SHARING INFORMATION WITH PATIENTS

Healthcare professionals are on the front lines of providing direct patient care to human trafficking survivors and are uniquely positioned to recognize and respond. The majority of survivors who are actively being exploited will encounter healthcare professionals. These individuals may be at risk of trafficking, involved but not ready to get out, involved and wanting help to get out, or have been previous victims.

The manner in which information is shared can be as important as the content itself. It is important to remain objective, provide privacy, and provide verbal and written information in a language that the patient can understand. Healthcare providers must also be mindful of maintaining a trauma and survivor-informed environment. Use of a harm-reduction model meets patients where they are and does not subject them to judgment or push them to disclose information if they are not ready to do so (WHO, 2023a).

The World Health Organization recommends that healthcare institutions implement the following:

• Remove barriers to care, such as social and financial obstacles, to the degree possible and take measures to increase trafficking providers’ trust in the health care system.
• Become involved in prevention efforts when possible, supporting programs such as “My Strength” and “My Life” that are offered in the United States.
• Develop treatment plans based on available resources and ensure that these plans are patient-centered.
• Use validated screening tools to universally screen all patients for trafficking.
• Provide trauma-informed and compassionate care.
• Promote staff education on human trafficking that can be standardized and easily accessed by staff, such as online training in order to provide better quality care to trafficking survivors.
• Create policies and programs at local and state levels to address human trafficking
• Encourage leadership among health professionals to provide education and intervention.
• Become involved in research for evidence-based best practices.
  (WHO, 2023b)

When providing direct care for suspected human trafficking patients, the clinician should not focus on eliciting information from them about their trafficking situation. Instead, the clinician should offer comprehensive care services that are unique to the patient’s needs and sensitive to the patient’s circumstances. The aim of the provider is to establish a safe haven in the environment, treat the patient for their medical needs, and offer information and support. It is important that the patient gives consent for any procedures, and that the clinician maintains trauma-informed principles (Stoklosa & Beals, 2022).

Survivors who have experienced human trafficking are experts on this topic and understand what healthcare providers need to know in order to create a safe space to interact. According to survivors, it is important that healthcare workers have a working knowledge of resources and mandatory and nonmandatory reporting of human trafficking. When sharing information, healthcare workers should share accurate timeframes and respond to the needs that patients verbalize and provide opportunities for the patient to be in control when possible (Chisolm-Straker et al., 2020).

Legal and Social Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in Florida

Legal assistance should be accessible for all victims of human trafficking, and advocacy provided to help navigate a complex system. It is important for victims to understand their rights so that they can receive services to address their situation. Attorneys can help victims who have been detained, prevent them from being deported, and if they are not citizens of the United States, help them apply for a T visa. The T visa allows victims of trafficking to live and work in the United States and apply for permanent residency (see box below).

A variety of direct legal and social service providers are available to clients in Florida. Religious groups, government agencies, nongovernmental agencies, and community partners such as domestic violence shelters are part of a network of coordinated community care. The National Human Trafficking Hotline website, operated by the Polaris Project, is a robust resource. This website offers an interactive map and search feature to locate the type of service needed in each community of the United States. A provider or client can also inquire about local services by calling the telephone hotline (Baldwin et al., 2017). (See “Resources” at the end of this course.)

Other resources to consider sharing with human trafficking survivors include:

• HEAL Trafficking (Health, Education, Advocacy, Linkage) is an organization composed of multidisciplinary professionals who support human trafficking survivors from a public health perspective. The organization provides an array of resources that are available on their website, including a Human Trafficking Protocol Toolkit, literature and publications, a speaker’s bureau, and links to a network of nonprofit groups and academic and government centers pertaining to human trafficking. The website also offers patient resources, information on child labor, COVID-19, and protocol consultancy.
• South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force (SFHTTF), an antitrafficking coordination team, provides a unique model of addressing human trafficking that goes beyond the “3 Ps” (prevention, protection, and prosecution). Composed of law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, private entities, clergy, and state-certified victim advocates, the task force responds in a collaborative manner to assist victims and address and disrupt organized crime that supports human trafficking. By providing victims with services while coordinating investigations, the SFHTTF promotes a victim-centered approach in which the needs of the victim are viewed as equally important as the apprehension and prosecution of the exploiters (SFHTTF, 2022).

(See “Resources” at the end of this course for website links/contact information.)