.“The National Center on Child Trafficking: Innovation and dissemination of evidence-based trauma treatment and services for children and families impacted by trafficking” will establish a national network of experts in trauma, trafficking, and implementation science to develop, adapt, deliver, and disseminate products, resources, and interventions to improve outcomes for youth and families who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking (CSET).
Youth who have experienced CSET have very high rates of trauma exposure, including early trauma (e.g. sexual abuse, traumatic loss/ separation, family violence) as well as trauma while being trafficked (e.g. physical/sexual violence by traffickers/ purchasers). The cumulative impact of these traumatic experiences leads to high rates of post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, and self-injury. CSET occurs to youth of all ages, genders, and races/ethnicities; however, youth of color and LGBTQ youth are significantly over-represented and males are underidentified. The National Center on Child Trafficking (NCCT) will increase and improve access to trauma-focused evidence-based mental treatments and trauma-informed interventions guided by principles of trauma-informed care tailored and adapted to meet the needs of youth who have experienced CSET, as well as increase and improve trauma and trafficking awareness and collaborative multi-disciplinary cross-sector response. The NCCT will (1) develop and disseminate national practice standards and consensus guidelines for MH treatment crosscutting EBPs to 1000 mental health professionals and webinar training to 4000 professionals, (2) deliver and evaluate training of TF-CBT for CSET to 250 therapists in 5 SAMHSA/HHS regions, develop resources for therapists and trainers to enhance dissemination and service delivery, disseminate to 1000 providers, (3) develop and disseminate standards, guidelines, and training addressing co-occurring trauma and substance use problems to 1000 mental health and substance abuse professionals, webinar training to 1600 professionals, integrate the guidelines into an existing evidence-based trauma and substance use treatment, Risk Reduction through Family Therapy, and train 50 therapists in the adapted model, (4) adapt and disseminate training in trauma-informed parenting, the Resource Parent Curriculum, adapted for youth who have experienced CSET to 100 RPC facilitators, (5) adapt and disseminate training in trauma-informed residential care, Think Trauma. to 50 Think Trauma trainers, and train staff at targeted CSET congregate care/residential treatment placements, (6) develop and disseminate resources for MDT and CSET specialist professionals, including practice guidelines and training curricula (FORECAST) incorporating CSET response to 650 professionals, webinar training to 400 professionals, (7) develop Secondary Traumatic Stress/Compassion Fatigue awareness materials and strategies and deliver training in the practices to 1000 professionals serving Youth who have experienced CSET. Over 11,000 people will be impacted by the project through resources developed and disseminated and trainings provided (1490 Y2, 2565 Y3, 2630 Y4, 5250 Y5).
