AmeriCorps VISTA Member - Education and Community

The AmeriCorps VISTA Member – Education and Community, will develop a sustainable community referral network with service area providers to meet the needs of survivors of human trafficking and unaccompanied minors, engaging with new local partners to alleviate poverty, focusing on economic empowerment opportunities and broader access to mental health providers. This position will provide technical support and training for organizations working with survivors and unaccompanied minors. This is AmeriCorps VISTA position, reporting to IRC’s Resource Development Manager in Florida.

Major Responsibilities: 

Community Referral Network Development:

Build capacity among service providers to effectively serve the needs of survivors of human trafficking and unaccompanied minors

• Technical assistance: Continue to provide TA to cross-sector stakeholders to increase ability of victim identification and referral to appropriate community services
• Coalition building: Participate and/or lead periodical community partner meetings such the Miami Dade County Human Trafficking Coalition, Broward County Human Trafficking Coalition, South Florida Human Trafficking Taskforce, Statewide Coalition Combating Human Trafficking, IRC Community of Practice, etc.

Engage with new local partners to alleviate poverty through community referral services, focusing on economic empowerment opportunities and broader access to mental health providers

• Build relationships with private employers and community career centers
• Promote internal and external workshops and trainings in financial literacy, economic self-sufficiency, etc.
  
• Increase partnerships with mental health agencies that offer no/low-cost counseling, self-care, trauma-informed appropriate services

Outreach and Education:

Engage with community members and organizations to bring awareness to the human trafficking and UC programs and their impact on the South Florida community

• Conduct community outreach events in vulnerable population areas to human trafficking
• Execute public awareness campaigns to increase knowledge in the community at large on the issues of human trafficking and unaccompanied minors

Offer training to organizations on identifying and reporting suspected cases of human trafficking

• Provide periodic Train the Trainer session catered to stakeholders
• Design trainings/workers and present on specific issues such as labor trafficking, CSEC, handling group cases, and others to cross-sector community partners

Distribute information about the human trafficking programs in areas of the community where this population is prevalent, increasing visibility of services to potential unidentified survivors  

• Disseminate promotional material in at-risk communities such as know-your-rights, human trafficking red flags, resources, etc. by participating in community events such as food distributions, health fairs, etc.
• Deliver promotional material for at-risk communities such as know-your-rights, human trafficking red flags, resources, etc., to local agencies such as farmworker agencies, community clinics, churches, check cashing stores, etc.