Joint Human Trafficking Work Group Strategic Planning Workshop

This summer I was contacted by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Adult Services and Basic Supports, Bureau of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking about our research and asked to join the Joint Human Trafficking Work Group. I attended a few meetings online and then at the end of September we had an in-person planning workshop in Springfield and Chicago. The purpose of the work group is to draft a Strategic Plan for Human Trafficking Victim Services & Funding. The group is is focused on creating a systematic approach to looking at how the state of Illinois responds to human trafficking and create systems that assign responsibility to agencies to develop protocols and training to better our responses to identified HT victims/survivors. They wanted to include all stakeholders such as law enforcement, service providers, state agencies, prosecutors and make recommendations through legislation and statutory change. It has been interesting to review drafts for forthcoming legislation and learn more about statewide efforts to combat trafficking. Since the CIHTTF task force hasn't met since January it was great to see colleagues from Central Illinois and learn more about state efforts.


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