The goal of Project NO REST (North Carolina Organizing and Responding to the Exploitation and Sexual Trafficking of Children) is to increase awareness of human trafficking affecting children and youth age 25 and younger in North Carolina, especially those involved in the child welfare system, to reduce the number of these youth who are trafficked, and to improve outcomes for those who are trafficked. This goal is being accomplished by bringing together government agencies, organizations, and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive and coordinated plan to address human trafficking of these youth. Through the development of this plan, North Carolina’s infrastructure for dealing with human trafficking issues, especially the trafficking of youth, will be strengthened and more effective. In addition to creating the plan, NO REST will implement a set of pilot projects that use the comprehensive plan for trafficking prevention and to provide services to youth who are identified as victims of trafficking. Experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of the projects will be used to develop a tool kit that provides a template for implementing similar efforts in counties across the state and throughout the country. Existing data sources will be mined and explored to develop valid and reliable estimates of the size of the human trafficking problem in the state. Additional sources of information will be developed to inform prevention and intervention efforts. Information developed from this project will be widely disseminated across the state and, through networks, and made available across the country.
This project is pursuing 4 strategies drawn from the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States 2013-2017 (President’s Interagency Task Force, 2014). (See Figure 1.) Our first strategy is to develop an integrated, coordinated system for providing services to youth victims of human trafficking, especially those
Figure 1: Project NO REST Goals and Strategies
(click image to enlarge)
who are involved in the child welfare system. Second, the project will expand and coordinate human trafficking-related research, data, and evaluation relevant to youth victims of human trafficking. Third, we will provide training and technical assistance to state and local agencies and organizations to increase victim identification, promote outreach, and expand the availability and accessibility of services to victims. Fourth, we will promote the use of effective, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services to improve the short- and long-term health, safety, and well-being of youth victims of human trafficking, especially those who are involved in the child welfare system.
The short-term outcomes that are being pursued by the project are:
- Expanded awareness of the trafficking of children and youth, especially those who are involved in the child welfare system
- Improved cooperation and collaboration at the state and local levels among stakeholders and agencies that serve trafficking victims
- Development of policies and quality practices designed to prevent youth, especially those involved with the child welfare system, from becoming trafficking victims
- Improved policies and practices to identify trafficking victims
- Improved capacity to serve trafficking victims
- Expanded outreach services to children and youth who are trafficking victims
- A safe and secure place to live and heal for trafficking victims, especially those who are involved with the child welfare system
- Increased use of evidenced-based, trauma-informed services and practices
- Reduction in trauma for children and youth identified as victims of trafficking
13 Responses to “Project NO REST: An overview”
Jean Vickery
Dear Dr. Duncan,
The Respect Life Committee at St. Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill NC is sponsoring a program on Human Trafficking. Our program is scheduled for March 6, 2017. The first purpose of the conference is to raise awareness aiming toward prevention. Secondly, we want to make people aware of what is involved in restoration of the victims, and finally how justice can be achieved. In order to do this we have invited speakers from each three different agencies. These are: the Coalition Against Human Trafficking, A Safe Place, and Shared Hope International.
In addition we would like to have information and materials from NO REST. We plan to make this material available to the conference attendees. If you would like to send someone to be available to answer questions and provide information, that would be most welcome.
Please contact me with any questions you have and any information about the availability of your materials or representative. Thank you for your consideration and your work in informing the public and restoring victims.
Jean Vickery
kim
What are the signs?
How do we spot someone who is in human trafficking?
Do the traffickers hide in plain sight? e.g. suburban neighborhoods?
здесь
Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post.
Thanks for supplying this info.
SHIRRELL THOMAS
Please send all related materials.
Thanks for your work.
Dell west
I interact with many of the types of people in this demographic that you describe on a weekly basis. Please tell me how I could identify early stages of trafficking, the types of people that get targeted, and things I can do to interject and prevent this from among the people I deal with. I had always assumed that traffickers brought children in from other countries, but you make it sound like even our local children are being targeted. I’d like to know more about how I can get involved and prevent this.
Joey Pudsey
I would like to know about this project, I may be able to help. Thank you.
Bob Prout
The frequent commercials feature at least one person who is obviously considerably older than the Project’s target age. Why is that?
Katherine J Appleton
Please send me information about your work and what we can do to help.
Thank you,
Melasia Brooks
I think this is actually a get project because of how this is actually helping people going through Trafficking and I have been through it before and I am now done and free from protesting myself. To the people who start this project, just keep going with this project. ?
patrick f santiago
I would like to do my part. I’m a veteran who served four years, but the sense of wanting to do right never ended there. I’m now a FULL SAIL student and I’m trying to do my best to use my knowledge for the betterment of those who are too scared or unwilling to speak. I’m working on a documentary and have spent since feb. of 2018 taking steps towards creating something special, something real, something for them. I would love to have your participation, your knowledge and your voice. Please contact me so that I may explain more in-depth. Thank you so much, this is a real issue and will continue to do my part, even outside of the uniform.
Christina Woelffer
Hello!
Is Project No Rest a 501c3?
Thank you!
Christina
Angela Ramirez
I am glad to see this program, I was searching to find out if someone has started something similar. I was caught in with these traffickers and used to setup an illegal business. As a new graduate, I was eager to start my mobile practice and put lots of work into it. I met with Li and was offered a spa manager position as well as a room to practice in. I spent 4 month focusing on setting up Neon Moon massage Jacksonville, N.C . ON GRAND OPENING DAY I SLIPPED AND WAS INJURED. I think this opened my eyes as well. I came back to the spa to find women has rearranged the treatment rooms as bedrooms and one lady was cooking breakfast. I wasn’t running a hotel! No way this is happening. My license hang on the walls and this lady is unlicensed. I talked to her to find out I had been lied to she was here to live, eat, sleep and work in this building. Her child was being held in China and she needed to work. I cried with her
Called Li’s business partner Jack and Asked him if the lady has her license? I told him I wanted no parts of this business it isn’t right and I had told both partners if it wasn’t legit I wanted no parts. Did they think I was blind? Was I that disenfranchised that I’d risk my freedom to have a career? No. I packed my things walked away and asked them to never contact me again. I later find that my license number was being used to advertise on backpage! I contacted Jack, told him to get it off and never use my number again. I had told him before I dont advertise on backpage because they sell sex! He did it after I broke away from that business. Now calls are coming to my phone from backpage contacts. I then noticed Chinese men passing my home. I recieved death threats. I was in fear so i stopped my mobile massage advertising and went into hiding. I moved to another home have since moved 3 times. To find out that Li is Chinese mafia affiliated I know know that my life was in danger. I want to be apart of this movement now. I’m done hiding. I no longer want to be a MT. I let my license expire, went to seek counseling and still to this day I get calls for massage, pics from men, late night call and questions on why I got out of the practice. I wanted to help people and that was my motivation for getting into massage. I now want to help those women who feel they have no choice or voice in being exploited and used. I was exploited and used for my license and my hardwork. I was a victim with a choice and a voice. I contacted the FBI and told them I wasn’t apart and remember I told them first. Please contact me if you have a place for me within this organization so that I may help these women and fight back against human trafficking.
Kathy Eldridge
Why has there not been updates and TV and radio adds looking to help these children.. 2020 has got to step up and find ways even if not popular… Our Children , our babies , our grandchildren deserve better. WHY sould this not be on News every day,,,, to reach people and families. I feel its much more important than store closing, looters, politics. our County , our state ,our county could make a difference … Please save our children.