Youth Mentoring Project to Prevent the Trafficking of Girls

The International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA), in collaboration with the Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS), Safe Harbour Program, Savannah Sanders, LLC and the Global Center on Human Trafficking at Montclair State University proposes to implement a successful app-based mentoring program to build on the New Futures program begun in Westchester County. This new therapeutic mentoring program will provide increased psycho-social engagement for girls who are survivors of, or at risk of, sex trafficking. The goal of this mentoring program is to prevent and reduce victimization and revictimization of girls throughout Westchester County who are vulnerable to sex trafficking. This program will focus on girls ages 12-18 years of age who are involved with the child welfare system and have a history of trauma, physical and/or sexual abuse, commercial sexual exploitation, and/or sex trafficking. Objectives to be realized across Westchester County over a three-year period include: 1) Scale up a successful prevention and early intervention program for girls who are at risk of or are victims of human trafficking; 2) Increase support for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking through participation in a survivor informed, evidenced-based mentoring program; 3) Increase efforts to center youth typically overrepresented and underserved as victims of trafficking, including Black youth and Youth of Color, Indigenous youth, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, youth with disabilities, and immigrant youth 4) Increase efforts to provide trauma-informed services for girls who are at-risk for or are victims of sex trafficking by expanding partnerships across County agencies and partners.