Specialized Holistic Legal Services for Foreign National and Domestic Human Trafficking Victims

Advocating Opportunity (AO) will provide holistic legal services, support, and advocacy for trafficked and exploited people based on a trauma-responsive legal and human rights-based framework. For this project, Lucas and Franklin Counties, Ohio will be the primary geographic areas; however, services are provided in a manner that is convenient and tailored to survivors, and AO will travel to their clients meeting their needs where they are. The goal of the project is to develop, expand, and strengthen trauma-responsive, victim services and, specifically, to increase the quality and quantity of legal services to assist all victims of all forms of human trafficking. The project objective is to achieve increased safety, self-sufficiency, and well-being for human trafficking victims, as well as to break the cycle of inter-generational trauma and reduce the risk of revictimization. Project activities will include: 1) Provide services meeting individual needs of all human trafficking victims with a focus on foreign national human trafficking victims and labor trafficking victims; 2) Collaborate with, and provide trainings for, local partners to ensure that all human trafficking victims are properly identified, referred for appropriate services, and strengthen the service capacities and support capacities of those local partners; 3) Provide referrals to other essential services for human trafficking victims; and 4) Data collection and participation in evaluation activities to determine if the program is meeting stated goals and objectives.