Overall approach: The RISE (Restore, Inspire, Strengthen and Empower) Program for human trafficking survivors in North Carolina (NC) will deliver an integrated suite of services to contribute to the sustainable improvement of the wellbeing, safety, and self-sufficiency of survivors through support, community engagement and comprehensive short-term and long-term case management. The project will be implemented by Hope for Justice, Inc. (HFJ) a 501c3 registered non-profit organization and will target adult United States (US) citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPR) in the Charlotte Metropolitan area, NC. Over the 60-month project period, our proposed RISE program will fill many of the gaps identified above, sustaining our capacity in North Carolina to improve the wellbeing, safety, and self-sufficiency of survivors of human trafficking through community engagement and comprehensive case management in Charlotte, NC.
Partnerships: Hope for Justice is a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Human Trafficking Task Force and the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission. Hope for Justice also partners with Safe Alliance, Dahlia Grove and Justice Ministries, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Homeland Security in the NC Region, and the NC Bureau of Investigations.
Project Goal: The goal of the RISE (Restore, Inspire, Strengthen and Empower) program is to contribute to the sustainable improvement of the wellbeing, safety, and self-sufficiency of survivors of human trafficking through support, community engagement and comprehensive (short and long-term) case management over five years.
Project Objectives and Activities: The RISE program aims to: (1) build capacity of internal Hope for Justice staff and service providers to identify and support trafficking survivors; (2) deliver comprehensive, trauma-informed case management to enable the recovery of 100 (20 in Year 2) survivors of human trafficking and conduct community outreach to identify victims of human trafficking (100 in Y2); (3) build the evidence base for trauma-informed care services for victims and survivors of human trafficking by implementing a robust monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL) plan.
Project Outcomes: The RISE program has three main objectives with related activities, outputs and outcomes. All three objectives result in two long-term outcomes, which in turn contribute to the overall goal of the program.
Long-term Outcome 1: Increased, trauma-informed identification of victims of trafficking
Long-term Outcome 2: Trafficking survivors have increased wellbeing, safety, and self-sufficiency
Project outcome 1: Project and external service provider staff have improved knowledge and expertise to identify, refer, and provide trauma-informed, high-quality services to victims of human trafficking
Project Outcome 2: Long-term relationships of trust built with adults vulnerable to human trafficking and service providers to enable safe disclosure and future engagement with services
Project Outcome 3: Survivors have access to quality, holistic, trauma-informed and victim-centered care that is responsive to their needs and circumstance
Project Outcome 4: Improved understanding of the needs and situations of victims and survivors of human trafficking in Charlotte
