What Healthcare Professionals Say They Need

Our Foundation

Healthcare professionals have a critical role in preventing and responding to trafficking. While research varies, one study by Polaris found that 69% of respondents were able to access healthcare services at some point during their exploitation (2018). Another small study found that 90% of children who were suspected or confirmed victims of sex trafficking had been seen in a healthcare setting during their exploitation (Ertl, Bokor, Tuchman, Miller, Kappel, & Deye, 2020).  

At Justice U, we create content based on current evidence from published academic research, the expertise of those with lived experience, and the experiences of professionals working to support survivors of human trafficking. We take this responsibility seriously. That’s why we seek feedback from our learners, who often suspect they have or will interact with human trafficking victims. Our learners are uniquely positioned in their communities and teams, and their insights help us create more impactful and practical training and tools at Justice U. Importantly, we hear that they want and need training and resources.

” I’ve had next to no training on this, but I have seen it in practice at least once.” 

Pediatric ICU Nurse, St. Louis, Missouri

Key Findings 

In recent listening sessions with healthcare professionals across roles, we learned about their educational needs and challenges. Some of the key needs that were shared include: 

• Desire for Role-Specific Training: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) want training tailored to their specific roles. 

• Concrete Resources: HCPs need practical tools, such as protocols, identification guidance, and reporting steps. 

• Community Collaboration: There’s a demand for strategies that facilitate collaboration with local organizations and colleagues. 

• Regional Relevance: Information needs to be specific to geographic regions. 

• Diverse Content Formats: Professionals appreciate a mix of online and in-person training. 

• Inclusive Content: Information should cover various forms of trafficking, including familial and labor trafficking, and address diverse populations such as LGBTQIA+ and male victims, as well as trafficking of all age groups. 

Fortunately, Justice U addresses these needs in our existing training. We are grateful for the continued feedback of our learners and look forward to integrating it into our existing and planned content for healthcare workers, those who interact with children (including healthcare and mental health professionals), and community members.  

“The more knowledge that I have, the more I can be better, the more we can be successful to change the stats here.” 

Executive Director serving Native American people, Clinton, North Carolina 

Next Steps for Healthcare Professionals 

For healthcare professionals to make a meaningful impact, consider these action steps: 

1. Engage your leadership and legislators. Advocate for the importance of requiring human trafficking training within your organization. Then, request that your professional credentialing boards and legislators require it within your professional field. 

2. Review existing protocols. Determine if your workplace has a protocol for addressing potential trafficking. Understand your role within that protocol. If you do not have one, suggest the need for one. 

3. Collaborate locally. Proactively build relationships within your community to support the non-medical needs of your patients. 

4. Stay informed. Use the every-day citizen version of our new Just In Time web-based tool to access mobile, on-demand information about recognizing, responding to, and reporting human trafficking. You can also take specialized online training, such as our Healthcare Response to Human Trafficking Series and earn CEUs. 

5. Invest in Training: Encourage your leadership to bring our comprehensive Just In Time Solution with Implementation Support for Healthcare to your healthcare organization and community. It includes HCP-specific training, local protocol and partnership development support, and unlimited Just in Time app access to critical content and local resources in 7+ languages so everyone can identify and respond to human trafficking effectively. 

By continuing to learn and collaborate, healthcare professionals can play a pivotal role in preventing and ending human trafficking. 

At Justice U, our training equips you to recognize and respond to trafficking situations with accurate information, collaboration, and compassion. We offer both the healthcare series and the Essential Knowledge for Addressing the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) in the U.S series.

Our Healthcare Response to Human Trafficking series offers essential knowledge and skills. Courses in the series include: 

1. Human Trafficking Awareness 

2. Human Trafficking Health Impact 

3. Human Trafficking Identification and Assessment 

4. Human Trafficking Protocols in Healthcare 

5. Collaborative Engagement to Address Trafficking 

We’re here to ensure that every healthcare professional is equipped to make a difference.

Final Thoughts 

Join the growing numbers of Justice U learners. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in your community and around the world.  

References

Ertl, S., Bokor, B., Tuchman, L., Miller, E., Kappel, R., & Deye, K. (2020). Healthcare needs and utilization patterns of sex-trafficked youth: Missed opportunities at a children’s hospital. Child: Care, Health and Development, 46(4), 422–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12759 

Polaris. (2018). On-ramps, intersections, and exit routes: A roadmap for systems and industries to prevent and disrupt human trafficking. https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A-Roadmap-for-Systems-and-Industries-to-Prevent-and-Disrupt-Human-Trafficking-Health-Care.pdf