Minnesota Systems Change: Safe Harbor Expansion Efforts Amanda Colegrove Safe Harbor Expansion Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health Sarah Ladd Human Trafficking Child Protection Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Amanda s Journey Here Master s in Geography Risk Assessment Map Coalition Organizer 4 years Amanda Colegrove Safe Harbor Safe Harbor Expansion Coordinator 9 months Integrate a statewide response for labor trafficking into the current Safe Harbor response to sex trafficking OVC grant to better outcomes for trafficked youth ages 24 & under 2
Sarah s Journey Here From Victim Advocate to Licensed attorney Direct civil representation of trafficking survivors, training, leadership of coalitions and protocol development Victim advocacy and direct services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence; advocacy for immigrant families Research and writing on trauma informed services, labor trafficking, and trafficking response protocol Sarah Ladd Human Trafficking Child Protection Coordinator MN Dept. of Human Services Collaborative development, implementation of, and training on new policies to improve child welfare response to child trafficking OVC grant to better outcomes for trafficked youth ages 24 & under 3
Minnesota s Three-Pronged Response to Child Trafficking Decriminalization Child Protection Response Safe Harbor Services 4
Minnesota s Child Protection Response to Sex Trafficking Training for Child Protection/ Welfare Workers Coordination with Safe Harbor and Systems Response Child Protection Response Data Reporting Child Sex Trafficking Sex Abuse Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation (24 hour response) Contact: Sarah Ladd (DHS Human Trafficking Child Protection Coordinator), sarah.ladd@state.mn.us. Voice (651) 431-4702 5
Sexually Exploited Youth and the Child Welfare Response Sexually Exploited Youth (SEY) Suspected sex trafficking Known sex trafficking Sex trafficking : Receiving, recruiting, harboring, providing, or obtaining by any means an individual to aid in the prostitution of the individual; or receiving profit or anything of value, knowing or having reason to know it is derived from an act described in clause (1). (sex trafficker= not buyer or victim) Minn. Stat. 609.321, Subd. 7a & 609.322 6
Leave the Comfort Zone
8
How does the Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force Change the System? Systems change aims to bring about lasting change by altering underlying structures and supporting mechanisms which make the system operate in a particular way. These can include policies, routines, relationships, resources, power structures and values. - R. Abercrombie, E. Harries, & R. Wharton (2015). Systems Change: A Guide to What It Is and How To Do It, p. 9. Can we shift: Routines Policies Power Structures Values Across Jurisdictions? 9
Principles of Systems Change in Minnesota Safe Harbor Response Address intersections of oppression and engage underrepresented effected populations, Prioritize survivor-input, Reduce gaps in identification and victimcentered response to human trafficking, and Partner across communities and professions to develop shared vision, values, and purpose 10
Intersectionality and Oppression 12
A Piece of the Puzzle: What is your role? 13
MNHTTF Purpose The purpose of the Minnesota Human trafficking Task Force (MNHTTF) is to end human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation in Minnesota through a coordinated, multidisciplinary, statewide response. MNHTTF is comprised of governmental and non-governmental agencies and is an important resource for those working on the issue of human trafficking. 14
Building Blocks of Systems Change Create a Knowledge Base Select Social Strategies Create Stakeholder Will Support Policy Entrepreneurs Use Unexpected Events 15
MDH Safe Harbor s Application for Expansion Create Knowledge Base Select Social Strategies Create Stakeholder Will Support Policy Entrepreneurs Use Unexpected Events Training current grantees Advisory Groups State Agency Work Group Unifying the message across the state Super Bowl Training service providers Protocols/Guides New positions Identifying who is respected in the communities Labor Trafficking Case Training state agencies Tribal selfdetermination Educating Legislators Connecting with trustworthy media outlets? 16
DHS Safe Harbor Expansion Process Create Knowledge Base Select Social Strategies Create Stakeholder Will Support Policy Entrepreneurs Use Unexpected Events Training grantees DHS Trafficking Work Group Communities of Practice listening sessions Unifying the message across the state Super Bowl Training county workers with grantees Protocols, Guides New positions Identifying Safe Harbor influencers Law enforcement coordination issues Training key DHS employees Strengthening stakeholder relations Applying Work Group feedback Connecting with state and federal partners 2 day training for county workers 17
Spotlight on unexpected event as a catalyst for systems change: Super Bowl LII Coordinated Child Protection Response Subcommittee Member counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Kanabec, Olmsted, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington & Wright (Facilitators: Department of Human Services and Department of Health) Participation: County attorney s office representative and human services/ child protection representative from each county Information gathering: subcommittee survey and statewide survey of human services agencies Objective: to improve coordination among metro-area and surrounding county and tribal child welfare agencies to implement new laws related to child sex trafficking and sexually exploited youth during and beyond Super Bowl LII. 18
Challenges of Systems Change in Minnesota Safe Harbor Response For example: Silos of response Integrating labor trafficking: foreign born victims v. domestic victims New non-caregiver offender child protection response Grassroots v. centralized Data and reporting outcomes Engaging effected populations Coordination and cross-reporting between systems and community-based responders Criminalization of victims still happens 19
Questions and discussion Amanda.Colegrove@state.mn.us Sarah.Ladd@state.mn.us Thank you for participating in our discussion today! 20