GBMC Sexual Assault Program wins federal human trafficking award

BALTIMORE (July 30, 2024) – Today, GBMC HealthCare’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Domestic Violence and Child Protection Program (GBMC SAFE, DV and CPP) was chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as one of 18 winners of their Innovation Challenge to prevent human trafficking among women and girls. GBMC was awarded $50,000 to grow its Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative.

This initiative is dedicated to identifying, responding to, and preventing human sex trafficking in the community. GBMC’s SAFE, DV, and CPP team provide trauma-informed, comprehensive medical forensic care and advocacy support to survivors, collaborate with local and national partners to raise awareness, recognize and respond to the signs of trafficking, eliminate access barriers to treatment, and empower survivors.

With this federal funding, the program can grow to begin offering education to neighboring hospitals and healthcare facilities, providing in-house mental health therapy to patients, increasing the availability of emergency shelters, and offering advanced training to GBMC staff and law enforcement partners.

“Human trafficking is a widely misunderstood crime that can affect anyone, and increasing public awareness and improving access to victim services is paramount,” Ashley McAree, MSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, Forensic Nurse and Human Trafficking Liaison for GBMC’s SAFE, DV and CPP program, said. “Our team is committed to treating survivors with compassion and dignity and ensuring they have access to no-cost specialized care and support within a comprehensive, victim-centered response program. We are grateful to HHS for recognizing the necessity and value of our program.”

According to the White House’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by human trafficking, which in turn undermines their safety, health, and wellbeing. Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline shows women and girls comprised approximately 84% of individuals in trafficking situations, and 50% of individuals in labor trafficking situations reported to the Hotline in 2021. Women and girls who are sexually abused are more likely to suffer physical abuse, sexual re-victimization, and/or intimate partner violence later in life. Because 1 in 3 women experience intimate partner and/or domestic violence at some point in their lives, they are at a high risk of human trafficking and other forms of abuse.

This innovation challenge was developed to identify, and award existing programs that demonstrate the effectiveness in preventing human trafficking and/or improving health outcomes related to human trafficking among women and girls.

“Concentrating on human trafficking among women and girls requires a multifaceted approach that combines prevention, education, and support,” said Dorothy Fink, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health and Director of the Office on Women’s Health. “We commend the challenge winners for their dedication and demonstrated success in addressing this critical need.”

The GBMC SAFE, DV, and CPP program cares for victims of all ages at no cost to the patient. The team consists of skilled nurses and advocates who provide medical and forensic exams to victims of sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking in a confidential, non-judgmental setting and are available 24/7/365. The team also works closely with local law enforcement, the Child Advocacy Center, and other community organizations to ensure patients receive the wraparound services they need during a vulnerable time in their lives.

After a visit from the Maryland Governor’s office last year, Lt. Governor Aruna Miller said, "Anyone that's going through this horrific trauma in their life should be able to come to a place like this, where they're received with comfort and warmth and understanding and patience, and I think that's the first step toward healing.”

The challenge has two phases. Phase 2, which opens August 2025, will offer eight awards up to $100,000 that will go to Phase 1 programs that have successfully expanded and/or replicated to increase the impact of their program in preventing human trafficking and/or improving health outcomes related to human trafficking on women and girls.

For more information about GBMC SAFE, DV, and CPP program, visit www.gbmc.org/safe or visit www.gbmc.org/HT to learn more about GBMC’s human trafficking initiative. For more information about human trafficking among women and girls, visit womenshealth.gov.

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