Human trafficking prevention starts with youth empowerment. The SAFE Center’s youth engagement initiatives bring together social, legal, and mental health professionals to equip youth and their families with tools to recognize risk factors, strengthen healthy relationships, and prevent human trafficking and dating violence. Since our founding nearly 10 years ago, more than 40% of the […]
This fall, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), in partnership with the Universities at Shady Grove, featured the SAFE Center as a model for innovative university-community collaboration. The program showcased the community impact of our work and marked the launch of the SAFE Center’s expanded collaborations with UMB’s schools of Dentistry, Nursing, and Social Work. The event featured […]
The SAFE Center’s Housing Program plays a critical role in helping survivors of human trafficking to work toward safety, stability, and long-term independence. “Housing is foundational to healing and recovery; without safe and stable housing, survivors cannot effectively address other challenges related to mental health care, employment, and long-term financial stability. Ensuring survivors have […]
The SAFE Center, on behalf of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force Labor Trafficking Committee, developed a statewide survey to gain a better sense of the presence of labor trafficking in Maryland to help develop priorities for state response and prevention efforts. As in other states and other countries, labor trafficking in Maryland remains significantly […]
The SAFE Center’s My Life My Choice program at a high school in Silver Spring, MD, is equipping young girls with tools to recognize and prevent human trafficking. This 10-module curriculum creates a safe space where participants engage in open discussions, hear survivor stories, and learn practical strategies to avoid exploitative situations. “The My […]
The SAFE Center launched its new portfolio of afterschool trafficking prevention programs with an event celebrating the resilience of youth in our community. Youth survivors of trafficking, relatives of survivors, and at-risk youth gathered with SAFE Center staff to set personal goals and participate in group learning exercises. During the event, participants engaged with […]
The survivor engagement program at the University of Maryland SAFE Center provides survivors of human trafficking with meaningful opportunities to connect and grow. Developed in response to client feedback, the program offers group discussions, team-building exercises, and wellness workshops that help participants build stronger interpersonal relationships, enhance communication skills, and prioritize their health. […]
The retreat, held at the University of Maryland, College Park, was an exceptional opportunity for girls to hear from experienced leaders about developmental skills that will be extremely useful as they navigate their teenage years into adulthood. The aim of the retreat was to empower girls and help them develop their confidence, provide mentorship and […]
Housing is the greatest unmet need of the sex and labor trafficking survivors that the SAFE Center serves. Most of our clients are unstably housed, including almost 100% of our crisis intervention clients who may have recently exited their trafficker’s physical control. Recognizing these challenges, the SAFE Center convened a survivor-led panel to discuss obstacles to obtain and maintain safe and […]
Our Human Trafficking Awareness Month event, First Step into Employment: Empowering Human Trafficking Survivors through Economic Opportunities, highlighted the vital role of private sector partnerships in providing viable career paths for human trafficking survivors and showcased successful models that not only offer employment opportunities but also enhance the well-being of those seeking to reclaim their […]
