Progress in Confronting Human Sex Trafficking
in Outagamie County
Report to the Community Executive Summary
Outagamie County Human Sex Trafficking Steering Committee
Jonathan I. Cloud
Planning and Management Consultant
September 2016
Supported by Funding from the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Prevention Pillar............................................................................................................................................ 3
Treatment and Support Pillar ........................................................................................................................ 5
Law Enforcement Pillar ................................................................................................................................ 7
Court Systems Pillar ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Establishment of DMST Care Coordinator Role ........................................................................................ 10
Community Presentations and Media Interviews ....................................................................................... 11
Addendum: 2016-2019 Strategic Action Plan Summary ............................................................................ 12
2
Introduction
In January 2015, the Outagamie County Human Sex Trafficking Steering Committee launched an
aggressive initiative to confront human sex trafficking. This report provides an executive summary the
progress of this undertaking from January 2015 to July 2016. The primary focus of this summary is work
by the Pillars, including Prevention Pillar, Treatment and Support Pillar, Law Enforcement Pillar, and
Court Systems Pillar. In addition, the newly established role of the Care Coordinator is highlighted along
with efforts by Steering Committee members to educate and increase awareness through presentations,
panels, and media interviews.
The Outagamie County Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Partnership is comprised of approximately 50
individuals representing approximately 28 agencies and organizations. As of July 2016, progress
highlights are as follows:
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Established a strategy, structure, and effective processes for carrying out projects that address
strategic priorities.
Initiated efforts to develop a countywide protocol for responding to victims of child sex
trafficking and then joined a process led by the Outagamie Department of Health and Human
Services which is working to complete this undertaking.
Increased community awareness and knowledge about the problem through numerous community
events and presentations.
Established a new educational process in the schools that reduces the vulnerability of children and
that will continue in subsequent school years.
Initiated a new process for screening children and youth who come into contact with the human
service system.
Established for School Resource Officers a new structured interview process for utilization with
youth who have returned from being missing or having run away.
Established a new training for School Resource Officers to increase their knowledge of the child
sex trafficking problem and ways to respond it.
Establish a new draft memorandum of understanding that sets forth roles for agencies in the legal
system for responding to juvenile offenders that are also victims of sex trafficking.
Set the stage for a three-year strategy that builds on the above successes with specific projects and
intended outcomes over each of the next three years (see addendum).
Prevention Pillar
The Project: Educating Children and Youth
Educational sessions for children and youth provided in the school
setting and designed to increase their knowledge and awareness
about DMST.
Desired Performance Outcome: At least one educational or
training session with youth by June 30, 2016.
3
Actual Performance Outcome:
Number of Roosevelt Middle School Student Sessions:
Number of Roosevelt Middle School Staff Sessions:
Number of Wilson Middle School Staff Sessions:
Number of Wilson Middle School Parent/PTO Sessions
15
1
15
1
1
Total Number of DMST Educational Sessions:
33
Approximate Total Number of Students Educated:
Approximate Total Number of Staff Educated:
Approximate Total Parents/Caretakers Educated:
750-800
80
8
Number of Wilson Middle School Student Sessions:
Behavioral or Systems Outcome: Increased knowledge among students about protecting self and others
from sexual exploitation.
Summary of Participant Evaluation Results:
Wilson Middle School: Before Presentation
Knowledge Item
Answered they knew nothing at all or very little to “I know what sex trafficking is.”
Answered they had heard of sex trafficking.
Answered they knew a lot about sex trafficking.
Answered they knew nothing at all or very little to “I know the warning signs of a trafficker.”
Answered they had heard of the warning signs of a trafficker.
Answered they knew a lot about the warning signs of a trafficker.
Percent
24%
42%
33%
60%
24%
16%
Wilson Middle School: After the Presentation
Knowledge Item
Reported that they learned new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe from traffickers.
Reported that they did not learn new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe from traffickers.
Reported that they were unsure if they learned new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe
from traffickers.
Reported that they learned how to help themselves or a friend who may be in danger of being
trafficked.
Reported that they did not learn how to help themselves or a friend who may be in danger of being
trafficked.
Reported that they were unsure if they learned how to help themselves or a friend who may be in
danger of being trafficked.
Percent
90%
1%
6%
86%
3%
9%
Roosevelt Middle School: Before the Presentation
Knowledge Item
Answered they knew nothing at all or very little to “I know what sex trafficking is.”
Answered they had heard of sex trafficking.
Answered they knew a lot about sex trafficking.
Answered they knew nothing at all or very little to “I know the warning signs of a trafficker.”
Answered they had heard of the warning signs of a trafficker.
Answered they knew a lot about the warning signs of a trafficker.
4
Percent
21%
47%
32%
58%
26%
16%
Roosevelt Middle School: After the Presentation
Knowledge Item
Reported that they learned new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe from traffickers.
Reported that they did not learn new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe from traffickers.
Reported that they were unsure if they learned new ways to keep themselves and their friends safe
from traffickers.
Reported that they learned how to help themselves or a friend who may be in danger of being
trafficked.
Reported that they did not learn how to help themselves or a friend who may be in danger of being
trafficked.
Reported that they were unsure if they learned how to help themselves or a friend who may be in
danger of being trafficked.
Percent
90%
1%
5%
88%
2%
7%
Conclusion:
These evaluation results indicate that for the 750 to 800 students served by this project, the vast majority
increased in their knowledge about protecting themselves and others from sexual exploitation. Therefore,
the project measurably achieved its prevention objective, which was reducing the vulnerability of children
to sex through trafficking through an education process. As one projects outward over the next three years
of this initiative, the continuation and expansion of this project will gradually extend this effect to the
lives of hundreds more children. As this happens, the Prevention Pillar will carry out three additional
projects in the schools over the next three years (see addendum for 2016-2019 Strategic Plan Summary).
The intended cumulative effect of these four projects is achieving the impact of establishing a strong
school-community DMST process that prevents and detects exploitation of children, and that supports
victims in the educational setting as they are served by other agencies.
Project Outputs:
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PowerPoint Presentation: “Sex Trafficking: What Every Student Needs to Know”
Human Trafficking Poster
Human Trafficking Rack Card
Human Trafficking Bus Sign
Treatment and Support Pillar
The Project: DMST Screening Process
Development of a pilot screening instrument and screening process
for assessing vulnerability to child sex trafficking.
Desired Performance Outcome: Utilization of the DMST screening
instrument and process by at least three agencies.
Actual Performance Outcome:
The DMST screening instrument is being utilized Outagamie County Division of Children, Youth, and
Families as part of a continuing instrument validation process. Efforts were undertaken to identity two
additional agencies to use the instrument.
5
Behavioral or Systems Outcome: Increased capacity of agencies to identify youth that are vulnerable to
and victims of sex trafficking.
Pilot Test Data
Number of Screenings Completed:
Number of Referrals Resulting from Screening:
Number of Children Screened:
41
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32
Focus Group Findings
What worked well? Is it realistic for the field?
Brief. Realistic. As workers, we are mostly already gathering this info.
Not a huge problem or time-consuming to complete it.
Not intrusive. Was a guide for asking additional questions for workers who might not know a lot about
the issue. One parent recognized their child was not just a deviant youth but had larger issues.
Tool is functional.
Helped worker know what questions to ask.
Workers would not be able to manage a longer tool given workload (such as ones the state is looking
at that are 30+ questions.
What are the barriers?
Forgot to get consent. Need to get used to the process of using the tool.
Doesn’t encompass large enough age range. Tool is used 10-17 but what about young parents who we
work with?
Doesn’t include boys or LGGTQ – need a broader funnel.
Worry that this risk will take over most pressing issues related to safety. Need to assess whole family.
Need to know what to do next once identified.
Conclusion:
These focus group findings strongly indicate that this project contributes to increasing the capacity of
agencies to identify youth vulnerable to and victims of DMST. A project with this type of complexity
takes time to gain traction. But the process of beginning to move the human service field in Outagamie
County in the direction of assessing vulnerability to DMST in a structured, reliable manner is underway.
This was not the case a year or so ago. As this project continues with expected changes and
improvements, the Treatment and Support Pillar will carry out four additional projects in the community
over the next three years, one of which is already underway, which is the development of a countywide
protocol supported by a multidisciplinary team (see addendum for 2016-2019 Strategic Plan Summary).
The intended cumulative effect of these five projects is a well-established and sufficiently resourced
DMST care system (i.e., network of programs and services) that includes a countywide multidisciplinary
team and multiagency protocol.
6
Project Outputs:
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Screening Tool (validation underway)
Agency Orientation PowerPoint Presentation: “Outagamie County Domestic Minor Sex
Trafficking Screening Tool”
Focus Group Summary
Law Enforcement Pillar
The Project: SRO Support and Monitoring for High Risk
Youth
Developed arrangement to identify and address needs of highly
vulnerable youth in the school setting.
Desired Performance Outcome: At least five SROs engaged in
special monitoring of and support to vulnerable youth in at least
four schools by June 30, 2016.
Actual Performance Outcome:
This interview instrument is being utilized by Appleton Police Department School Resource Officers at
four high schools: Appleton East, West, North, and Central. The combined number of students in these
four schools is approximately 4,500. The instrument has been utilized about 24 times, resulting in two
known referrals of youth for services.
Behavioral or Systems Outcome: Identification of and provision of immediate support to high-risk
youth by SROs.
A twenty-item interview form designed to be used with missing/runaway youth was successfully
developed by the Pillar, titled “Appleton Police Department Missing/Runaway Juvenile Return Interview
Form.” Structured interviews of vulnerable high school students as identified by SROs is underway.
Embedded in the form’s twenty interview questions are several that are related to DMST, such as:
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Do you have a cell phone or something you text on? Who gave it to you?
Have you ever been touched in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable?
Have you ever been hit, slapped, punched, kicked, etc. by someone you were with when you ran
away?
Is anyone making you do something you don’t want to do you are gone? Or making you feel
unsafe?
Have you ever had to trade sex for food or a place to stay?
Has anyone tried to stop you from returning home?
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Conclusion:
Consistent with effective practices, the interview form covers areas that enhance the ability of police
officers to identify vulnerability and facilitate provision of immediate support. As this project continues,
measures will be included to begin quantifying such things as:
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Number of interviews conducted.
Key findings from the interviews (which will allow compilation of critical data on
missing/runaway youth in our community).
Number of referrals made by SROs, or support actions taken.
Results of referrals or support actions.
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As this project continues, the Law Enforcement Pillar will carry out three additional projects focused on
schools and communities over the next three years, (see addendum for 2016-2019 Strategic Plan
Summary). The intended cumulative effect of these four projects is a strong police-school partnership that
provides prevention and detection regarding youth and support to school personnel and related
community agencies. It is expected that this school-community partnering will help decrease the
likelihood of recruitment through the use of police powers (e.g., surveillance, patrol, deterrence tactics,
investigation, special operations, apprehension and arrest, etc.). Reinforcing this work is the SRO training
that was also carried out by this Pillar, which is discussed below.
Project Outputs:
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Appleton Police Department Missing/Runaway Juvenile Return Interview Form
The Project: Training School Resource Officers
Development and delivery of one training session on human sex trafficking for SROs delivered at the
statewide SRO training in Appleton sponsored by Fox Valley Technical College.
Desired Outcome: Conference training session for School Resource Officers that increases knowledge of
DMST and school-based law enforcement tactics to address it.
Actual Outcome:
Overall Rating by Participants: Part One of Training
Overall Rating by Participants: Part Two of Training
4.08 out of 5.0
4.28 out of 5.0
Number of Participants in the Training:
15
Notable Participant Evaluation Comments
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Presenters were great.
Good information as well as examples to illustrate the problem that exists.
I learned a lot. I never knew about branding.
Would have liked to learn more on how to investigate these cases.
Instructors presented well.
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Conclusion:
The training evaluation ratings indicate that this project achieved its aim of increasing SRO knowledge
about DMST and law enforcement tactics to address it.
Project Outputs:
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PowerPoint Presentation: “DMST in Wisconsin”
Training Participant Evaluation Summary
Court Systems Pillar
The Project: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for
Working with Juvenile Victim-Offenders
Developed agreement for agency roles in adjudicating the cases
of juvenile offenders that are also DMST victims.
Desired Performance Outcome:
Development of a protocol for DMST victims also involved in
juvenile justice system by June 30, 2016.
Actual Performance Outcome:
This Pillar successfully developed a draft Outagamie County Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Partnership
Memorandum of Understanding, dated June 13, 2016. Following its mission statement, the MOU sets
forth roles for: Outagamie County Law Enforcement agencies, Sexual Assault Crisis Center, Outagamie
County Law Enforcement Departments, Outagamie Department of Health and Human Services,
Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office, and the Outagamie County Public Defender’s Office. The
laborious process of discussion and negotiating roles among these agencies resulted in development of a
legal framework for responding to DMST.
Behavioral or Systems Outcome: Review of juvenile offender cases to determine presence of DMST
and utilization MOU protocol when identified.
Final review and adoption of the MOU by the agencies is expected to occur in conjunction with the Court
System Pillar’s 2017 project, which is to establish guidelines for service agencies to assist them in
working with victims in ways that will not disrupt or compromise a DMST investigation or prosecution.
Having these practices in place are essential for supporting the MOU.
Conclusion:
Through the MOU, an initial protocol has been developed that will provide legal processes that are
responsive to the needs of youth that are victims as well as offenders. As the next project begins and the
MOU is executed, the Court Systems Pillar will carry out two additional projects, (see addendum for
2016-2019 Strategic Plan Summary). The intended cumulative effect of these four projects is a victimcentered legal process in which multiple agencies collaborate well to effectively support victim-witnesses
and successfully prosecute offenders.
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Establishment of DMST Care Coordinator Role
Through the above-mentioned efforts to develop a countywide protocol for serving child victims of sex
trafficking, this initiative recognized the need to establish a role dedicated to coordinating provision of
care to victims of child sex trafficking. This role would also work with the Department of Corrections
Probation and Parole Officer who, for several years, has facilitated services for adult victims of sex
trafficking (i.e., adults charged with prostitution). The DMST Care Coordinator role has been embraced
by several key agencies and is deeply involved in both providing care to victims and continuing the work
of developing a countywide protocol and multidisciplinary team.
Minor Sex Trafficking Cases Received by Care Coordinator: January – July 2016
Case
Number
1
Gender
Age
Female
16
Referral Source
(Or Where Identified)
Appleton East HS
2
Female
15
Appleton West HS
3
4
Female
Female
15
15
Winnebago County
Outagamie County
5
6
Female
Transgender
17
15
Milwaukee County
Appleton Community
7
Transgender
15
Appleton Community
8
9
10
Female
Transgender
Female
16
16
16
Neenah HS
Appleton East HS
Outagamie County
11
12
Female
Female
17
16
Waushara/Outagamie
Outagamie County
Primary Services Involved
Options Treatment
Catalpa
Catalpa
Bellin
Runaway
Outagamie YFS
Lincoln Hills
Probation
Catalpa
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
Options Treatment
Catalpa
ThedaCare
NA
Options Treatment
Family Services
NA
NA
Adult Sex Trafficking Cases Received by Care Coordinator: January – July 2016
Case
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Gender
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Referral Source
(Or Where Identified)
Grande Chute PD
Appleton PD
Appleton Community
Grande Chute PD Sting
Grande Chute PD Sting
Menasha PD
Appleton PD
Appleton PD Sting
Appleton PD Sting
Appleton PD
Appleton Community
10
Primary Services Involved
ThedaCare
Harbor House
Harbor House
In-Patient
NA
ThedaCare
Harbor House
ThedaCare
NA
NA
NA
Community Presentations and Media Interviews
1. Fox Valley Technical College (Social
Issues Class and American Society Class)
2. Sheriff-Police Meeting
3. Lion’s Club
4. New Voices Concert Presenters
5. New Voices Panel Discussion
6. WAQ Interview
7. League of Women Voters
8. Women’s Fund Board of Directors
9. UW Oshkosh (Human Services
Leadership Class)
10. WHBY Public Service Announcement
11. Shawano Community Members: “Sex
Trafficking and Identification”
12. Wautoma Community Members: “Sex
Trafficking and Identification”
13. Calumet County Chief’s Meeting
14. Little Chute High School
15. Kimberly Middle School
16. ThedaCare Behavioral Health
17. Statewide SRO Conference (Pillar
Project)
18. Voices of Men/Goodwill
19. Fox Valley Technical College Hospitality
Program: “Educating Our Hotels”
20. NBC 26 Interview
21. Kaukana High School (health class)
22. Kimberly Clark Sex Trafficking Panel
23. Grande Chute Motel 6
24. Wilson Middle School (parents)
25. Wilson Middle School (staff)
26. Outagamie County Youth and Family
Services
27. First English Lutheran Church
28. Leadership Fox Cities
29. Appleton East High School
30. Appleton West High School
31. Appleton North High School
32. Hortonville Middle School
33. Hortonville High School
34. Roosevelt Middle School (Pillar Project)
35. Wilson Middle School (Pillar Project)
36. Staff of Several Area Hotels
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Addendum: 2016-2019 Strategic Action Plan Summary
Prevention Pillar Sequence of Projects
2016
Educating
Children
and Youth
(in the
schools)




2017
2018
Monitoring
2019
Practices
Response
for School
Protocol for DMST
Personnel
Schools
SchoolCommunity
Teams
Educating Children and Youth: Educational sessions for children and youth provided in the
school setting and designed to increase their knowledge and awareness about DMST.
Monitoring Practices for School Personnel: An established set of practices for detecting
vulnerable and exploited (or suspected of exploitation) children (e.g., a conversation with specific
questions for students returning to school after runaway episodes or chronic truancy).
Response Protocol for Schools: An established schoolwide protocol for responding in the school
setting to the needs of students who are victims of DMST, which may take place in conjunction
with treatment services and the student’s involvement in the prosecution as a victim-witness.
DMST School-Community Teams: In schools where appropriate, a formal team that builds on the
response protocol. This team would develop for DMST victims Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
that link with services being provided by other community-based agencies, among other
appropriate, victim-centered educational support practices.
Desired 2019 Impact: A strong school-community DMST process that prevents and detects exploitation
of children, and that supports victims in the educational setting as they are served by other agencies.
Treatment and Support Pillar Sequence of Projects
2016
DMST
Screening
Process

2017
Assessment of
System of
Care
MDT and
Care
Provision
Protocol
2018
Improvement
of Care
System
2019
Improvement
of Care
System
(continued)
DMST Screening Process: Development of a pilot screening instrument and screening process for
assessing vulnerability.
12
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Assessment of System of Care: A process of examining the local service system to identify
agencies/programs that do or can serve the needs of DMST victims, and identifying and
prioritizing gaps in the system.
MDT Care Provision Protocol: Establishment of a multidisciplinary team to meet on a regular
basis to develop multiagency care plans for DMST victims.
Improvement of Care System: Based on information gathered from assessing the system of care,
as well as information gathered by the MDT as it identifies service needs for which there are
limited or no services, work with appropriate entities to develop plans for improvement. Such
plans may involve modifying or expanding existing services, linking existing services in new
ways, changing the focus of existing services, and pursuing funding to establish new services.
Desired 2019 Impact: A well-established and sufficiently resourced DMST care system (i.e., network of
programs and services) that includes a countywide multidisciplinary team and multiagency protocol.
Law Enforcement Pillar Sequence of Projects
2016
SRO
Support
and
Monitor-ing
for High
Risk Youth




2017
Support to
School
Personnel
(when
DMST is
suspected)
2018
2019
Support to
Response
DMST
Protocol for SchoolSchools
Community
Teams
SRO Support and Monitoring for High Risk Youth: Developed arrangement to identify and
address needs of highly vulnerable youth in the school setting.
Support to School Personnel (when DMST is suspected): In conjunction with the monitoring
practices for school personnel developed through the Prevention Pillar’s project, establish
effective ways of providing support and assistance to school personnel as they become more
cognizant of and engaged with this problem.
Support to Response Protocol for Schools: In conjunction with the protocol developed through
the Prevention Pillar’s project, work with school personnel to ensure a strong role for law
enforcement in the protocol for responding to the needs of DMST victims in the school setting.
DMST School-Community Teams: In conjunction with the school-community team developed
through the Prevention Pillar’s project, work with school personnel to ensure a strong role for law
enforcement.
Desired 2019 Impact: A strong police-school partnership that provides prevention, detection, and
recovery support to school personnel and related community agencies, and through which the likelihood
of recruitment is reduced through the use of police powers (e.g., surveillance, patrol, deterrence tactics,
special operations, etc.).
13
Court Systems Pillar Sequence of Projects
2016
MOU for
Working with
Juvenile
VictimOffenders



2017
Guidelines
for Agencies
(to
understand
legal process
impacted by
their actions )
2018
Enhancement
of
Prosecution
and VictimWitness
Support
Strategies
2019
Enhancement
of
Prosecution
and VictimWitness
Strategies
(continued)
MOU for Working with Juvenile Victim-Offenders: Developed agreement for agency roles in
adjudicating the cases of juvenile offenders that are also DMST victims.
Guidelines for Service Agencies: A set of guidelines for service agencies to assist them in
conducting themselves with victims in ways that will not disrupt or compromise a DMST
investigation and prosecution.
Enhancement of Prosecution and Victim-Witness Support Strategies: Based on expected progress
within the county of identifying victims of DMST and, therefore, a likely increase in
prosecutions, identify enhancements that may be needed to keep up with the increased volume
and, potentially, increased complexity and seriousness of minor and adult sex trafficking cases.
Desired 2019 Impact: A victim-centered legal process that collaborates well with multiple agencies to
effectively support victim-witnesses and successfully prosecute offenders.
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