Building A System Response to Sexual Exploitation The Olmsted County Experience Implementing Minnesota’s No Wrong Door Policy Laura Sutherland, J.D. Safe Harbor SE Regional Navigator

Office Number: Hour Crisis Line:

Role of Regional Navigator History of position ◦ Created in 2014 ◦ Safe Harbor Law ◦ 10 Regional Navigator’s statewide Navigators provide a variety of services…

Role of Regional Navigator Direct Services ◦ Services can include helping to find appropriate placement/shelter options, therapy that is trauma informed, free medical care, legal services, support through criminal proceedings, etc.

Role of Regional Navigator Trainings to system professionals: Emergency room staff Social workers Public health nurses School District Staff Law Enforcement Trainings focus on how to identify potential victims and how to connect victims with services

Prevention Victim Services Prevention work 4,000 students in 2015/2016! Exploitation Through Technology: Addresses spectrum of sexual exploitation, safe technology usage, recognizing and responding to exploitation  High School Curriculum and Middle School Curriculum  Is currently being offered to 700 eighth grade students in Rochester  Scheduled for all high school and middle school students in the Austin School District

Prevention cont… Empowering Young Men To End Sexual Exploitation

Current Caseload Youth 85 cases: this includes youth who have been…  trafficked  exploited  at risk for exploitation Adult 14 adults: All have been trafficked

Victim Services Protocol Case Consult ◦ All cases involving the sexual assault of an adolescent must be reviewed at weekly case consult for possibility of sexual exploitation Why was this protocol was developed?

Victim Services Protocol Outside Referrals ◦ Examples: public health nurse, school social worker, etc, ◦ Advocate must explicitly ask whether sexual exploitation or sex trafficking is a concern regarding the victim ◦ All advocates have received training on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation

Victim Services Protocol Walk-ins and Crisis Calls ◦ Advocates are required to ask questions to assess for the possibility of exploitation

Victim Services Protocol Assessment Questions ◦ When speaking with a parent or referring agency key questions regarding a youth can include:  is the youth frequently absent from home?  Is the youth frequently missing school?  Is the youth traveling out of town?  Is the youth using drugs or alcohol and how does he or she obtain the drugs or alcohol?  Does the youth have an older boyfriend?  Is the youth engaging in self harm?

Victim Services Protocol Assessment Questions ◦ When speaking directly with youth focus on relationship building. Ask questions about…  school  life at home  their relationships with significant others When asked, some youth will readily acknowledge that they exchange sex for a place to stay or for drugs.

Types of Cases Familial Trafficking Mom has her daughter give blow jobs to pay off drug debts Dad films sex acts with daughter while others watch

Types of Cases Teen/Runaway Sex Trafficking Youth who are “missing” at very high risk; currently have a protocol in place with our Sheriff Dept to review all juvenile missing person reports. These youth are targeted

Types of Cases At Risk Youth ◦ Majority of my caseload ◦ Most of these youth have a history of sexual or physical abuse ◦ Engage in very risky behavior, many have substance abuse issues ◦ Try to identify earlier rather than later to avoid severe victimization

Olmsted County Human Trafficking Taskforce Created in July 2014 Direct Purpose Partners