STRAPWA National Conference Combating Sex Trafficking through a Multi-Disciplina

The recent increased awareness of and efforts to prevent trafficking has resulted in an accompanying focus on prosecuting traffickers. These criminal cases are built on the testimony of victims. Testifying in an adult criminal prosecution can be incredibly traumatizing, particularly for a young person in the foster or juvenile justice system. In an effort to support these youth, individuals in Los Angeles County came together to build a protocol that dictates how a multi-disciplinary team, including Law Enforcement, District Attorney, Child Advocates, Child Welfare, Probation, Mental Health, and community-based partners, will work together to support a youth. The Protocol includes the development of a Victim Witness Support Team for every youth and covers each agency’s roles and responsibilities from case filing through post-testimony. In addition to reviewing components of the policy, the presenters will discuss case examples to illustrate the challenges and successes of the protocol.