Resource Library

Learn what to do if you or someone you know has received an Interim Assistance or Eligibility Letter from HHS.

Once a youth receives a Child Eligibility Letter it can be used to apply for benefits and services to the same extent as a refugee. This resource offers information on benefit-issuing agencies by state.

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 established the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking (“the Council”) as a formal platform for individuals with lived experience to provide advice and recommendations to the Senior Policy Operating Group and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (PITF). As a member of these coordinating bodies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implements the Council’s agency-specific recommendations and those for PITF agencies at large. This Information Memorandum summarizes the Council’s past recommendations and overviews implementation efforts by the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The status of each recommendation relating to ACF is available in the Appendix.

The Toolkit for Building Survivor-Informed Organizations is a collection of new and existing resources that builds organizational capacity to meaningfully collaborate with and support staff, volunteers, and consultants with lived experience in human trafficking. The toolkit is a resource for anti-trafficking organizations, coalitions, task forces, volunteer programs, and other community and faith-based organizations that want to improve collaboration with those impacted by human trafficking. This toolkit provides guidance, tools, and resources that support professionally engaging people with lived experience when developing, delivering, and evaluating programs and policies. The 2023 update to this previously published toolkit includes three new chapters with recommendations and resources on (1) survivor leadership engagement; (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (3) wellness.

Survivor-Informed Toolkit  (PDF)

This national briefing call discussed new resources available from the Administration for Children and Families to assist child welfare, states, schools, nonprofit organizations, and practitioners in responding to concerns of human trafficking among children and youth, including those connected to the child welfare system.

Le guide pour la détection de la traite des êtres humains adultes est désigné pour être utilisé dans divers domaines de soins de santé, de santé comportementale, de services sociaux et de santé publique. L’outil évalue les patients ou les clients adultes pour la victimization de la traite des êtres humains ou le risque potentielle de la traite. L’outil est centré sur le survivants avec une approche éclairée sure les traumatismes et culturellement approprié

Adult Human Trafficking Screening Tool (French)  (PDF)

Participating in peer support groups can lead to positive outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders, but many peer support programs are not trauma-informed and it is unclear whether they are the best fit for individuals who experience human trafficking. The Conducting “Seeking Safety” Peer-Led Program with Individuals Who Experience Human Trafficking and Substance Use Disorder brief  (PDF) describes the process of planning and providing training and technical assistance (T/TA) to a survivor-led organization that is piloting a peer-led, evidence-based, and trauma-informed program called Seeking Safety  with individuals who are experiencing trafficking and a substance use disorder. The September 2022 update to this previously published brief shares lessons learned from the pilot and offers considerations to inform potential next steps.

Peer-to-Peer Updated Brief  (PDF)

Individuals who have increased risk factors for trafficking or have experienced trafficking are often not recognized for various reasons. This fact sheet describes individual- and provider-related barriers to identification.

Barriers That Prevent Identification  (PDF)

When first speaking with an individual about potential trafficking, it is important to begin with broad inquiry, using universal education and/or a screening tool. This fact sheet describes considerations for when to use each approach.

Screening and Universal Education: Choosing Your Approach  (PDF)

Universal education and screening are two different ways to identify the needs of someone who may have increased risk factors for trafficking or be experiencing trafficking. This fact sheet provides examples of evidence-based tools that are available for each approach and tips for fostering rapport and safety. 

Different Approaches to the Conversation: Universal Education and Screening Tools  (PDF)