The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Trafficking in Persons has a new resource available, Adult Human Trafficking Screening Toolkit and Guide (PDF). From the website:
The Adult Human Trafficking Screening Tool (AHTST) is designed for use across various health care, behavioral health, social services, and public health settings in order to assess adult patients or clients for human trafficking victimization or risk for potential trafficking victimization. It is a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate intervention tool.
While it is not yet validated, it draws from evidence-based practices and lessons learned from available screening tools used by practitioners in the fields of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and HIV screening. It serves to complement the recently published report by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and the Urban Institute that focuses on child sex trafficking screening in child welfare and runaway and homeless youth systems.
The eight (8) screening questions that make up the AHTST are designed to be short, minimally invasive, and closed-ended. The overall aim of the AHTST is to obtain only the basic information needed to identify an adult currently or at risk of being trafficked so that practitioners can offer appropriate services, including referrals. There are also additional appendices, including a Literature Review, as supplementals to this resource.
In case you missed it, there is one key phrase in that description of which you should be mindful: “While it is not yet validated…” That’s not to say you shouldn’t use the tool, but just be aware of potential limitations as you employ it. I encourage you to read the report linked in the description, as well.
Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here.