AAU has been a leader in human trafficking support services since 2010. Our Human Trafficking Support (HTS) is Utah’s largest, most comprehensive, and only federally funded human trafficking victim service provider. Annually, AAU serves nearly 600 survivors of sex and/or labor trafficking of all ages, genders, and immigration statuses across Utah. HTS has four key program areas: Holistic Case Management, Housing, Outreach & Education, and Collaborative Partnerships.
Holistic Case Management: HTS provides high quality, trauma-informed, victim-centered case management and wraparound services to over 250 trafficking survivors and their families annually. Services focus on 17+ areas of self-sufficiency with staff meeting survivors where they are on their healing journey and walking alongside them to help survivors reach their goals. Services are voluntary, available in multiple languages and communication modalities, and delivered through a combination of in-house programs and AAU’s network of partner agencies statewide.
Housing: As HTS’s most requested service, housing advocacy and assistance is a critical component of our program. HTS addresses needs throughout the housing spectrum including emergency hotel vouchers and shelter placement, short-term rental assistance, transitional housing support for up to 24 months, and connection to permanent housing options.****
Outreach & Education: HTS has a weekly drop-in center that offers crisis services on a walk-in basis. HTS’s drop-in center brings together 5 partner agencies to provide wraparound care including medical screening/treatment, crisis case management, community housing resources, syringe exchange, naloxone kits, peer support, a food pantry, clothing, hygiene kits, safe sex kits, and more. Thus far this year HTS has provided crisis services to over 325 survivors through 442 visits to the center. ****Education. HTS works to increase Utah’s awareness of human trafficking by providing training presentations and participating in tabling events. HTS reached 3000+ community members in the last year.
Collaborative Partnerships: HTS believes collaboration is key to our program’s success, and thus participates in numerous coalitions, task forces, and agency partnerships statewide. Since 2015 HTS has partnered with the Utah Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to facilitate the Utah Trafficking in Persons (UTIP) Taskforce. UTIP is a multidisciplinary collaboration to combat human trafficking in Utah. Through this collaboration, the AGO is tasked with investigating and prosecuting all forms of trafficking and AAU is tasked with providing comprehensive services to Utah’s trafficking victims.
Take Action: Human trafficking can be an overwhelming topic, and it’s easy to feel like there is nothing you can do to combat this injustice. However, you can be part of the solution in so many ways. Here are a few examples:
- Learn more about human trafficking by requesting a human trafficking training. Request training here.
- Support survivors of trafficking by donating money, time, or in-kind donations. Donate here.
- Partner with us to increase service options for trafficking survivors. Sign up here.
- Learn more about how to recognize human trafficking and how to raise awareness on social media about it. Learn more here.
