January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Educators play a critical role in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect and all forms of maltreatment, including human trafficking.
January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, also known as Wear Blue Day. PBTISD encourages all students and staff to dress in blue to raise awareness of human trafficking.
Learn more on how you can educate yourself and those around you on human trafficking below:
Human Trafficking Resource Center
HHSC's Human Trafficking Resource Center (HTRC) promotes, assists, and funds efforts that stop human trafficking in Texas. The HTRC connects those who have experienced human trafficking to needed resources and reviews and approves human trafficking prevention training for healthcare providers.
The HTRC also offers training for providers and others who may play a role in helping survivors of human trafficking. Among those is HEART, or “Hearing, Evaluating, Activating, Resourcing and Training.” This free, trauma-informed course is for licensed healthcare practitioners or others who want to learn ways to prevent or identify human trafficking in healthcare and social services settings, including front desk staff and others who interact closely with patients.
Learn more about HEART and other approved human trafficking trainings here.
Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force
HHSC also participates in the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, a collaborative of more than 50 organizations that educates the public, identifies victims of human trafficking, and ensures traffickers are investigated and prosecuted. The task force also develops legislative recommendations to enhance the state’s efforts in combating human trafficking.
Anyone who believes they have witnessed human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (TTY: 711). You can also text “233733” to the hotline or go to the Hotline Web Chat.
Learn more about HHSC's efforts to combat human trafficking here.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and National Human Trafficking Hotline