Arizona Youth Partnership

In September 2022, AZYP case managers sprang into action when we received a referral for a young person and their sibling, both victims of familial trafficking. With all of the diverse programs that AZYP offers and our relationships in the community, we were able to get the siblings to safety, providing stable housing in our shelter and transitional living program, offering support with transportation, education support, vocational support, SNAP and health insurance benefits, and referrals to counseling and advocacy. All of the program staff at AZYP, regardless of the program they were assigned to, jumped into action to make sure these youth received the services they needed, all within 24 hours. This collaboration between AZYP programs and other outside agencies is a testament to the strong relationships built in our communities and the passion our staff have to help young people in crisis. AZYP was awarded a grant from the US Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime to build capacity, raise awareness, and provide services to minor victims of human trafficking in October 2020. In the last 2 years, AZYP has built a county-wide coalition whose efforts include bringing prevention education to schools; raising community awareness by providing training to law enforcement; direct service staff; teachers; administrators; mental health professionals; hotel/motel staff; first responders; and emergency room medical staff. Additionally, AZYP has built a network of providers and collaborated with other agencies to bring a holistic, trauma-informed approach to service delivery for victims of human trafficking.