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Empowering Survivors of Trafficking

What We Do

WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, slavery or forced commercial sex acts.

The U.S. State Department estimates that currently 27 million people live in slavery as a condition of human trafficking, and that human trafficking generates $150 billion every year.


SURVIVORS OF TRAFFICKING EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

RST's Survivors of Trafficking Empowerment Program (STEP) is designed to help survivors of trafficking throughout their transition to stable, independent lives. Serving in 6 cities across Texas, RST serves all survivors of human trafficking, labor and sex trafficking, adults and minors, foreign-born and domestic born. RST serves survivors regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status.

Refugee Services of Texas also provides services to victims of crime including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic abuse, child abuse & neglect, human smuggling, kidnapping, stalking, Visa/Identification fraud, and wage theft. 

 

  • WHAT WE DO

    When a survivor is referred to or seeks to work with RST's STEP Program, our team will assess their basic needs. Once immediate safety and basic needs have been addressed, the STEP team works with survivors through a holistic approach to support their journey through recovery to independent, stable lives.

    The following services are provided, among others:

    • Human trafficking screenings
    • Crisis management and safety support
    • Basic needs assistance
    • Employment assistance
    • Counseling services
    • Emotional support
    • Applications for public benefits
    • Community outreach and trainings
  • Interested in serving survivors of trafficking in your community?! Take our Human Trafficking 101 Volunteer Training! Click on our link above to see available dates, or email our Survivors of Trafficking Empowerment Program (STEP) Coordinators at: sdobson@rstx.org (Austin) or erodriguez@rstx.org (Rio Grande Valley).

  • Refugee Services of Texas has chaired and currently serves as a standing steering committee member for the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking (CTCAHT) for fifteen years. CTCAHT brings together local government, non-profit and law enforcement professionals at all levels on a systematic basis to identify survivors, provide comprehensive services, and prevent trafficking through various means. RST STEP services are available across the state of Texas in the following cities: Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.

    For referrals, please email htreferrals@rstx.org and our STEP team will be in touch with you as soon as possible.


Want to learn more about human trafficking?

RST has partnered with organizations across Texas to bring you incredible conversations with experts in the field to help YOU know more about the basics of human trafficking, how you can identify the signs and what you can do to make a difference in your community!

Dig deeper into serving survivors of trafficking in your community: learn more about RST's impact on the community here and sign up for RST's Human Trafficking 101 Volunteer Training to join the fight against human trafficking today!

 


RESOURCES


IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CALL THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESOURCE CENTER AT: 888.373.7888.

  • Bivens Foundation
  • St. Davids Foundation
    St. Davids Foundation
  • Child Welfare Fund
    Child Welfare Fund
  • State Employee Charitable Campaign

  • UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagement
    UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagement
  • Hope Supply Co.
    Hope Supply Co.
  • Pro Literacy
    Pro Literacy
  • BCBSTX
    BCBSTX
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield, Healthy Kids Healthy Families
    Blue Cross Blue Shield, Healthy Kids Healthy Families
  • United Way of Cameron County
    United Way of Cameron County
  • United Way Dallas
    United Way Dallas
  • Tableau
    Tableau
  • Amarillo Area Foundation
    Amarillo Area Foundation
  • All Together ATX
    All Together ATX
  • City of Austin- Office of Equity
    City of Austin- Office of Equity
  • One Star Foundation
    One Star Foundation
  • City of Dallas
    City of Dallas
  • Shapiro Foundation
    Shapiro Foundation
  • Trusted World
    Trusted World
  • Frost Bank
    Frost Bank
  • Alamo Drafthouse
    Alamo Drafthouse
  • HEB
    HEB
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