Human Trafficking in Adolescents: Adopting a Youth-centered Approach to Identification and Services

Abstract

This article describes core design features of a youth-centered approach to care that 2 organizations-Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and Covenant House New Jersey-use to serve clients in nontraditional primary care settings and subsequently illustrates the ways in which this approach succeeds at identifying and serving youth who have experienced human trafficking. Primary care providers are uniquely positioned to connect adolescent human trafficking survivors to existing protection and treatment resources. The primary care community can adapt these interventions for adolescent patients who have experienced human trafficking and become key personnel on the frontline of recovery and prevention.

Keywords: Adolescents; Human trafficking; Primary care; Resilience; Trauma-informed care; Youth-centered approach.