Housing remains the #1 most expressed need for survivors as communicated by law enforcement, victim advocates, and social service agencies. This session outlines the landscape of shelter programs available to survivors along with the types of services and postures of response available at different points in the survivor’s healing trajectory. The Samaritan Women has embarked on a significant national initiative to address the gap in residential care programs to meet the specialized needs of trafficking survivors. As of July 2020, The Samaritan Women-Institute for Shelter Care has identified 9 states with no residential shelter program and 6 states with just one service provider. Our goal is to establish 20 additional shelter programs and equip 24 existing providers over the next 5 years.
Jeanne Allert has a 15-year history of providing long-term restorative care for sex trafficking victims nationally. She created the Institute for Shelter Care, which conducts industry research and leverages the expertise of the Institute and industry peers across the country to train and mentor new shelter programs in areas of greatest need.