New Safe House Certification Drives Innovation & Excellence for Programs Serving Trafficking Survivors

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Sep 01, 2021, 08:41 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe House Project, a national anti-trafficking nonprofit, launches the nation's first certification model to establish standards of care for programs serving trafficking survivors.

"As trafficking has grown in the spotlight, so has the number of organizations seeking to help. However, with that growth comes a need for quality control and established standards of care for residential service providers of trafficked individuals," said Kristi Wells, Safe House Project CEO. "For years we have seen the negative impact caused by the lack of standards, often producing harmful results for survivors seeking services, ambiguity for law enforcement seeking reliable residential placements, and a guessing game for foundations and donors seeking quality programs to support. Our certification program seeks to establish high-caliber standards, elevate the national landscape of care, and provide credible guidance to those seeking quality programs."

Through the certification process, candidate organizations' management, governance, financials, and operations are evaluated against established standards and are then provided a pathway to improved operations and enhanced effectiveness. The applying program can earn a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Certification. Emerging Leader Certification is available for programs less than one year old. Specialty Care Certification is awarded to programs serving survivors with specialized needs like severe mental illnesses or physical disabilities.

Bill Woolf, former Acting Director, Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of Justice applauds the certification program saying, "Establishing standards of care is of critical importance to ensuring that survivors of trafficking receive only the best services that are designed and delivered to meet their individualized needs." He continued, "I am so thankful for Safe House Project's leadership, filling a much needed gap in the field and helping to secure the rights of victims of crime as they go through the healing process."

Alia Dewees, Safe House Project Director of Aftercare Development and Survivor Leader expressed the need for this certification to bring greater support to survivors.

"Daily we see quality programs break the cycle of victimization for trafficking survivors. This certification provides a clear way to evaluate organizations that are serving trafficking survivors and reward those meeting best practices, while driving all programs to excellence, thereby reducing re-victimization nationwide.

"Safe House Project's certification model was created in collaboration with industry experts including survivors, law enforcement, social workers, health care professionals, mental health professionals, and leading residential programs for trafficking survivors in order to provide survivor care that goes above and beyond a basic industry standard of care," according to Dewees.

About Safe House Project
Safe House Project (501c3) is a nonprofit combatting domestic sex trafficking by increasing victim identification of trafficked individuals through survivor-informed training, supporting victims in their escape, and increasing the number of restorative care opportunities for child trafficking victims. To learn more about Safe House Project visit www.safehouseproject.org.

Safe House Project Contact:
Brittany Dunn
[email protected]
720-335-5686

SOURCE Safe House Project