Improving the Systems Response to Victims of Human Trafficking with Substance Use Disorders in Minnesota

Victims of human trafficking (HT) with substance use challenges face barriers to healing, recovery, and safety across victim services, health, and criminal–legal systems. Identification and referral to appropriate services for both HT victimization and substance use challenges run up against siloed systems and are complicated by layers of stigma, trauma, institutional barriers, and lack of awareness among service providers. The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH’s) Human Trafficking Prevention and Response Program (HTPRP) has taken initial steps to address this issue. Preliminary research conducted by MDH staff identified systems barriers and recommendations for future action.

RTI International proposes to conduct a community-based participatory action research project to build on efforts undertaken by HTPRP, in collaboration with the MDH Overdose Prevention Program, to improve the state’s ability to identify victims of HT with substance use challenges and provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to meet their needs. This will be accomplished by collecting data that will inform solutions to (1) improve state agencies’ data capacity to understand and monitor the intersections of HT and substance use challenges; (2) improve cross-identification; (3) enhance systems coordination; and (4) enhance treatment approaches that help victims to recover, heal, and prevent further trafficking exploitation.

Project goals, research questions, and solutions will be co-developed with a State-Agency Working Group (primary state agency representatives for HT, criminal–legal systems, and public health) and Community Advisory Board (persons with lived experience of HT and substance use and practitioners) to enable institutional and community buy-in and sustainability.  

We will employ several research methods to gather information about current practices, gaps, and needs for responding to this population. This includes an evaluation of an MDH pilot training curriculum, key interviews, systems mapping, a community convening, and program data assessment. Based on these findings, we will co-develop and implement a response plan with actionable and measurable goals.

Response plan deliverables or actions may include developing training, integrating evidence-based intake or assessment tools, creating coordinated care plans, or conducting asset mapping. This work has the potential for state-level impact across victim services, substance use treatment centers, health centers, and criminal–legal systems. Dissemination products will have two primary focus areas: (1) practitioner-capacity building with tools, resources, or lessons learned and (2) methodological lessons in participatory action research and systems-level change for victims of HT with substance use challenges. CA/NCF