

For the purposes of the Plan and the action items detailed within, these terms are used to refer to the following 

related, but different, activities:

Outreach is defined as an action, carried out by an individual or organization, to contact and offer assistance 

to a person or community.

Awareness is defined as general information provided to a community or group to increase the knowledge or 

understanding of a subject, issue, or situation. 

Training is defined as an organized activity or process to impart information or instructions to improve the 

recipient’s knowledge, attitudes, or skills needed to carry out a specific activity. 

Technical assistance is defined as targeted learning, usually between two people or within a small group. 

Technical assistance is generally less formal than training, often provided on demand and in response to ongoing 

cases or organizational issues. 
27 Federal Strategic Action Plan

➤ DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

➤

➤

➤

➤

of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report, which forms 

the basis of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking 

in Persons’ diplomacy throughout the year, in order 

to highlight the global need to develop effective and 

careful victim identification criteria and approaches 

that result in the protection and restoration of victims. 

 The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section will 

continue to use a national billboard campaign, as well 

as bus board and bus stop ads, to increase awareness 

of trafficking of children and adults. 

➤

Web Sites and Social Media

➤

➤

➤

Conduct outreach and awareness activities 

and Provide resources for targeted groups/

Communities

It is crucial that targeted outreach is provided to groups and 

communities that may encounter victims so they are able to 

identify victims and expand the network of services. These 

groups do not need to be experts in human trafficking; however, 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 28

they need to have a general awareness and understanding of 

the indicators of the crime in order to provide needed referrals.

Federal agencies, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, will work collaboratively to deliver targeted 

outreach, including working to promote better awareness of 

existing tools, research, and information about labor trafficking. 

The development of materials and strategies will include 

interagency collaboration that will reduce redundancies and 

increase effectiveness. 

Businesses and Employees 

➤ DOL will implement a targeted public engagement

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤ HUD will provide outreach and awareness materials

Medical Community

➤ HHS will collaborate through intra-agency efforts to 

Philanthropic Community

➤

Transportation Industry

➤

➤

➤

Youth

➤

➤

➤
29 Federal Strategic Action Plan

other stakeholders the research findings that result 

from its Counter-Trafficking Campus Challenge research 

grants that were awarded to the University of Southern 

California, Texas Christian University, and Vanderbilt 

University. The Campus Challenge included a Tech 

Challenge, a Research Competition, and an online 

community and education campaign (challengeslavery.

org) to increase global awareness about human 

trafficking and to inspire activism among students and 

scholars at colleges and universities in the United States 

and abroad.

Stakeholder feedback identified gaps in current training 

resources and emphasized the critical need for improved, 

coordinated, and ongoing training. Federal partners, in 

coordination with the Senior Policy Operating Group, will 

engage in ongoing discussions on how to catalog, share, and 

disseminate trainings to leverage resources, reduce duplication 

of efforts, and ensure needed trainings reach the intended 

audience. 

Additionally, federal agencies will work proactively to ensure 

that human trafficking workshops and presentations are 

included on agendas of national conferences and training 

efforts, including conferences and trainings designed for law 

enforcement, victim service providers, tribal personnel, legal 

service providers, medical professionals, and mental health 

practitioners. 

Federal government employees are often in a position to 

identify human trafficking victims, but may not yet have the 

training needed to assist them effectively. Even those who 

do not interact with the public, if given the tools, can be a 

catalyst for change.

Agencies across the government will ensure that their personnel 

are well educated in human trafficking, are better able to 

identify victims, and can provide appropriate referrals for 

services. 

Department of Agriculture

➤

Department of Defense

➤ DOD, in close collaboration with other agencies, 

➤

• DOD will continue to update its general awareness 

•

“An important aspect of coordination and collaboration between agencies should be the 

development of a standardized training for agencies—one that is based on a uniform 

definition of human trafficking and then adapted to the specialized needs of each agency. 

Standardized trainings will help create more cohesion and unity between agencies.”

– Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
Federal Strategic Action Plan 30

• DOD will continue to distribute awareness brochures, 

Department of health and human Services

➤

➤

Department of homeland Security 

➤ DHS will continue to mandate that all of its employees 

• All DHS U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

•

enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, and 

community groups. 

 ICE HSI will conduct a 2-week advanced human 

smuggling and trafficking course at the Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers multiple times per 

year depending on funding availability. 

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) 

public-facing employees are required to complete 

mandatory electronic-based human trafficking 

training. USCIS will consider adding to the training 

as needed. 

 USCIS will provide periodic training on human 

trafficking and other related forms of immigration 

benefits to its community relations officers who 

provide outreach to stakeholders in their local 

districts on a range of topics. 

 USCIS will continue to provide a training module 

on trafficking to all new officers at the USCIS 

Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations 

Directorate. Officers in the Asylum Division will 

receive additional training on mechanisms for 

referring potential victims of trafficking to ICE HSI 

when they apply for asylum, and how to share 

information with potential victims about traffickingrelated immigration benefits.

 The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to maintain 

an online training provided by the DHS Blue 

Campaign on its training portal that is available to 

all its personnel, including those who may encounter 

victims of human trafficking. U.S. Coast Guard 

members represented on the DHS Blue Campaign 

will continue to evaluate and update the online 

training as needed. 

 All U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and 

agents, as part of Basic Training, will continue to 

receive information on what human trafficking is, 

how to detect it, and what to do upon an encounter. 

Incumbent officers and agents will continue to be 

required to complete the online Human Trafficking 

Awareness course annually. 

•

•

•

•

•

•
31 Federal Strategic Action Plan

•

➤

•

•

➤ DHS and DOJ will coordinate cross training between 

Department of Justice

➤

•

•

•

•

•

•

➤

Department of Labor 

➤

➤

➤

Department of State 

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤
Federal Strategic Action Plan 32

Department of Transportation 

➤ DOT will train its employees on general human 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission 

➤ Resources permitting, EEOC will determine the 

➤

U.S. Agency for International Development

➤

The ability of law enforcement to effectively identify victims 

and hold offenders accountable depends on their capacity to 

connect with and support victims. It is also critically important 

that they know of services and immigration benefits available 

for victims of human trafficking. 

Federal agencies are committed to collaboratively supporting 

law enforcement and criminal justice systems with improved 

and expanded training and technical assistance. Federal 

partners will work collaboratively, in coordination with the 

Senior Policy Operating Group, to improve the impact of 

individual training efforts.

General Training 

➤ DHS and DOJ, supported by DOL and other federal 

➤

Assistance, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, Office on 

Violence Against Women, and the FBI will coordinate 

to provide training and technical assistance resources, 

including roll call videos, training materials, and 

speakers, to national law enforcement membership 

organizations for their listservs, annual conferences, 

and victim service committees. 

 DHS will continue to provide technical assistance 

to state, territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement 

organizations, first responder organizations, homeland 

security partners, Blue Campaign partners, and other 

targeted groups. 

➤

• DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Federal agencies are aware of the intersection between 

child welfare and juvenile justice systems and human 

trafficking. Service providers and others who work 

with trafficking victims report that a significant 

percentage of trafficked minors have been involved 

in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.33 Risk 

factors, including maltreatment, poverty, instability, 

and the absence of a permanent, caring caregiver, 

make children vulnerable to human trafficking and to 

becoming involved in the child welfare and juvenile 

justice systems. The likelihood increases when their 

trauma is not identified, treated, and resolved. The 

Federal Government agencies that work most closely 

with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems 

(including HHS’s Administration for Children and 

Families and DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention) are working to improve their 

understanding of the causes and effective interventions 

to protect these children. Some specific activities are 

included in this Plan, but many more are in the planning 

stages and will be announced as they are finalized.
33 Federal Strategic Action Plan

shown to law enforcement officers at the roll call 

briefing that occurs before officers begin their shifts 

and will be publically available for anyone who 

works with law enforcement. 

 ICE HSI and FLETC, pursuant to funding and 

resources, will continue to provide training and 

technical assistance to federal, state, territorial, 

tribal, and local law enforcement organizations and 

other targeted groups using DHS’s law enforcement 

trainings as core training. FLETC will continue to work 

with state and local law enforcement to load DHS’s 

Web-based state and local law enforcement human 

trafficking awareness training onto their statewide 

learning systems or use it in police academies. This 

interactive module introduces law enforcement 

officers to human trafficking and teaches them 

how to recognize indicators that someone may 

be a victim. This training could be supplemented 

by the state or locality to create a comprehensive 

approach to victim identification and highlight the 

importance of victim-centered practices. 

 DHS, in coordination with the Senior Policy 

Operating Group, DOL, and EEOC, will endeavor to 

include a module on both labor trafficking and labor 

exploitation, including information on indicators 

and referral mechanisms, in the training it currently 

provides to local law enforcement through FLETC. 

 ICE HSI and USCIS will continue to revise and 

deliver in-person and webinar training to federal, 

state, territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement 

and homeland security partners, as funding permits. 

Trainings will focus on how immigration benefits 

can support the stabilization and recovery of foreign 

national victims and further enhance rapportbuilding with victim-witnesses in human trafficking 

investigations. 

 USCIS will produce a T visa resource guide for 

law enforcement. This will provide guidance on 

T visa basics, law enforcement’s role in the T visa 

benefits, the T visa as a tool for law enforcement, 

a sample T visa declaration form, and frequently 

asked questions. Additionally, USCIS will continue 

to update and make available its U Visa Resource 

Guide as needed.

 DHS’s Office of Health Affairs, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, ICE HSI, and FLETC will 

continue to provide general awareness training 

of first responder communities through strategic 

partnerships to strengthen awareness, identification, 

and reporting of human trafficking. 

 DHS Blue Campaign will increase distribution of 

its human trafficking awareness video and indicator 

cards tailored specifically for first responders. The 

•

•

•

•

•

•

materials explain indicators of human trafficking that 

a first responder might encounter, what they can do 

to report suspected instances of human trafficking, 

and how to direct victims to services. 

➤ DOT will continue to train about 6,000 state and 

➤

➤

Task Forces

➤ DHS, DOJ, and DOL will continue to provide advanced 

➤

➤

Tribal Law Enforcement

➤

Criminal Justice Systems

➤
Federal Strategic Action Plan 34

defenders, other juvenile justice system stakeholders, 

and others whose work includes providing direct 

services to child victims in residential and communitybased programs in order to improve the states’ responses 

to issues faced by child trafficking victims. 

 The State Justice Institute will provide support to the 

Human Trafficking and the State Courts Collaborative, 

which will increase understanding and awareness about 

the challenges faced by state courts in dealing with 

cases involving trafficking victims and their families. 

 Federal agencies will collaborate to expand the use and 

effectiveness of training for forensic interviews.

➤

➤

•

•

➤

➤

Specialized anti-human trafficking service providers and those 

who work with human trafficking victims on a regular basis 

provide critical assistance and care to victims to ensure their 

needs are met in the immediate aftermath of the crime, as 

well as throughout their long-term recovery. These service 

providers are leaders in the anti-human trafficking field, helping 

to inform federal efforts. 

Federal agencies will continue to provide training and technical 

assistance to these key partners to support and enhance the 

quality and effectiveness of services provided.

Capacity Building Efforts

➤

➤

➤

“The training to increase collaboration with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking 

agencies mentioned in the plan should include education on the intersections of these issues 

with human trafficking and provision of services to human trafficking victims. Many of these 

agencies are already serving trafficking victims but need to feel incorporated into the antitrafficking field not just as ‘related fields’ but as fields that have direct intersections with 

human trafficking and are filling the gaps in service provision throughout the country.”

– Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance, Denver District Attorney’s Office
35 Federal Strategic Action Plan

Improving Service Provision

➤ DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

Public and nonprofit victim service providers have experience, 

expertise, and resources that should be better integrated with 

federal anti-human trafficking efforts. 

Federal agencies will develop training and enhance 

collaborative efforts to better integrate these sectors, create 

linkages between systems, increase victim identification, 

and expand and improve the services provided to victims 

of human trafficking. When developing and updating new 

training resources, agencies will make efforts to seek and 

incorporate feedback from survivors, victim service providers, 

and other stakeholders. 

General Victim Service Providers

➤ HHS will provide training resources on human

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤
Federal Strategic Action Plan 36

➤ DHS’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center will 

➤

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Providers

➤ HHS’s Administration for Children and Families Family 

➤

➤

➤

➤

Human trafficking is a crime that often intersects with other 

crimes. Although it is usually hidden, some victims encounter 

medical professionals, teachers, public safety officials, and 

others who could potentially assist the victim in escaping 

into freedom.

Federal agencies will provide human trafficking training and 

technical assistance to public and private agencies that may 

encounter victims of human trafficking through their work 

with victims of other crimes and vulnerable populations to 

increase victim identification and leverage resources.

Education Systems

➤ ED will provide information to school communities with 

• ED will develop a guide to raise awareness in 

•

•

➤ HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, 

➤

➤
37 Federal Strategic Action Plan

Faith-Based and Community-Based 

Organizations

➤ DHS’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood 

➤

Labor and Employment Systems

➤ DOL, in coordination with DOJ and HHS, will provide 

➤

➤ HHS will engage health care provider organizations

trafficking and to increase services and support for 

victims. 

 HHS will provide guidance on addressing major gaps 

in medical treatment and services for victims of human 

trafficking, as well as sensitivity and cultural competency 

training to decrease stigma associated with human 

trafficking. HHS will explore the possibility and process 

of expanding hospital codes, such as International 

Classification of Diseases 10 or Diagnostic and Statistical 

Manual of Mental Disorders, to allow for better reflection 

of cost of care and time spent on these cases. These 

codes do not currently include an option for human 

trafficking cases. 

 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will form 

a technical working group of health care professionals, 

including physicians, nurses, and community health 

practitioners, to identify opportunities for increased 

training and collaboration to better identify and 

serve victims within targeted health systems. The 

Administration for Children and Families will then 

provide recommendations for training on identifying 

victims of human trafficking and how to meet their 

physical and mental health needs. 

➤

➤

“The public benefits available to a human trafficking victim may vary on a case-by-case basis. 

Due to the complexities in meeting the eligibility requirements for these programs, victims 

are generally unable to obtain public benefits on their own. Legal aid providers and victim 

services agencies help trafficking victims access public benefits and meet their basic survival 

needs, but they often lack the funding and staff capacity to fully meet this need.”

– Santa Clara University Law School 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 38 

 

 

Goal 4: improve outcomes 

Promote effective, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services that 

improve the short- and long-term health, safety, and well-being of victims. 

Victims of human trafficking require a multidisciplinary response to address fully the impact of their victimization. Service 

providers express concern at the lengthy and confusing process of connecting victims with available services. Through the 

public comment period, nongovernmental organizations also reported that additional resources, from both government 

and nongovernmental sources, are needed to provide comprehensive long-term victim care, including health care and key 

legal services.35 Victims would also benefit from access to varying services depending on their specialized needs, and it may be 

challenging for service providers to meet those needs for the length of time it takes to stabilize a victim.36 

Federal agencies will work together and coordinate with state, territorial, tribal, and local governments to create a more efficient 

service delivery system that is accessible and responsive to the needs of all identified victims of human trafficking. 

To reach this goal, federal actions fall under two objectives: 

objeCtiVe 7:	 Foster collaborations and partnerships to enhance the community 

response to human trafficking.
	

objeCtiVe 8:	 Improve access to victim services by removing systemic barriers. 
39 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

objeCtiVe 7: 

Foster collaborations and partnerships 

to enhance the community response to 

human trafficking. 

Federal agencies will develop stronger and more effective 

collaborations with community-based organizations, including 

those from cultural, ethnic, and religious communities, in order 

to increase victim identification and improve victim services. 

Federal agencies will focus their resources on supporting the 

growth and development of sustainable local providers who 

are best able to tailor their work to the needs of the immediate 

community. 

Develop Networks to Increase Identification 

of Victims of Human Trafficking 

Human trafficking exists in a wide range of settings and 

communities. Partnerships must be equally wide ranging and 

diverse in response. Strategies to address the identification of 

underserved populations require tactical collaborations with 

nontraditional partners. 

Federal agencies will work to identify new and expanded 

partnerships that are likely to uncover human trafficking. 

Partnerships with these organizations will expand the victim 

service network and increase victim identification, particularly 

among vulnerable populations. 

General Partnerships 

➤	 HHS will work with partners, and relevant HHS-funded 

grantees and contractors, in the medical, educational, 

and other stakeholder communities to identify trends 

in human trafficking of service-related professionals, 

including elder care providers and teachers. 

➤	 HHS will identify opportunities to reach out to community 

partners who can aid in victim identification, including 

health care providers, unions, and housing authorities 

and inspectors who may have contact with potential 

victims of human trafficking. 

➤	 DOD will partner with government agencies, external 

stakeholders, nongovernmental organizations, and the 

private sector to make trainings more victim-centered and 

ensure troops know where to refer victims for assistance. 

➤	 The FBI will continue to coordinate its anti-human 

trafficking efforts through partnerships with various 

hotels and medical facilities, and in trainings provided 

at Citizens Academies. These partnerships and trainings 

will provide increased awareness that may lead to further 

victim identification. 

➤	 The FBI will foster greater relationships with juvenile 

detention facility personnel. 

➤	 The FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance will establish 

public-private partnerships using victim specialist 

outreach in local communities. 

➤	 DOJ’s U.S. Attorney’s Of fice Human Trafficking 

Task Forces will continue to partner with nonprofit 

organizations and federal, state, territorial, tribal, and 

local agencies to combat and increase awareness of 

trafficking, as appropriate and within available resources. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations will continue to 

develop existing partnerships while also establishing new 

partnerships with community groups, law enforcement, 

nongovernmental organizations, private industry, faithbased service providers, immigrant community-based 

organizations, adult club industry affiliates, financial 

institution partners, and local and federal regulatory 

agencies. 

➤	 DHS’s Blue Campaign will continue to pursue formal 

co-branding partnerships with a range of groups, 

such as businesses, private sector, hotels, government 

associations, medical and first responder organizations, 

and law enforcement. Through these partnerships, 

materials and resources are shared with both the private 

and public sector. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 40 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I think that providing low barrier access to services and better identification of victims 

and survivors so they can access services is really the key to responding to human trafficking. 

I think that focusing on this gives us a more actionable plan than spreading ourselves 

too broadly.” 

– International Rescue Committee Washington
	

➤	 EEOC will continue to work on targeted outreach and 

expansion of significant partnerships with stakeholder 

organizations involved in the fight against human 

trafficking. EEOC will continue to work toward protecting 

the rights of victims of human trafficking, who are 

prioritized as a class of vulnerable workers. 

American Indian/Alaska Native Communities 

➤	 The FBI will broaden its community outreach efforts within 

American Indian/Alaska Native communities throughout 

the United States to include law enforcement agencies, 

community leaders, and social service providers. 

➤	 HHS will incorporate the topic of human trafficking in 

ongoing tribal consultations and identify information 

distribution channels to relevant programs through HHS’s 

Indian Health Service. 

➤	 DHS’s Office of Health Affairs will coordinate tribal 

outreach through emergency medical associations with 

tribal affiliations. 

Faith-based and Community-based Organizations 

➤	 DOJ’s U.S. Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task 

Forces will continue to partner with faith-based and 

community-based organizations to improve victim 

identification and services. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations’ Victim Assistance 

Program and the FBI’s victim specialists and community 

outreach specialists will continue to participate on human 

trafficking and FBI Child Exploitation Task Forces to 

develop partnerships with faith-based, cultural, ethnic, 

and other local community-based organizations. These 

partnerships will increase victim identification and 

forward prevention efforts. 

Labor and Employment Systems 

➤	 DOL, EEOC, and HHS will leverage relationships with 

domestic worker, farmworker, guest worker, worker 

centers, workers’ advocacy organizations, and other 

labor organizations to identify opportunities for victim 

identification and/or connection to services through the 

National Human Trafficking Resource Center. 

Runaway and homeless Youth Systems 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will work 

with runaway and homeless youth programs to identify 

opportunities for victim identification in human trafficking 

networks related to exploitative peddling operations, 

which often take the form of youth selling food items, 

produce, flowers, inexpensive household products, used 

merchandise, and fix-it services. 

➤	 ED will work with the National Center for Homeless 

Education to make anti-human trafficking resources, 

such as webinars and relevant materials, available to its 

membership. 

Develop Networks to Expand Access 

to Services 

Victims of human trafficking have a wide range of needs and 

experiences. Networks and partnerships with organizations that 

serve populations at risk for trafficking, such as child welfare, 

runaway and homeless youth services, sexual assault and 

domestic violence services, immigration services, and migrant 

worker support networks, need to expand to provide appropriate 

services and referrals for victims of human trafficking. 

Federal agencies will collaborate with a diverse array of partners 

who offer services, support, or access that can address the 

needs of victims. 

Comprehensive Victim Services 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, DOS’s Office to 

Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons, HHS’s 

Administration for Children and Families, and HUD 

will engage with Humanity United, as appropriate, in 

a public-private capacity-building initiative to identify 

innovative solutions to key gaps in victim services. 

➤	 DHS, DOJ, and HHS’s Administration for Children and 

Families will coordinate and streamline efforts to use 

victim assistance law enforcement and prosecutionbased specialists to help connect victims to appropriate 

services, including housing, medical and mental health 

support, and legal representation, including immigration 

assistance. 
41 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employment and Financial Stability 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, DOL, and HHS’s 

Administration for Children and Families will continue 

to strengthen and participate in an informal network 

of grantee organizations, local and state workforce 

investment boards, and stakeholder groups around the 

issue of employment and training services for victims 

of trafficking. The network will continue to build upon 

initial listening sessions by sharing and promoting, 

where possible, the integration of information about 

underutilized services into service delivery, common 

barriers to employment, and promising practices in 

employment and training services. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore the possibility of engaging its Assets for 

Independence program to provide support for survivors 

of human trafficking. 

➤	 DOL and HHS’s Administration for Children and 

Families will facilitate discussions and relationships 

among community-based organizations and business 

communities and industries to support components 

of victim service programs, including information 

on employment and training services and workforce 

development efforts. 

Families and Youth Support 

➤	 DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will expand evidence-based mentoring 

initiatives to develop specific outreach to child victims 

and provide training to mentoring experts, and consider 

ways to build partnerships among national mentoring 

organizations and local programs serving child victims 

of sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will provide additional 

guidance to its anti-human trafficking grantees on the 

provision of services to family members of victims of 

human trafficking. 

➤	 ED will collaborate with federal partners to strengthen 

coordination among, and provide guidance to, its migrant 

youth programs, runaway and homeless youth programs, 

and other relevant programs. 

➤	 ED will develop at least one webinar for school 

community grantees on how to identify and respond 

to minor sex trafficking and how to collaborate with 

organizations that ser ve vulnerable youth. 

objeCtiVe 8: 

Improve access to victim services by 

removing systemic barriers. 

Federal agencies are committed to identifying effective 

approaches to reduce and remove barriers to ensure that 

victims of human trafficking have access to the full range of 

services they need. Special efforts will be made to identify the 

needs of vulnerable populations and to ensure they have equal 

access to services and support. 

Improve Access to Services and Benefits 

Human trafficking victims often struggle to access the full 

range of benefits and services that would address their needs. 

Immigration status, access to identity documents, poverty, 

limited education and job skills, and medical and mental 

health problems are among the issues that must be addressed 

to support victims. 

Federal agencies will work collaboratively, in coordination with 

the Senior Policy Operating Group, to improve the services and 

benefits provided to victims. Policies, practices, procedures, 

and funding mechanisms will be reviewed. 

housing 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

review how current policies, practices, regulations, 

and statutes guiding runaway and homeless youth and 

domestic violence shelters either inhibit or allow for 

housing and residence of human trafficking victims and 

consider strategies to remove barriers, including statutory 

or regulatory changes. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 42 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“One of the primary barriers we face as service providers is finding appropriate housing for 

survivors, especially transitional/emergency housing. Not having safe, affordable housing to 

turn to means that victims are more likely to stay in exploitative situations (because there is 

nowhere else to go), or be re-trafficked or otherwise unsafe. Even if we manage to find safe 

housing, there is a risk of wiping out their entire services fund to pay rent and not having 

enough left over for other basic needs.” 

– Break the Chain Campaign 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

identify partnership opportunities with HUD and 

youth providers to review federal policies regarding 

homelessness and requirements that may prevent victims 

of human trafficking from qualifying for available housing. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

review how policies affecting youth aging out of foster 

care impact victims of human trafficking and explore 

possibilities to recruit and train specialized foster parents 

to care for survivors of human trafficking. 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore public-private partnerships with businesses, 

philanthropic foundations, and faith-based and other 

community-based organizations and leaders to support 

ongoing housing needs. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will collaborate with 

HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, HUD, 

and DOJ components the National Institute of Justice and 

the Office on Violence Against Women to evaluate the 

appropriateness and feasibility of housing demonstration 

projects, including single-site and subsidized housing 

plans. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations’ Victim Assistance 

Program, the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance, and 

DOJ’s U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, through their field-based 

victim assistance specialists, will make referrals to local 

service provider organizations to provide appropriate 

housing options for human trafficking victims identified in 

federal investigations and prosecutions. In the absence of 

any emergency housing, U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations’ Victim 

Assistance Program and the FBI’s Office for Victim 

Assistance may consider using Federal Emergency Victim 

Assistance funds as a last resort until an appropriate 

housing option is available. 

Comprehensive Legal Services 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will engage in a 

multi-year, multi-pronged effort to build capacity for legal 

services for all crime victims, including victims of human 

trafficking, called Legal Assistance for Crime Victims: 

An OVC Capacity Building Initiative. The initiative will 

provide training and technical assistance for pro bono 

and low-cost legal service providers to expand their 

services to victims of human trafficking. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will continue to explore 

ways to support and strengthen the current Wraparound 

Victim Legal Assistance Net work Demonstration 

Project grants, which create partnerships that provide 

comprehensive legal services to crime victims. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence 

Against Women, and HHS’s Administration for Children 

and Families, with the assistance of DOJ’s Access to 

Justice Initiative, will explore opportunities to leverage 

existing federal resources, including available training and 

technical assistance, to partner with the Legal Services 

Corporation and other legal services providers to provide 

training on the identification of human trafficking victims 

and to support the provision of comprehensive legal 

services. 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence 

Against Women, and HHS’s Administration for Children 

and Families, will continue to provide grant funding to 

support legal services and will collaborate to develop 

and provide training and technical assistance (including 

written guidance, webinars, conferences, and training 

materials) to grantees and other providers on the remedies 

available to victims of human trafficking. 
43 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations’ Victim Assistance 

Program, the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance, and DOJ’s 

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, through their field-based victim 

assistance specialists, will make referrals to appropriate 

legal service providers for human trafficking victims 

identified in federal investigations and prosecutions, 

including for legal services related to immigration and 

family law. 

Immigration Benefits 

➤	 DHS is committed to updating its regulations to streamline 

the application process and provide clearer guidance on 

how to obtain T nonimmigrant status, while also ensuring 

the integrity of the immigration system. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI’s Office for 

Victim Assistance, and DOJ’s U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 

through their field-based victim assistance specialists, will 

identify human trafficking victims in federal investigations 

and prosecutions who may be eligible for immigration 

benefits and assist in the coordination of Continued 

Presence, law enforcement certifications for the T or U 

nonimmigrant visas, and referrals to immigration attorneys 

to provide further assistance to victims. 

addressing the needs of 

VUlnerable PoPUlations 

Federal agencies are aware that there are specific 

populations, including rural victims, men and boys, 

American Indians and Alaska Natives, and the lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning community, 

whose unique needs are not being addressed adequately. 

These populations require more attention and focus 

to ensure understanding of their vulnerabilities and 

needs so that responses are effective. The Federal 

Government acknowledges that it currently does not 

have enough information on human trafficking and 

service provision to these vulnerable populations to 

begin making recommendations to the field. Federal 

agencies are committed to spending the time and 

resources needed during the period of this Plan to 

learn enough to chart the course forward. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland 

Security Investigations will continue to train law 

enforcement and immigration attorneys on Continued 

Presence and T and U visas and to facilitate understanding 

of the application process, including the role of law 

enforcement and the certification process. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will 

provide training to adjudicators of T and U visas at the 

Vermont Service Center to ensure a comprehensive 

understanding of human trafficking, particularly in light 

of evolving and changing trends, as needed. 

➤	 The Vermont Service Center of DHS’s U.S. Citizenship 

and Immigration Services will provide information and 

resources to the Fraud Detection and National Security 

units about suspect companies, employers, and recruiters 

that are identified during the adjudication of the T visa to 

prevent further exploitation of the immigration process. 

➤	 DHS will continue to identify and assist victims through 

its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland 

Security Investigations by issuing Continued Presence for 

qualified victims, providing referrals to HHS, and issuing 

employment authorization documents through U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services, as appropriate. 

➤	 DOL, a certifying agency for U visas, with assistance 

from DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 

will explore the feasibility of completing law enforcement 

declarations for T visas. DOL will engage with stakeholder 

groups around the issues permitting or preventing such 

expansion. 

➤	 EEOC, a certifying agency for U visas, with assistance 

from DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 

will examine whether it can play a similar role with 

respect to T visas and, if so, will develop policies and 

protocols to do so. 

Victim Compensation Programs 

➤	 DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime will work to increase 

access to crime victim compensation for human trafficking 

victims through policy clarification, focused information, 

and training and technical assistance to state Victims of 

Crime Act compensation program administrators. 

Increase Access for Vulnerable Populations 

Perpetrators of human trafficking often exploit the limited English 

proficiency of their victims. Human traffickers can also target 

people with physical, mental, sensory, and developmental 

disabilities. Additionally, some victims develop mental and 

physical conditions due to their exploitation by traffickers. It 

is critical that first responders, service providers, government 

agencies, and others are able to communicate directly, clearly, 

and accurately with victims and provide appropriate auxiliary 

aids and services. 

Federal agencies will continue to ensure that all federally 

administered and funded programs comply with civil rights 

requirements and work to better identify and share policies, 

procedures, tools, and technology to improve access in the 

anti-human trafficking field. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 44 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Our Nation was founded on the enduring principles of equality and freedom for all. 

As Americans, it is our solemn responsibility to honor and uphold this legacy.” 

Victims with Limited English Proficiency 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

provide a directory of language access options available 

through service providers and identify innovative uses of 

technology to provide language access to victims. HHS’s 

Office for Civil Rights will provide technical assistance 

so that the Administration for Children and Families 

can continue to make grant recipients aware of their 

obligations to provide language assistance. 

➤	 DHS will continue to provide language identification tools, 

known as the I-Speak materials, which were modified 

by its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the 

Blue Campaign to fit the human trafficking context, to 

DHS and law enforcement entities for use in identifying 

the language of victims and to enhance communication 

through appropriate interpretation services. The tools 

will be made available to the public on the DHS Blue 

Campaign Web site, and DHS will distribute hard copies 

to DHS personnel who are likely to encounter victims 

of human trafficking. 

➤	 DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will 

work to translate the Blue Campaign awareness products 

into multiple languages to increase the accessibility of 

information about the signs of human trafficking and the 

resources available to human trafficking victims. 

➤	 EEOC will work with its language access officers and 

other employees, as appropriate, to ensure that they are 

familiar with current trends and signs of human trafficking. 

➤	 DOJ’s U.S. Attorney’s Office victim-witness personnel 

will continue to utilize available resources to ensure that 

human trafficking victims with limited English proficiency 

can participate meaningfully in federal prosecutions. 

Victims with Disabilities 

➤	 HHS will promote policies, training, and outreach efforts 

to ensure victims with disabilities receive necessary 

auxiliary aids and services in order to meaningfully 

participate in programs and receive services. HHS’s 

Office for Civil Rights will provide technical assistance 

so that HHS can continue to make grant recipients aware 

of their obligations to provide auxiliary aids and services. 

– President Barack Obama, December 22, 2010 

➤	 HHS’s Administration for Children and Families will 

explore public-private partnerships with advocacy 

groups, foundations, businesses, and faith-based and 

other community-based groups to support the needs of 

victims who have disabilities. 

➤	 DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations will continue to 

support forensic interviewers who can conduct legally 

defensible, victim sensitive, developmentally and 

culturally appropriate investigative interviews with victims 

of all ages and special populations, including victims 

with disabilities. 

➤	 DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will 

continue to work to ensure full inclusion and equal access 

for all persons with disabilities who interact with DHS, 

including victims of trafficking, under federal civil rights 

laws. The effort includes providing coordination and 

guidance to DHS components regarding their federally 

conducted activities as well as for recipients of DHS 

financial assistance. 

➤	 The FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance will provide training 

to FBI personnel on considerations for working with 

human trafficking victims with disabilities. 

➤	 Resources permit ting, EEOC will consider the 

development of outreach and training materials to address 

issues involving trafficking of individuals with disabilities. 
45 Federal Strategic Action Plan

appendix a: acronyms
 

Department of Justice (DOJ) Entities 

BJA – Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance 

COPS - Community Oriented Policing Services 

EOUSA - Executive Office for United States Attorneys 

FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation 

FBI OVA – Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office for Victim Assistance 

NIJ – Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice 

OJJDP – Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

OJP – Office of Justice Programs 

OVC – Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime 

OVW – Office on Violence Against Women 

USAO – United States Attorneys’ Offices 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Entities 

ACF – Administration for Children and Families 

CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

HRSA – Health Resources and Services Administration 

ORR – Office of Refugee Resettlement 

SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entities 

CBP – U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

CFBNP – Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships 

FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency 

FLETC – Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 

HSI VAP – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Victim Assistance 

Program 

ICE – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

ICE HSI – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations 

OHA – Office of Health Affairs 

USCG – U.S. Coast Guard 

USCIS – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 46 

Other Government Offices and Entities 

DOD – Department of Defense 

DOL – Department of Labor 

DOS – Department of State 

DOS DS – Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security 

DOS TIP Office – Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons 

DOT – Department of Transportation 

ED – Department of Education 

EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 

HSTC – Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center 

HUD – Department of Housing and Urban Development 

PITF – President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons 

SPOG – Senior Policy Operating Group 

USAID – U.S. Agency for International Development 

Other Acronyms 

AI/AN – American Indian/Alaska Native 

CSEC – Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 

LGBTQ - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning 

NCMEC – National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

TVPA – Trafficking Victims Protection Act 

VAWA – Violence Against Women Act 

VOCA – Victims of Crime Act 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

appendix b: timeline
 

oVerarChing theMes: integrate sUrViVor eXPerienCes and inPUt 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

OVC with 

DHS, DOS 

TIP Office, 

ACF, EOUSA, 

and COPS 

Host a forum to hear from survivors of 

trafficking about effective, strategic, and 

meaningful ways to engage survivor groups 

X 

DHS Engage nongovernmental stakeholders, 

including survivors, in meetings twice a year 

X X X X X X 

ACF, HSI VAP, 

FBI, and OVC 

Integrate survivor experiences and 

perspectives into training and technical 

assistance materials 

X X X X X X 

EOUSA Distribute guidance to the USAO task 

forces encouraging survivor input where 

appropriate 

X 

ACF Explore the creation of a public platform 

to receive ongoing feedback on the quality 

of services, including gaps in service and 

challenges to service delivery 

X 

oVerarChing theMes: standards of Care 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

OVC Publish Achieving Excellence: Model 

Standards for Serving Victims and 

Survivors of Crime, which includes 

program, competency, and ethical 

standards for crime victim service 

providers 

X 

ACF with 

DHS and DOJ 

Identify minimum standards of care required 

by grant recipients 

X 

47 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

objeCtiVe 1: ProVide federal leadershiP and direCtion to iMProVe 

VICTIM SERVICES. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE 

OJJDP with 

ACF, SAMSA, 

CDC, DOI, 

CNCS, 

USDA, OVC, 

and OVW 

Implement the recommendations in 

Defending Childhood 

X X X X X X 

OJJDP Conduct public hearings and listening sessions 

to help the Task Force on American Indian/ 

Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence 

gain understanding of AI/AN children’s 

exposure to human trafficking 

X 

OVC Publish Vision 21: Transforming Victim 

Services 

X 

DHS, DOS 

TIP Office, 

HHS, and 

USAID 

Implement recommendations in the 

President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based 

and Neighborhood Partnerships Report 

X 

ACF Rollout guidance on child trafficking for child 

welfare and runaway and homeless youth 

systems 

X 

IDENTIFY PROMISING PRACTICES 

DHS, DOJ, 

DOS TIP 

Office, ED, 

and HHS 

Explore convening meetings where allied 

professionals share lessons learned to inform 

the development of federal anti-human 

trafficking efforts 

X 

OVW with 

ACF 

Gather stakeholder’s input on the role 

of domestic violence and sexual assault 

providers in addressing human trafficking and 

any promising practices 

X 

NIJ Release an evaluation of the FY 2009 OVC 

Services to Domestic Minor Victims of Human 

Trafficking grants 

X 

OVC Publish a survivor-created guide on 

developing culturally competent services for 

commercially sexually exploited and trafficked 

girls and young women 

X 

ACF Assess and disseminate analysis of pilot 

programs on human trafficking within the 

runaway and homeless youth program 

X 

ACF and 

SAMHSA 

Provide recommendations on the mental 

health needs of victims based on the Assistant 

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation’s 2008 

National Symposium on the Health Needs of 

Human Trafficking Victims 

X 

48 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

objeCtiVe 2: Coordinate ViCtiM serViCes effeCtiVely throUgh 

COLLABORATION ACROSS MULTIPLE SERVICE SECTORS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

DEVELOP AND PROMOTE STANDARD TERMINOLOGY 

OVC with 

DHS, DOL, 

DOS TIP 

Office, 

EEOC, ACF, 

and COPS 

Update, translate, print, and disseminate 

Trafficking in Persons: A Guide for NonGovernmental Organizations with common 

terminology for federal agencies 

X 

ACF Clarify and provide guidance on the 

definitions of child sex trafficking and 

commercial sexual exploitation of children 

X 

COPS Update human trafficking-related 

publications to include consistent language 

X X X 

ENSURE FEDERAL FUNDING IS STRATEGICALLY COORDINATED 

ACF Explore effective funding models for victim 

services 

X 

OVC, OVW, 

and ACF 

Review guidance and solicitation language 

to coordinate federal funding and expand 

partnerships 

X X X X X X 

OVC, BJA, 

and ACF 

Consider ways to coordinate grant 

performance measurements and data 

collection methods 

X X 

OVC and 

BJA 

Publish solicitations and award grants for 

Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces 

X X X X X X 

OVW Include human trafficking in VAWA 

grant solicitations where allowable and 

appropriate 

X 

OVW Train staff and grantees on providing 

VAWA- funded services to trafficking 

victims 

X 

COPS Consider incorporating human trafficking 

training in Community Policing 

Development solicitation 

X 

OJJDP Continue program planning that considers 

support of human trafficking efforts 

X X X X X X 

49 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

IMPROVE COORDINATION AT THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, STATE, TERRITORIAL, 

TRIBAL, AND LOCAL LEVELS 

Relevant 

federal 

agencies 

Identify regional and local offices and points 

of contact for human trafficking 

X X X 

DHS, DOJ, 

HHS 

Coordinate implementation of Plan, identify 

opportunities for enhanced coordination, 

and share Plan reports 

X X X X X 

DOJ Meet quarterly to discuss and coordinate 

intra-agency activities 

X X X X X X 

HHS Meet quarterly to discuss and coordinate 

intra-agency activities 

X X X X X X 

ACF Explore coordinating with the AmeriCorps 

VISTA program 

X 

ACF Draft a 3-year plan for innovative outreach 

programming 

X 

DHS Blue 

Campaign 

Steering 

Committee 

Define and prioritize cross-cutting strategic 

projects for intra-agency human traffickingrelated capabilities 

X X X X X X 

DOS Address A-3 and G-5 workers through 

regular internal working group meetings 

X X X X X X 

DOS Annually brief stakeholders about efforts to 

protect and identify victims 

X X X X X X 

50 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

objeCtiVe 3: establish baseline knowledge of hUMan traffiCking and 

VICTIM SERVICE NEEDS THROUGH RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND REPORTING. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

RESEARCH HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED STATES 

SPOG 

Research 

and Data 

Committee 

Share information on U.S. Governmentfunded human trafficking research projects 

X X X X X X 

NIJ Release two studies on labor trafficking in 

the United States 

X X 

NIJ Complete a study on the United States’ 

unlawful commercial sex economy 

X 

NIJ Release a study of the effectiveness of 

interventions with foreign national human 

trafficking victims 

X 

NIJ Release a study that assesses the 

effectiveness of state human trafficking 

legislation 

X 

NIJ Conclude a study on the underreporting of 

trafficked minors in Illinois 

X 

ACF Examine the results of a 2-year preemployment services pilot program for 

human trafficking victims 

X 

OJJDP Complete a study on the prevalence of 

CSEC, including sex trafficking, in the 

United States 

X 

OJJDP Release a study on CSEC in the United 

States, including recommended strategies 

X 

OJJDP Assess the characteristics and needs of 

LGBTQ and young men who have sex with 

men populations involved in commercial sex 

X 

OVW with 

NIJ 

Study the impact of the population boom in 

western North Dakota and eastern Montana 

on domestic violence, dating violence, 

sexual assault, stalking, and human 

trafficking 

X 

IDENTIFY RESOURCE GAPS 

OVC with BJA 

and HSTC 

Provide federal agencies with GIS mapping of 

services and collaborations and investigations 

to identify gaps 

X X X X X 

OJJDP and 

OVC 

Conduct informal assessment of grantfunded Task Forces 

X 

OVC, OVW, 

and ACF 

Gather information on the needs of 

trafficked AI/AN women and girls and 

promising practices for service delivery 

X 

51 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

OVC, OVW, 

and ACF 

Gather information on the needs of 

trafficked boys and men, LGBTQ victims, 

and minor victims of labor trafficking 

X X X X X X 

OVW Explore providing funds to law enforcement 

and victim service providers in western 

North Dakota and eastern Montana 

X X 

ESTABLISH NEW DATA COLLECTION MECHANISMS 

FBI Build a data collection application for all 

civil rights investigations to include human 

trafficking cases 

X 

OJJDP Assist Internet Crimes Against Children 

Task Forces to report data on trafficking 

cases 

X X X X X X 

OVW Include human trafficking in grantee 

and subgrantee report forms and in 

Congressional reporting 

X 

OVC Revise draft grantee and subgrantee data 

collection forms for VOCA Assistance and 

Compensation Programs to include human 

trafficking, where appropriate 

X 

NIJ Host an expert working group to tackle 

barriers hampering data collection and 

research on human trafficking 

X 

HSTC Convene an interagency working group 

to explore sustaining data gathering and 

analysis 

X 

EEOC Explore ways of tracking data on human 

trafficking in its internal data collection 

systems 

X 

ACF Explore ways to better collect data to 

uncover specific risk factors among children 

who experienced abuse or neglect and 

runaway and homeless youth 

X 

ACF Explore possibilities for coordinating data 

collection on human trafficking across 

agency programs 

X 

HHS Explore strategies for compiling estimates 

on the prevalence of human trafficking in 

the United States 

X 

HRSA Consider adopting action from the HHS 

Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic 

Health Disparities to establish data 

standards related to victims of human 

trafficking 

X 

SHARE DATA AND REPORTS 

HSTC Share a Human Trafficking National 

Assessment with relevant federal agencies 

to identify hotspots, trends, and patterns in 

victim recruitment and exploitation in the 

United States 

X 

continued on next page 

52 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 3: establish baseline knowledge of hUMan traffiCking and 

VICTIM SERVICE NEEDS THROUGH RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND REPORTING. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

HSTC Share lessons learned and best practices 

of data collection and compilation from the 

process of creating the Human Trafficking 

National Assessment 

X 

HSTC Make structured and cleansed data sets 

available to relevant federal agencies 

X 

OVC Create and disseminate annual aggregate 

data report 

X X X X X 

DOL Collect and share publicly available 

labor enforcement data regarding labor 

exploitation 

X X X X X X 

USCIS and 

HSI VAP 

Consolidate data on victims of human 

trafficking and immigration benefits and 

publish on DHS Blue Campaign Web site 

X X X X X 

ACF Release a report analyzing anti-human 

trafficking grantee data 

X 

ACF Disseminate analysis of human trafficking 

trends 

X 

objeCtiVe 4: sUPPort the deVeloPMent of effeCtiVe resPonses to the 

NEEDS OF HUMAN TRAFFICkING VICTIMS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

EVALUATE SCREENING AND TRAINING TOOLS 

NIJ and OVC Publish a validated screening tool and user 

guide for use by all trafficking assistance 

grantees and the field 

X 

HHS Identify targeted screening tools for various 

systems 

X 

ACF Explore the development of standardized 

health care protocols 

X 

IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EVALUATIONS 

OVC and 

ACF 

Identify common, effective performance 

measures for victim service outcomes 

X 

OVC and 

ACF with NIJ 

Explore ways to develop technical 

assistance guides, tools, and templates for 

evaluation 

X X 

ACF Explore ways to evaluate effectiveness of 

training curricula for child welfare and 

runaway and homeless youth systems 

X 

DOD Gauge effectiveness of human trafficking 

training through the Status of Forces Survey 

X 

53 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

objeCtiVe 5: inCrease ViCtiM identifiCation throUgh Coordinated 

PUBLIC OUTREACH AND AWARENESS EFFORTS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

CONDUCT OUTREACH AND AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC 

OVC Create PSA to raise visibility of human 

trafficking 

X 

DHS Continue to hold bi-annual stakeholder 

engagement event 

X X X X X X 

FBI OVA Coordinate and participate in community 

awareness events across the country 

X X X X X X 

COPS Engage in special public outreach activities 

to promote federal agency guidance and 

identified promising practices 

X X X X X X 

ACF Strengthen engagement and awareness of 

human trafficking among youth 

X X 

DHS Create a public service announcement raising 

awareness of human trafficking 

X 

DHS Distribute new human trafficking awareness 

materials for the general public and groups 

likely to encounter victims 

X X X X X X 

DHS and 

DOS TIP 

Office 

Distribute awareness-raising materials to 

foreign embassies and consulates in the 

United States 

X X X X X X 

DHS, HHS, 

and OVC 

Develop and disseminate materials for 

national civic organizations 

X X X X 

DHS, HHS, 

and OVC 

Develop and disseminate materials for 

national service organizations 

X X X 

DOL and 

EEOC with 

ACF 

Develop and disseminate materials in relevant 

languages about employment rights and civil 

remedies 

X 

ICE HSI Distribute human trafficking awareness 

materials in multiple languages 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Develop and distribute human trafficking 

materials related to immigration benefits 

X X X X X X 

FBI Distribute human trafficking materials in 

multiple languages 

X X X X X X 

EOUSA Develop public awareness and outreach 

materials, including labor and sex trafficking 

toolkits 

X 

DOS TIP 

Office 

Designate victim identification as the theme 

of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report 

X 

FBI Violent 

Crimes 

Against 

Children 

Section 

Disseminate national billboard, bus board, 

and bus stop ads addressing child sexual 

exploitation 

X X X X X X 

continued on next page 

54 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 5: inCrease ViCtiM identifiCation throUgh Coordinated 

PUBLIC OUTREACH AND AWARENESS EFFORTS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

DOS TIP 

Office 

Raise awareness and increase demand for 

responsibly sourced goods and services and 

measure impact through the Slavery Footprint 

platform 

X X X X X X 

DHS, DOJ, 

DOS TIP 

Office, and 

HHS 

Expand human trafficking awareness efforts 

on social media 

X X X X X X 

EEOC Update Web site and social media feeds with 

human trafficking updates and resources 

X X X 

CONDUCT OUTREACH AND AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR 

TARGETED GROUPS/COMMUNITIES 

DOL Disseminate online toolkit for responsible 

businesses to reduce child and forced labor in 

their supply chains 

X X 

DOL Share information to raise awareness of 

trafficking among National Farmworker Jobs 

Program grantees 

X 

DOS Bureau 

of Consular 

Affairs with 

USCIS 

Develop informational video on protections 

for certain visa holders for display in consular 

waiting rooms 

X X X X X 

DOS Educate foreign mission personnel and their 

domestic workers about protections for 

domestic workers employed by diplomatic 

personnel 

X X X X X X 

DOS Develop procedures for the in-person 

registration of domestic workers employed 

by diplomatic personnel in the Washington, 

D.C., area 

X X X X X 

ACF Engage with businesses to post information 

on the National Human Trafficking Resource 

Center’s Web site and to discuss possibilities 

for meeting survivor workforce development 

needs 

X 

HUD Provide outreach and awareness materials to 

public housing agencies and Continuums of 

Care 

X 

HHS Develop and disseminate materials for public 

health organizations 

X 

OJP Support a philanthropic community forum on 

human trafficking 

X 

DHS and 

DOT 

Release the Blue Lightning Initiative, work 

to expand Blue Lightning to foreign-based 

airlines and personnel 

X X X 

55 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

DHS and 

DOT 

Train all Amtrak employees and Amtrak 

police department officers to identify and 

report suspected cases of human trafficking 

X X X X X X 

DOT Work with Transportation Leaders Against 

Human Trafficking to encourage corporate 

participation, employee training, and public 

outreach campaigns across the transportation 

industry 

X X X 

DHS, OJJDP, 

ED, and ACF 

Develop and disseminate materials for youth X X X X X 

DOL with 

ACF 

Share information to raise awareness of 

trafficking among YouthBuild grantees 

X 

USAID Disseminate findings of the Campus 

Challenge Research grants 

X 

objeCtiVe 6: bUild CaPaCity to better identify and serVe ViCtiMs 

THROUGH TARGETED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

EXPAND TRAINING OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES 

USDA Make human trafficking training available to 

all personnel 

X 

DOD Update law enforcement training X 

DOD Update general human trafficking awareness 

training and create refresher course, require 

contractors to prove awareness 

X 

DOD Educate troops through targeted media efforts X X X X X X 

DOD Distribute human trafficking awareness 

materials 

X X X X X X 

HHS Provide guidance for increased partnerships 

with HHS regional offices 

X 

HHS Determine appropriate personnel, grantees, 

and subcontractors for training on human 

trafficking, develop content and standards, 

and integrate the training as a standard 

requirement 

X X X X X X 

ICE Provide mandatory training for all ICE 

personnel likely to encounter victims of 

human trafficking 

X X X X X X 

ICE HSI Provide periodic training to HSI human 

trafficking subject matter experts 

X X X X X X 

continued on next page 

56 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 6: bUild CaPaCity to better identify and serVe ViCtiMs 

THROUGH TARGETED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

ICE HSI Conduct 2-week advanced human smuggling 

and trafficking courses at FLETC 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Provide mandatory human trafficking training 

to public-facing employees 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Provide periodic training on human 

trafficking and immigration benefits to USCIS 

community relations officers 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Provide training to all new officers at the 

USCIS Refugee, Asylum, and International 

Operations Directorate 

X X X X X X 

USCG Maintain online DHS Blue Campaign human 

trafficking training on USCG training portal 

for all USCG personnel 

X X X X X X 

CBP Provide annual training to officers and agents 

on human trafficking 

X X X X X X 

FEMA Provide general human trafficking awareness 

training to field-deployable employees 

X X X X X X 

DHS Office 

of Health 

Affairs and 

FEMA 

Support outreach and training efforts 

to engage DHS medical first responder 

personnel 

X X X X X X 

DHS Office 

of Health 

Affairs with 

HHS 

Support outreach and training efforts to 

engage medical first responder personnel and 

hospital staff 

X X X X X X 

DHS and 

DOJ 

Coordinate cross training between federal law 

enforcement victim assistance specialists with 

federally funded service providers 

X X X X X X 

FBI Train agents and victim specialists working 

in Indian Country on all aspects of human 

trafficking 

X 

FBI Develop human trafficking awareness training 

for all FBI employees 

X 

FBI Provide human trafficking training to 

supervisors, agents, intelligence analysts, and 

victim specialists assigned work on human 

trafficking 

X X X X X X 

FBI Violent 

Crimes 

Against 

Children 

Section 

Provide training regarding the protection 

of victims and utilization of FBI Task Force 

resources in child sex trafficking investigations 

X X X X X X 

FBI Provide training to all investigative personnel 

and victim specialists on supporting 

Continued Presence and T visa applications 

X X X X X X 

57 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

FBI Provide human trafficking training to 

additional DOJ entities 

X 

EOUSA Provide training on human trafficking 

resources, victim identification, and cultural 

sensitivity for victim-witness personnel 

X 

DOL Make general awareness training available to 

all personnel 

X X 

DOL Finalize basic awareness and referral training 

for all Wage and Hour Division investigators 

and make it available to Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration regional 

management and state counterparts 

X X 

DOL Determine appropriate sub-agencies for 

human trafficking training and develop 

training content and standards 

X X 

DOS Make human trafficking training available to 

all personnel 

X 

DOS Foreign 

Service 

Institute 

Educate consular officers about the overseas 

adjudication of T and U visas and the Know 

Your Rights pamphlet 

X X X X X X 

DOS Foreign 

Service 

Institute 

Train mid-level officers on T and U visas X X X X X X 

DOS Visa 

Office 

Train the DOS Public Inquiries Division on 

human trafficking 

X X X X X X 

DOS DS Create an online human trafficking education 

course that includes information on how 

to identify victims, best practices for 

investigation and prosecution, and referral for 

services 

X X X X X 

DOT Train employees on general human trafficking 

awareness 

X X X X X X 

EEOC Determine appropriate personnel for training 

on human trafficking and develop content 

and standards 

X X X 

EEOC Work with State Fair Employment Practices 

Agencies to provide updates and training on 

labor trafficking 

X X 

USAID Train all personnel on the Agency’s CounterTrafficking in Persons Code of Conduct; 

conduct due diligence prior to awarding 

contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements; 

and respond to allegations of abuse 

X X X X X X 

continued on next page 

58 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 6: bUild CaPaCity to better identify and serVe ViCtiMs 

THROUGH TARGETED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

TRAIN AND ASSIST STATE, TERRITORIAL, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS 

DHS and 

DOJ, with 

DOL 

Develop common teaching points on victimcentered approaches to investigation for law 

enforcement trainings 

X 

ICE HSI, 

FLETC, 

USCIS, BJA, 

FBI, OJJDP, 

OVC, and 

OVW 

Provide training and technical assistance 

resources, including roll call videos, training 

materials, and speakers to national law 

enforcement membership organizations 

X X X X X X 

ICE HSI and 

FLETC 

Produce and distribute two roll call videos 

for state and local law enforcement that 

explain how immigration benefits can benefit 

investigations 

X 

ICE HSI and 

FLETC 

Expand the reach of its state and local law 

enforcement Web-based human trafficking 

awareness training 

X X X X X X 

DHS with 

SPOG, DOL, 

and EEOC 

Include information on labor trafficking and 

exploitation in the FLETC law enforcement 

training 

X X 

ICE HSI and 

USCIS 

Revise and deliver training to federal, state, 

territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Produce a T visa resource guide for law 

enforcement and provide U visa resource 

guide 

X 

DHS OHA, 

FEMA, ICE 

HSI, and 

FLETC 

Provide general awareness training for first 

responder communities 

X X X X X X 

DHS Distribute human trafficking awareness video 

and indicator cards for first responders 

X X X X X X 

DOT Train state and local law enforcement to 

detect human trafficking on trucks and buses 

X X X X X X 

COPS Develop a Commercial Sexual Exploitation of 

Children Toolkit for Law Enforcement 

X 

FBI Conduct investigative trainings for law 

enforcement personnel 

X X X X X X 

DHS, DOJ, 

and DOL 

Provide advanced human trafficking training 

for each Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team 

X X X 

OVC Update and enhance the Anti-Human 

Trafficking Task Force Strategy and 

Operations e-Guide, including strategies for 

outreach and awareness 

X 

59 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

FBI Civil 

Rights Unit 

and Violent 

Crimes 

Against 

Children 

Section 

Coordinate with the FBI’s intelligence fusion 

cells to assess, rank, and address human 

trafficking threats and locate victims 

X X X X X X 

BJA Design and deliver a human trafficking 

training for tribal law enforcement 

X X 

DHS, OJJDP, 

and ACF 

Provide training materials about trafficking 

of children to juvenile justice system 

stakeholders 

X 

State Justice 

Institute 

Support the Human Trafficking and the State 

Courts Collaborative to increase state courts’ 

awareness of human trafficking 

X X 

OJJDP with 

HSI VAP, 

ACF, and 

NCMEC 

Develop and deliver a curriculum on how to 

conduct forensic interviews with child victims 

of commercial sexual exploitation 

X X X X X X 

HSI VAP Explore the feasibility of increasing the 

number of forensic interviewers as funding 

allows 

X 

BJA Explore opportunities to continue to provide 

curriculum for state prosecutors on human 

trafficking 

X X 

BJA with 

OVC 

Explore options to provide funding to train 

law enforcement, prosecutors, and state 

judges on appropriate responses to victims 

X X X X X X 

TRAIN AND ASSIST SERVICE PROVIDERS WORKING WITH VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING 

FBI, OVC, 

DOL, and 

ACF 

Provide training and technical assistance 

to anti-human trafficking organizations on 

developing relationships with business, labor, 

and philanthropic leaders 

X X 

OVC and 

BJA, with 

ACF 

Host a Regional Task Force Training Forum X 

DOS DS Educate the nongovernmental organization 

community about ability of DOS DS to 

identify human trafficking victims and work 

on cases 

X X X X X X 

HSI VAP, 

OVC, OVW, 

ACF, and 

SAMHSA 

Develop and provide training on the impact 

of trauma and polyvictimization on victims 

and the need for trauma-informed care 

X X X X X 

OJJDP and 

ACF 

Offer training on gender-specific services to 

providers working with child victims 

X 

continued on next page 

60 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 6: bUild CaPaCity to better identify and serVe ViCtiMs 

THROUGH TARGETED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

OJJDP Provide training and technical assistance to 

state, territorial, tribal, and local partners who 

recover child abduction victims 

X X X X X X 

HSI VAP and 

USCIS 

Conduct trainings on combating human 

trafficking and immigration benefit options for 

victims 

X X X X X X 

ACF with 

DOJ and 

DHS 

Provide guidance on safe and ethical victim 

outreach practices 

X 

OVC Produce a new human trafficking training 

video 

X 

OVC Provide anti-human trafficking grantees with 

access to training on trauma-informed care 

practices 

X X X X X X 

OVC Provide anti-human trafficking grantees with 

training on supporting victims of human 

trafficking in accessing services needed to 

attain stability and independence 

X X X X X X 

TRAIN AND ASSIST THE BROADER VICTIM SERVICES FIELD 

HHS Provide training resources to refugee 

resettlement, child welfare, runaway and 

homeless youth, domestic violence, and tribal 

community grantees 

X 

OVC Provide targeted training and technical 

assistance for VOCA administrators 

X X X X X X 

OVC Review Victim Assistance Training Online 

and the National Victim Assistance Academy 

curricula and add information on human 

trafficking 

X 

OVC Support a human trafficking training at the 

National Symposium on Child Abuse 

X 

OVC Modify the Supporting Crime Victims 

with Disabilities instructor-led training 

and Promising Practices to Serving Victims 

with Disabilities Toolkit to include human 

trafficking and make available to practitioners 

in contact with persons with disabilities who 

are at risk of being trafficked 

X X X X X X 

OVC Include specific content and resources on 

trafficking of persons with disabilities in the 

Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Strategy 

and Operations e-Guide 

X X 

FBI Provide trainings with and to victims service 

providers, community leaders, faith-based, 

and other nongovernmental organizations 

X X X X X X 

61 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

FLETC Enhance and expand training and technical 

assistance to entities seeking to create training 

on human trafficking identification and victim 

assistance 

X X X X X X 

ICE HSI and 

USCIS 

Revise and deliver training to victim service 

providers and immigration attorneys 

X X X X X X 

ACF Family 

and Youth 

Services 

Bureau 

Provide training for Family Violence 

Prevention and Services Act Program State 

Administrators, tribal grantees, and state 

domestic violence coalitions 

X 

ACF, OVC, 

and OVW 

Provide annual training and technical 

assistance on intersections of human 

trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual 

assault 

X X X X X X 

ACF Offer at least one webinar for domestic 

violence victim service providers based 

on the Asian Pacific Islander Institute on 

Domestic Violence’s Considerations and 

Recommendations for Battered Women’s 

Advocates 

X 

OVW Expand collaboration at the local level 

between OVW and stakeholders in the 

domestic violence, sexual assault, and 

anti-human trafficking fields through 

multidisciplinary training 

X 

OVW Provide at least one webinar for grantees on 

how to identify and respond to minor sex 

trafficking and build collaborations 

X 

TRAIN AND ASSIST ALLIED PROFESSIONALS 

ED Develop a guide for school personnel on 

child sex trafficking and continue to partner 

with school districts to reduce human 

trafficking on campuses 

X X 

DHS, ED, 

and ACF 

Develop and disseminate training materials 

and resources 

X X 

ED and DHS Disseminate products co-branded with the 

Blue Campaign for use in and by schools 

X 

ACF Explore partnering with social work schools, 

counseling schools, and related professional 

associations to increase training for health 

professionals 

X 

ACF Explore training opportunities for family 

service workers in Head Start programs 

X 

ACF and 

HRSA 

Consider strategies to raise awareness about 

human trafficking in community colleges 

X 

continued on next page 

62 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 6: bUild CaPaCity to better identify and serVe ViCtiMs 

THROUGH TARGETED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

CFBNP and 

HSI VAP 

Conduct and evaluate a pilot training and 

technical assistance initiative for faith-based 

and other community-based organizations 

X 

CFBNP, HSI 

VAP with 

OVC, DOL, 

ACF, and 

HUD 

Provide training and technical assistance to 

two faith-based and other community-based 

organizations per year, and disseminate 

materials and strategies 

X X X X X 

DOL with 

DOJ and 

HHS 

Provide updated training on trafficking issues 

to the State Farmworker Monitor Advocates 

X X 

DOL Deliver two webinar trainings to the 

workforce investment system, highlighting 

promising practices in employment and 

training services 

X X 

HHS Educate the health care community about 

human trafficking to increase services and 

support for victims 

X 

HHS Provide guidance on addressing major gaps in 

medical treatment and services for victims of 

human trafficking 

X 

ACF Form technical working group of health 

care professionals to increase training and 

collaboration for health care professionals 

on meeting the needs of human trafficking 

victims 

X 

objeCtiVe 7: foster Collaborations and PartnershiPs to enhanCe the 

COMMUNITy RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICkING. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

HHS Work with medical, educational, and other 

stakeholder communities to identify human 

trafficking of service-related professionals, 

including elder care providers and teachers 

X 

HHS Reach out to community partners who 

can aid in victim identification, including 

health care providers, unions, and housing 

authorities and inspectors 

X 

DOD Make trainings more victim-centered and 

ensure troops know where to refer victims for 

assistance 

X 

FBI Coordinate anti-trafficking efforts through 

partnerships with hotels, medical facilities, 

and through trainings at Citizens Academies 

X X X X X X 

63 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

objeCtiVe 7: foster Collaborations and PartnershiPs to enhanCe the 

COMMUNITy RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICkING. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

FBI Foster greater relationships with juvenile 

detention facility personnel 

X 

FBI OVA Establish public-private partnerships through 

victim specialist outreach 

X 

EOUSA Partner with nonprofit organizations and 

other agencies through USAO task forces 

X X X X X X 

ICE HSI Develop partnerships X X X X X X 

DHS Pursue co-branding partnerships with Blue 

Campaign training materials 

X X X X X X 

EEOC Work on targeted outreach and expansion of 

partnerships to protect victims’ rights 

X X X X X X 

FBI Broaden community outreach efforts within 

AI/AN communities 

X 

HHS Incorporate human trafficking in tribal 

consultations and identify distribution 

channels to relevant programs through HHS’s 

Indian Health Service 

X X X X X X 

DHS OHA Coordinate tribal outreach through tribal 

emergency medicine associations 

X X X X X X 

EOUSA Form partnerships between USAO task 

forces and faith-based and community-based 

organizations 

X X X X X X 

HSI VAP and 

FBI 

Participate on human trafficking and FBI 

Child Exploitation Task Forces to develop 

partnerships with faith-based, cultural, ethnic, 

and other community-based organizations 

X X X X X X 

DOL, EEOC, 

and HHS 

Leverage relationships with domestic worker, 

farmworker, guest worker, worker centers, 

workers’ advocacy organizations, and other 

labor organizations to identify opportunities 

for victim identification and connection to 

services 

X 

ACF Work with runaway and homeless youth 

programs to identify opportunities for 

victim identification in exploitative peddling 

operations 

X 

ED Work with the National Center for Homeless 

Education to make anti-human trafficking 

resources available 

X X 

continued on next page 

64 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 7: foster Collaborations and PartnershiPs to enhanCe the 

COMMUNITy RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICkING. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

DEVELOP NETWORKS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO SERVICES 

OVC, OJJDP, 

DOS TIP 

Office, ACF, 

and HUD 

Engage in a public-private capacity-building 

initiative with Humanity United 

X X 

DHS, DOJ, 

and ACF 

Coordinate efforts to use victim assistance 

and prosecution-based specialists to connect 

victims to services 

X X X X X 

OVC, DOL, 

and ACF 

Strengthen an informal network around the 

issue of employment and training services for 

victims of trafficking to share information and 

identify promising practices 

X X X X X X 

ACF Explore possibilities to engage the Assets for 

Independence Program 

X 

DOL and 

ACF 

Facilitate relationships between communitybased organizations and business 

communities and industries to support 

employment services and workforce 

development for victims 

X 

OJJDP Expand evidence-based mentoring initiatives 

to develop outreach to child victims and 

provide training to mentoring experts 

X 

OVC Provide additional guidance to anti-human 

trafficking grantees on provision of services to 

family members of victims 

X 

ED Strengthen coordination among, and provide 

guidance to, migrant youth, runaway and 

homeless youth, and other relevant programs 

X X 

ED Develop webinar for school community 

grantees on identification and response to 

minor sex trafficking victims 

X 

65 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

objeCtiVe 8: iMProVe aCCess to ViCtiM serViCes by reMoVing 

SySTEMIC BARRIERS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

IMPROVE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND BENEFITS 

ACF Review current policies, practices, regulations, 

and statutes guiding runaway and homeless 

youth and domestic violence shelters and 

consider strategies to remove barriers 

X 

ACF with 

HUD 

Review federal policy regarding homelessness 

and requirements that may prevent victims of 

human trafficking from qualifying for housing 

X 

ACF Review how policies affecting youth aging 

out of foster care impact victims of human 

trafficking and explore possibilities to recruit 

and train specialized foster parents 

X 

ACF Explore public-private partnerships with 

businesses, philanthropic foundations, faithbased and other community organizations, 

and leaders to support ongoing housing needs 

X 

OVC with 

ACF, HUD, 

NIJ, and 

OVW 

Evaluate the appropriateness and feasibility of 

housing demonstration projects 

X 

HSI VAP, FBI 

OVA, and 

USAO 

Make referrals to local service provider 

organizations to provide appropriate housing 

for victims in federal investigations and 

prosecutions 

X X X X X X 

OVC Engage in Legal Assistance for Crime Victims: 

An OVC Capacity Building Initiative to build 

capacity for legal services for all crime 

victims, including victims of human trafficking 

X X X X X X 

OVC Explore ways to support and strengthen 

Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance 

Network Demonstration Projects to provide 

comprehensive legal services to crime victims 

X 

OVC, OVW, 

and ACF, 

with DOJ 

Access 

to Justice 

Initiative 

Explore opportunities to partner with legal 

service providers to provide training on 

identifying human trafficking victims and 

provision of comprehensive legal services 

X X X X X X 

OVC, OVW, 

and ACF 

Provide grant funding to support legal 

services, and develop and provide training 

and technical assistance 

X X X X X X 

HSI VAP, FBI 

OVA, and 

USAO 

Make referrals to appropriate legal service 

providers for victims of human trafficking in 

federal investigations and prosecutions 

X X X X X X 

DHS Update T nonimmigrant status regulations to 

provide clearer guidance 

X 

ICE HSI, FBI 

OVA, and 

USAO 

Assist in the coordination of Continued 

Presence, law enforcement certifications for 

the T and U visa and referrals to immigration 

attorneys 

X X X X X X 

continued on next page 

66 
Federal Strategic Action Plan

continued from previous page 

objeCtiVe 8: iMProVe aCCess to ViCtiM serViCes by reMoVing 

SySTEMIC BARRIERS. 

AGENCY ACTION FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 BEYOND 

USCIS and 

ICE HSI 

Train law enforcement and immigration 

attorneys on Continued Presence and T and 

U visas 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Provide training to adjudicators of the T and U 

visas at the Vermont Service Center 

X X X X X X 

USCIS Provide information and resources to USCIS 

Fraud Detection and National Security units 

about suspect companies, employers, and 

recruiters identified during the adjudication of 

T visas 

X X X X X X 

ICE HSI and 

USCIS 

Issue Continued Presence, provide referrals 

to HHS, and issue employment authorization 

documents 

X X X X X X 

DOL with 

USCIS 

Explore feasibility of completing law 

enforcement declarations for T visas 

X X 

EEOC with 

USCIS 

Examine feasibility of providing certifications 

for T visas 

X X 

OVC Work to increase access to crime victims 

compensation for human trafficking victims 

through policy clarification, information, 

training, and technical assistance to state 

VOCA compensation program administrators 

X X X X X 

INCREASE ACCESS FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS 

ACF Provide a directory of language access options 

available through service providers, and 

identify innovative uses of technology 

X 

DHS Provide language identification and access 

tools 

X X X X X X 

DHS Translate Blue Campaign awareness products 

into various languages 

X 

EEOC Ensure that language access officers and other 

employees are familiar with current trends and 

signs of human trafficking 

X X 

USAO Ensure that human trafficking victims with 

limited English proficiency can participate 

meaningfully in federal prosecutions 

X X X X X X 

HHS Promote policies, training, and outreach 

efforts to ensure victims with disabilities 

receive necessary auxiliary aids and services 

X 

ACF Explore public-private partnerships to support 

the needs of victims with disabilities 

X 

ICE HSI Support forensic interviewers for victims of 

all ages and special populations, including 

victims with disabilities 

X 

DHS Ensure full inclusion and equal access for all 

persons with disabilities who interact with 

DHS, including victims of trafficking 

X X X X X X 

FBI OVA Provide training to FBI personnel on working 

with human trafficking victims with disabilities 

X 

EEOC Consider development of outreach and 

training materials to address issues involving 

trafficking of individuals with disabilities 

X X 

67 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 68 

 

appendix C: 


public Comment Submissions
 

A draft version of this Federal Strategic Action Plan was released for a 45-day public comment period on April 9, 2013. During 

that time, the co-chair agencies received more than 337 comments online, and an additional 62 comments were sent in letters 

and via e-mail. In addition to comments from 127 individuals, the co-chairs received comments from the following state, local, 

tribal, and community organizations: 

Abolition International 

AEquitas 

Aim Truancy Solutions 

American Association of University Women 

American Bar Association 

American Gateways 

American Medical Women’s Association 

API Chaya 

API Legal Outreach 

Aurora University 

Babson Social Innovation Lab 

Baltimore Child Abuse Center 

Best Practices Policy Project 

Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking 

California State Senate Office of Research 

Cape Counseling Services 

Cape Fear Community College 

Catholic Charities Fort Worth 

Center for Adolescent Health & the Law 

Central Council Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska 

Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health 

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation 

Children at Risk 

Children of the Night 

Christian Medical Association 

City of Boston, Massachusetts 

City of Long View, Texas 

City of Waynesboro, Virginia 

Civil Society 

Clearimage Investigations 

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women 

Coalition of Immokalee Workers 

Collaborative Initiative to End Human Trafficking 

Columbia University 

Concerned Women for America 

Cook Inlet Tribal Council 

County of Alameda, California 

County of Bexar, Texas 

County of Hennepin, Minnesota 

County of McCracken, Kentucky 

County of Multnomah, Oregon 

County Welfare Directors Association of CA 

Covenant Health Systems 

Covenant House New York 

Crittenton Services for Children and Families 

Demand Abolition 

Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance 

Devereux 

ECPAT USA 

Equality Now 

Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and 

Research Project 
69 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

Florida Gulf Coast University 

Free the Captives 

Freedom House of Parker County 

Freedom Network USA 

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission 

Fulton County Department of Housing & Human Services 

Georgetown University 

Georgia Department of Human Services 

Girls Education and Mentoring Services 

Global Freedom Center 

Graham Windham 

H.E.A.T. Watch 

Heartland Alliance 

Homeless Youth Project 

Human Rights Project for Girls 

Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships, Inc. 

Humanity United 

Hunt Alternatives Fund 

I Know Better 

Immigration Counseling Services 

International Human Rights Clinic at Santa Clara 

University School of Law 

International Institute of Boston 

International Institute of Buffalo 

International Institute of Connecticut 

International Institute of New England 

International Rescue Committee 

International Rescue Committee Seattle 

Jewish Family Services of Metropolitan Detroit 

Justice Society 

Kristi House 

Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking 

Leadership Conference of Women Religious 

League of Women Voters 

Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy 

Mew Films 

Michigan Crime Victim Services Commission Victim 

Assistant Grant Program 

Michigan State University 

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center 

Mosaic Services 

My Gift Program, Inc. 

National Association for Children of Alcoholics 

National CASA Association 

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 

National Center for Victims of Crime 

National Children’s Alliance 

National Conference of State Legislatures 

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 

National Council on Crime and Delinquency 

National Domestic Workers Alliance 

National Network for Youth 

National Network to End Domestic Violence 

National Survivor Network 

Network of Victim Assistance 

New Jersey Family Planning League 

Nomi Network 

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault 

Northeastern University 

Northern Tier Anti-Trafficking Consortium 

Office of District Attorney – Denver, Colorado 

Office of the Attorney General – Indiana 

Office of the Attorney General – Massachusetts 

Office of the Attorney General – Ohio 

Ohio Department of Public Safety/Office of Criminal 

Justice Services 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 70 

 

 

Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence 

& Sexual Assault 

On Eagles Wings Ministries/The OEW Hope House 

Opening Doors 

Partners Health Care 

Polaris Project 

Practical Solutions to Trafficking 

Renewal Forum 

Resident 

Resource Center for Survivors of Sexual Assault 

& Family Violence 

Rights 4 Girls 

Safe Horizon 

San Diego State University 

Sasha Bruce Youthworks 

Sex Trafficking Survivors United 

Shared Hope International 

Sheridan AZ Law 

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth 

Sisters of Charity of New York Trafficking Task Force 

Slavery Today 

Southeast Technical Institute 

Southern Poverty Law Center 

State of Connecticut 

State of Minnesota 

Streetwise and Safe 

Students Opposing Slavery 

Task At Hand Consulting LLC 

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services 

The Advocates for Human Rights 

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking 

The College at Brockport 

The Family Counseling Center of Fulton County 

The Night Ministry 

The SAGE Project 

The Salvation Army National Headquarters 

There is H.O.P.E. for Me, Inc. 

Ujenzi Trust 

University of California, Los Angeles 

University of Las Vegas 

University of Massachusetts, Lowell 

University of Toledo 

Urban Initiatives 

U.S. Aftercare for Agape International Mission 

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants 

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration 

and Refugee Services 

Vera Institute of Justice 

Veronica’s Voice 

VIA Consulting Group 

Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance 

Voices of Hope 

Washington Engage 

West Coast Children’s Clinic 

Western Illinois University 

Women’s Foundation of Minnesota 

World Relief 

Youth Care 

Youth Spark 
71 Federal Strategic Action Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endnotes
 

1

 Available at http://www.justice.gov/ag/annualreports/agreporthumantrafficking2011.pdf 

2

 Pub. L. 106-386 

3 It is important to note that the federal criminal definition of labor trafficking, at 18 U.S.C. §1589 is different from this definition, which is 

used to define eligibility for services. In order to prove a forced labor charge, only fraud which is serious enough to compel the person to 

engage in the work is sufficient. 

4

 22 U.S.C. § 7102(9)-(10). 

5 International Labour Organization 2012 Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour (SAP-FL), June 2012. http://www.ilo.org/ 

wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_182004.pdf 

6

 Pub. L. 108-193 

7

 Pub. L. 109-164 

8

 Pub. L. 110-457 

9 Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment for Victims of Human Trafficking, Erin Williamson, Nicole M. Dutch, and Heather J. Clawson; 

Caliber, an ICF International Company (2010). 

10 Study of HHS Programs Serving Human Trafficking Victims: Final Report (2009), available at 

http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/HumanTrafficking/Final/index.shtml#_Toc240256544 

11 Study of HHS Programs Serving Human Trafficking Victims: Final Report (2009), available at 

http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/HumanTrafficking/Final/index.shtml#_Toc240256544 

12 Study of HHS Programs Serving Human Trafficking Victims: Final Report (2009), available at 

http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/HumanTrafficking/Final/index.shtml#_Toc240256544 

13 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

14 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

15 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

16 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

17 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

18 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

19 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

20 Addressing the Needs of Victims of Human Trafficking: Challenges, Barriers, and Promising Practices. Heather J. Clawson 

and Nicole Dutch, Aug. 2008. 

21 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

22 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

23 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, U.S. Department of State. 

24 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

25 Addressing the Needs of Victims of Human Trafficking: Challenges, Barriers, and Promising Practices. Heather J. Clawson 

and Nicole Dutch, Aug. 2008. 
Federal Strategic Action Plan 72 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26		 See, e.g., Crime Victims’ Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771(e); Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act, 42 U.S.C. §10607 (e)(2)(A); 

Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 22 U.S.C. § 7102(14) & (15) 

27	 SAMHSA Working Definition of Trauma and Principles and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach, available at 

http://www.samhsa.gov/traumajustice/traumadefinition/approach.aspx 

28	 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

29	 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

30	 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

31	 Public feedback from the 45-day comment period on the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human 

Trafficking in the United States, June 2013. 

32	 Stakeholder feedback from the Victim Services Technical Working Group Meeting, December 10, 2012. 

33	 Los Angeles Probation Department survey revealed that 59 percent of the 174 juveniles arrested on prostitution-related charges 

in the county were in the foster care system, and victims were often recruited by sex traffickers and pimps from group homes. 

Sewell, Abby. (November 27, 2012). Most of L.A. County youths held for prostitution come from foster care. los Angeles Times. 

Available at http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/27/local/la-me-1128-sex-trafficking-20121128 

34		 Polyvictimization refers to having experienced multiple victimizations, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, bullying, and exposure to 

family violence. The definition emphasizes experiencing different kinds of victimization, rather than multiple episodes of the same kind 

of victimization. Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey. Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., Hamby S. & 

Kracke, K. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs. (2009). 

35		 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, U.S. Department of State. 

36		 Addressing the Needs of Victims of Human Trafficking: Challenges, Barriers, and Promising Practices. Heather J. Clawson 

and Nicole Dutch, Aug. 2008. 

photo Credits:
 

Front Cover (top left to bottom right): 

AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, File 

AP Photo/New Mexico Attorney 

General’s Office 

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast 

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services 

AP Photo/LM Otero, File 

AP Photos/Alexandre Meneghini 

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer 

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services 

shutterstock.com/Dustin Dennis 

AP Photo/Nick Ut 

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma 

shutterstock.com/Alexey Teterin 

Inside Front Cover: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services 

4 (top left): shutterstock.com/Liz Van 

Steenburgh 

4 (top right): AP Photo/David Goldman 

8: shutterstock.com/Lucian Coman 

10: AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye 

11: www.photographerphiladelphia.com 

13 (top left): AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, 

File 

13 (top right): Shutterstock 

16 (top left): U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services 

16 (top right): U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services 

18: shutterstock.com/Alexey Teterin 

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19 (top right): AP Photo/Nick Ut 

23 (top left): AP Photo/Rick Bowmer 

23 (top right): AP Photo/Charles Rex 

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24: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma 

27 (top left): AP Photo/New Mexico 

Attorney General’s Office 

27 (top right): Courtesy of Truckers Against 

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30 (top left): AP Photo/LM Otero, File 

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38: shutterstock.com/Andrew Taylor 

39 (top left): AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez 

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Jancovic 

41 (top left): AP Photo/The Great Falls 

Tribune, Stuart S. White 

41 (top right): shutterstock.com/Dustin 

Dennis 

Back Cover (top left to bottom right): 

shutterstock.com 

shutterstock.com/Marcel Jancovic 

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istockphoto.com/Gino Santa Maria 

shutterstock.com/Lucian Coman 

shutterstock.com 

shutterstock.com/paulaphoto 

shutterstock.com/Jason Stitt 

AP Photo/The Great Falls Tribune, Stuart S. 

White 

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Developed by the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, 

in partnership with the member agencies of the President’s Interagency Task Force to 

Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and other federal organizations.
	

Produced in coordination with the United States Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs.
	

designed and printed by a/gis/gps 

January 2014