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Building Hope: How ChicagoCAC Is Leading the Fight Against Human Trafficking

By Courtney Bunn, Human Trafficking Program Manager

January marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to unite, share knowledge, and strengthen prevention efforts.

This year’s theme, “Connecting the Dots,” highlights the importance of taking a holistic approach to preventing trafficking, addressing root causes and vulnerabilities while recognizing its intersection with other forms of violence and social issues. In honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, our Human Trafficking Program Manager, Courtney Bunn, shares the work happening within the Clinical Services department and the agency at large to combat human trafficking.

To learn more about what you can do to stop human trafficking, check out our upcoming webinar, Human Trafficking Prevention: Bridging Awareness and Action, on January 17th to learn how you can recognize trafficking and promote best practices for prevention.

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As the Human Trafficking Services Program Manager, I am excited to share the important work happening at Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center to address human trafficking. In prior years, ChicagoCAC had a select group of staff dedicated to trafficking response. Over time, these staff paved the way for the current trafficking program by making an impact in the anti-trafficking community in the Chicagoland area. In 2024, ChicagoCAC reached a milestone by expanding and formalizing the Human Trafficking Program within the center!

Unfortunately, the reality of human trafficking and child exploitation is ever-present, and the need for specialized services for this population has grown in Chicago as referrals have increased. To meet this demand, ChicagoCAC took the necessary steps to grow our trafficking response by creating a distinct program and adding additional staff to better meet the growing needs of our clients. Having a dedicated team and centralized leadership will allow us to make an even bigger difference in the lives of the youth and families we serve. Most importantly, it allows us to identify and extend services to even more impacted youth.

The Human Trafficking Services Program

The expanded Human Trafficking (HT) Services Program is held in the Clinical Services Department. Working in tandem with clinical service providers in this department, the Human Trafficking team provides tailored services to youth and their families in alignment with the Family Hope Center’s standards of excellence. Read more here about how our Family Hope Center provides children and caregivers with the services they need to heal. Unique clinical considerations of trafficking cases are prioritized and enforced by our mental health and social service professionals.

The Human Trafficking team consists of caseworkers, including HT Therapists and HT Specialists, who receive clinical supervision from the HT Manager. All cases involving human trafficking are eligible for HT specific service programming, which provides clinical services from these specialized caseworkers. Factors such as ongoing risk levels as well as individual client needs and preferences are assessed to determine the appropriate service and caseworker assignment.

No matter which caseworker the child is assigned to, all services include mental health and social service support. As an agency we prioritize making services accessible for all clients to receive, which is why having multiple language and location options is critical to success. Many of our caseworkers are bilingual Spanish speaking and can offer services in community settings to reduce barriers and increase client engagement. Additionally, our services can be long-term to address the lasting elements of risk and trauma associated with trafficking.

HT Therapists

Based on research and field experience, we recognize exploitation typically occurs in the context of close relationships. Psychological coercion, such as trauma-bonding and grooming, frequently plays a role, often during early developmental stages. The mental health implications of this type of trauma are complex and delicate, requiring specialized approaches.

Our HT Therapists are trained and supervised on issues related to trafficking and exploitation. When a child is ready to start processing their trafficking-related trauma history, they are assigned to one of these clinicians. The clinician provides evidence-based therapeutic support to foster hope and healing.

HT Specialists

Beyond traditional mental health needs, other vulnerabilities are often exploited in situations of trafficking. This can look like anything from lack of resources to caregiver support issues. When these needs go unmet, the likelihood of ongoing or repeated exploitation grows.

HT Specialists offer a combination of clinical case management, intensive advocacy, and other trauma- informed interventions to create a specialized service plan unique to each child’s situation. These services focus on safety and stabilization, ultimately contributing to building wholistic wellness and healthy relationships in children’s lives.

Our Approach

ChicagoCAC’s commitment to fighting Human Trafficking extends beyond our dedicated services, as we work closely with all multi-disciplinary team (MDT) members. This includes our Family Advocates, Forensic Interviewers, Special Investigations Unit, and Child Protective Services. Additionally, the HT program plays a role in agency-wide and community efforts to educate and collaborate with others doing anti-trafficking work.

Training/Consultation

With a focus on the clinical treatment of trafficked youth, we offer training and consultation for providers working with impacted populations. Our goal within ChicagoCAC is to ensure every department is trained and confidently able to respond to cases of trafficking within their individual roles, including making referrals for HT services. Through the agency’s Education, Outreach, and Prevention team, we also offer training to partners and community members to prevent trafficking and exploitation.

Check out our upcoming webinar, Human Trafficking Prevention: Bridging Awareness and Action, on January 17th to learn how you can promote best practices and prevent human trafficking.

Screening & Assessment

ChicagoCAC addresses child trafficking through its investigative work on child maltreatment cases. Because there is significant overlap between child sexual abuse and potential trafficking, we take great care to review every case we receive for signs of human trafficking. Using validated screening tools and our expertise, we screen each case on a continuum to determine considerable risk of trafficking victimization. These at-risk cases inform our service programming.

To learn more about the indicators of human trafficking that we screen for, follow ChicagoCAC’s social media throughout the month of January.

Networks

We are involved in many local and national collaborative networks to continue learning from and contributing to larger anti-trafficking efforts. Currently, members of our team hold leadership roles on the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force and serve on the Illinois Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force. Additionally, as Program Manager, I was admitted as a member of the DCFS Children’s Justice Task Force as a HT representative, expanding our contribution to discussions on child abuse and exploitation.

We hold so much hope for 2025 as we move forward with a team of two HT Specialists and two HT Therapists. By maximizing caseloads, we aim to reduce child trafficking and exploitation by implementing trauma-informed specialized services for the children in our care. Thank you to ChicagoCAC and its supporters for standing with us as we evolve and strengthen our program!

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