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This year, like every year, our task force started 2019 by reevaluating our goals. Since it was formed in 2010, the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force has brought folks from a variety of perspectives to the table to address the issue of human trafficking. Our multidisciplinary task force partners collaborate to pursue justice for survivors, to ensure that the various systems with which survivors regularly engage have the capacity to respond, and to ensure that quality social and legal services are available to them at every juncture.

So what is in store for 2019? Below are the various goals identified by the task force’s Steering Committee and five subcommittees.

As the task force grows and develops, we hope to formalize task force policy, set member agency expectations, and lay out detailed referral information. This year, the task force will codify member agency information, including program information, eligibility criterion, and expectations around agency procedure, protocol, and referrals so that members can more seamlessly collaborate with each other.

Train Teachers, Staff, & Other Professionals Working With School-Aged Youth
We recognize that youth are at particularly high risk of recruitment into sex and labor trafficking situations. We know from research and survivor accounts that individuals can live at home and attend school while being exploited. In a study involving 41 patients identified in the medical setting as survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking, one third of the patients reported receiving passing grades or doing well in school. Individuals in the field of education are well-positioned to identify potential victims and connect them to resources. The task force hopes to train educators in public schools and other professionals who work with students, starting with outreach to organizations like Teach for America, Americorps, and City Year.

Create a Model Curriculum for Training Healthcare Professionals
An in-depth study of the experiences of human trafficking survivors found that 87.8% of the participants (n = 98) had come into contact with a healthcare provider during their trafficking situation. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in identifying, assessing, and treating survivors. Following outreach to local hospitals in 2018, the task force's Healthcare Subcommittee plans to standardize curriculum and draft a model module to streamline training for medical providers.

Increase Training & Awareness in the Transportation Sector
Between January 1, 2011 and March 31, 2017, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 320 reports of human trafficking cases that were related to buses or bus stations. The task force will focus on training individuals in the transportation industry on human trafficking and ensuring that bus and train stations in Chicago have human trafficking notices posted to increase public awareness.

Develop a Model Protocol for Hotels & Motels
A Polaris survey of 100 survivors revealed that 75% of the respondents came into contact with hotels at some point during their exploitation. In order to increase outreach to survivors and improve identification by hotel staff, the task force will work to draft a model response to human trafficking in the hotel setting and find pathways for survivors to reach out for help.

Form Partnerships with Financial Institutions
After exiting a trafficking situation, survivors often need help re-establishing themselves financially. One survivor in a focus group conducted by Polaris shared about how being able to open a bank account secretly and save money without her trafficker knowing was the key to her eventually leaving. The task force will work with local banks and credit unions to provide access to no-to-low barrier banking programs for survivors.
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Sources:
Goldberg, A., Moore, J., Houck, C., Kaplan, D., and Barron, C. (2017). Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of Medical Presentation. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 30, 109-115.
Lederer LJ & Wetzel CA. (2014). The health consequences of sex trafficking and their implications for identifying victims in healthcare facilities. Ann Health Law, 23(1), 61-87.
Macias-Konstantopoulos, Wendy. (2016). Human Trafficking: The Role of Medicine in Interrupting the Cycle of Abuse and Violence. Ann Intern Med, 165 (8), 382-388.
National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2018). Human Trafficking Intersections with Transportation. Retrieved from https://humantraffickinghotline.org/resources/human-trafficking-intersections-transportation
Polaris. (2018). On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking. Retrieved from https://polarisproject.org/a-roadmap-for-systems-and-industries-to-prevent-and-disrupt-human-trafficking

Did you miss our pop up art exhibit at the Thompson Center? We've got you covered - the document below takes you through the exhibit from start to finish! ​

Lyft Driver Community Learning: Identifying and Responding to Human Trafficking

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

at
Chicago Children's Advocacy Center

1240 S. Damen Ave
in the Education Center
from 2 pm to 3 pm

In December of 2016, Keith Avila picked up his first passengers for the night. But something wasn’t right. He quickly noticed a young girl with two older passengers, who during their time in the car, proceeded to coach her as they drove to a nearby hotel. As soon as he dropped them off, Keith decided to call the police. His vigilance helped the girl reunite with her family – and highlighted a critical place for identification of the crime of human trafficking, which takes place in all 50 states, including Illinois.

In an effort to be like Keith, we want to bring you up to speed on what human trafficking really is, how it can be identified, and what you might do to respond if you notice something fishy in your backseat. 

This free 1-hour workshop will give you practical tips on what to look out for when driving. You don't want to miss out on this unique learning opportunity!
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Register here: https://lyfthumantraffickingtraining.eventbrite.com

The parking lot is free, if available, but non-metered street parking is also available.

Register for our 2017 CSRN Training here: https://csrntraining2017.eventbrite.com

Already a CSRN member? We have a free continuing education opportunity for you and your staff on July 14th! Don't miss out: https://csrncontinuinged2017.eventbrite.com

Does human trafficking feel vague or obscure, a crime that happens in far off lands no where near your own community? Unfortunately, the facts tell us otherwise. Human trafficking can and does take place in all 50 states here in the
United States, and impacts people of all backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, genders, and life experiences.

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a month in which organizations across the country partake in awareness raising activities to educate the general public about human trafficking.

This special magazine hopes to impart a more nuanced understanding of the diverse experiences of human trafficking survivors by featuring works of art, poetry, and reflection from survivors of sex and labor trafficking and from advocates in the field.

We hope these perspectives ignite a dedication to addressing human trafficking in your local communities and in your own professional settings. 

Check out the full zine below. 

Gallery Talks: Women Hold Up Half the Sky
January 8, 2017, Labor trafficking in Chicago, Heartland Alliance, 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077.
January 14, 2017, Sex trafficking in Chicago, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM, same as above.
Local experts speak briefly (15-20 minutes in the exhibition at the Illinois Holocaust Museum) about current issues regarding female health, safety and economic opportunity and how their organizations are addressing these issues.
Link: https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/standup4women/

Human Trafficking Awareness Training
January 11, 2017, 3:30 - 5 pm, Latham & Watkins LLP, 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago, IL 60611
In partnership with Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), this free training by Traffick Free will address human trafficking in the Chicago area as well as the opening of a low-demand overnight drop-in for all adult females who are victimized by sex trafficking and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/traffickfree

Dreamcatcher Film Screening
January 12, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077.
A screening of the film Dreamcatcher, featuring Brenda Myers Powell. 
Link: https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/standup4women/

The Demand that Drives Sex Trafficking in Illinois
January 15, 2017, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL.
Experts will discuss demand in Illinois and important ways communities are fighting back.
Featuring: Laura Jansen, lead author of Our Great Hobby: An Analysis of Online Networks for Buyers of Sex in Illinois, and researcher, University of Chicago; Caleb Probst and Lynne Johnson, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE);Laura Ng (Moderator), Executive Director, Traffick Free
Link: https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/standup4women/

VLAN and National Crime Victim Legal Institute Training 
January 17, 2017, 8:30 am - 5 pm, Latham & Watkins 330 N Wabash Ave #2800
The Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services' VLAN program and partner National Crime Victim Legal Institute (NCVLI), will be conducting a day long training on enhancing crime victim services.
Link to RSVP by January 6: https://vlan.eventbrite.com.

How to Identify, Respond and Work with Youth Survivors
January 20 and 27, 2017, 9 am - 3 pm each day, 
The STOP-IT program and DCFS will provide a two-day training for mental health providers on how to identify, respond and work with youth survivors of human trafficking.
Location: The Salvation Army Midway Office, 5045 W 47th Street, Chicago, IL.
Target Audience: Mental Health Providers
RSVP to Amanda Blowers at [email protected] by January 13, 2017.

Every Person has a Voice: Exposing, Examining, and Eradicating Human Trafficking
January 23, 2017, 3:00-6:30 p.m., Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, IL
An in-depth look at issues, concerns and remedies aimed to address the exploitation of individuals through human trafficking both domestically and globally.
Link to register: http://www.chicagobar.org/AM/NavigationMenu/YLS/HumanTraffickingAwarenessWeek/default.htm

CAASE Know Your Rights Training
January 24, 2017, 12:00-1:30 p.m., Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Ct. Chicago, IL
The Young Lawyers Section is partnering with Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) on CAASE's public service initiative to help victims of sex trafficking in Illinois identify whether their legal rights have been potentially violated and refer them to various organizations that may be able to help them.
Link to register: http://www.chicagobar.org/AM/NavigationMenu/YLS/HumanTraffickingAwarenessWeek/default.htm

A Path Appears, Episode One: Sex Trafficking in the USA
January 25, 2017, 12:00-1:30 p.m., Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, IL
Special guest Laurel Bellows will introduce and join us for a showing of the gripping film, “A Path Appears, Episode One: Sex Trafficking in
the USA.” Learn more about the film here:  https://streamingmoviesright.com/us/movie/a-path-appears/
Link to RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeL6F6DHZzs68DWxd095hKD2GpMDw0mCib8vVYCijaavzV-Pw/viewform?c=0&w=1

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​ The Cook County Human Trafficking Force is pleased to present ‘The Art of Healing’, a  survivor art exhibit that aims to raise awareness during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
 
This exhibit takes viewers through the complex and often multi-layered ‘art of healing’, as expressed by those who have been victimized by human trafficking. Join the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force on January 11, 2016 for a special opening day event to raise awareness about this issue.  The art opening will take place at Awakenings Foundation Center and Gallery at 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave, 204C, Chicago, IL 60613 at 6 p.m.

Research shows that art therapy can help survivors of trauma process their experiences. In order to give survivors the opportunity to process and express their journeys, The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force hosted several art therapy workshops with a licensed clinical art therapist in November and December of 2015.  Survivors then had the option of submitting their creations to this exhibit. Other art by survivors will also be displayed. 
 
‘The Art of Healing’ has been extended until February 29, 2016.
 
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The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force is comprised of almost 30 social service, legal service, and law enforcement agencies who work together to address human trafficking in Chicago, Cook County, and the surrounding areas. The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaborative project of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Salvation Army STOP-IT program, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.