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The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) engages in initiatives, campaigns, and partnerships to address human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. A sampling of these efforts is described below.
New York State's Interagency Task Force Against Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is an insidious crime that can be difficult to detect, partly because traffickers often hide the people they exploit from public view. To ensure that law enforcement agencies and social services organizations are getting the training and education they need to facilitate coordinated implementation of the law, New York State created the Interagency Task Force Against Human Trafficking (ITF).
ITF is co-chaired by the commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). The task force also includes the following state agencies:
- Department of Health
- Office of Mental Health
- Department of Labor
- Office of Children and Family Services
- Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
- Office of Victim Services (formerly Crime Victims Board)
- Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
- State Police
ITF’s Goals
- Recommend interagency protocols and best practices for training and outreach to the law enforcement community and to service providers.
- Gather data on the number of victims and the effectiveness of the new law.
- Evaluate approaches to increase public awareness about trafficking and make recommendations on those approaches.
Publications
- 2020 Press Release
- 2020 #TruthAboutTrafficking Campaign
- 2018 Annual Report
- Stop Human Trafficking Wallet Card
- 2017 Annual Report
- 2015 Awareness Poster
- 2008 Implementation Report
Survivor Leadership
- Minnesota Department of Health: Survivor Leaders and Subject Matter Experts Capacity Building Project Phase I Summary Report
- Minnesota Department of Health: Best Practices Tip Sheet for Survivor Leaders
- Minnesota Department of Health: Engaging Surivor Leaders Guide Sheet
- Minnesota Department of Health: Email Communication Templates for Survivor Leaders
- Minnesota Department of Health: Proposals and Contract Templates for Survivor Leaders
- Minnesota Department of Health: Booking and Request for Services Templates for Survivor Leaders
ITF Youth Subcommittee
This subcommittee was formed in 2016 and is co-chaired by OCFS and OTDA, a partnership that supports the efforts of the ITF with a focus on children, youth, and families. More information about the subcommittee is available by writing to humantrafficking@ocfs.ny.gov.