This presentation describes the rationale for and development and testing of the Outcomes for Human Trafficking Survivors (OHTS) tool, which was developed to enable human trafficking service programs to evaluate survivor outcomes related to the service provided. The OHTS was developed by a team of evaluation researchers at RTI International, with collaboration from human trafficking service providers, researchers, survivors, and program funders. At each stage of instrument development, findings were incorporated from data collection by service providers, researchers, and survivors into revisions that improved the instrument. The instrument was refined to include 14 outcome categories that correspond to services provided by comprehensive programs, as well as to address the circumstances of diverse clients. Revisions increased the focus on components of progress that can be facilitated through program participation and areas where change can occur. The layout of the OHTS was revised, and visual instructions were developed to facilitate consistent use. With the encouraging results from the preliminary validity and reliability tests, the OHTS is being disseminated for widespread adoption. This presentation will showcase the tool and provide a brief demo.
OHTS is a free-to-use tool.
Presenters:
Stacey Cutbush (she/her) is a social scientist and directs the Victimization and Resilience Research Program in RTI International’s Division of Applied Justice Research. Dr. Cutbush has more than 15 years of experience conducting research with vulnerable populations. Her expertise spans the fields of violence and victimization, including human trafficking, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and teen dating violence. She leads and supports a range of human trafficking and victimization research, evaluation, and training and technical assistance projects, including the NIJ-funded study, Measuring Outcomes in Services to Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking; the OVC-funded Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking, the NIJ-funded Measuring the Impact of Victim Services. Prior to engaging a career as a public health scientist, Stacey worked at a rape crisis center as a victim advocate and community educator. Her doctoral degree is from UNC’s School of Public Health.
Samantha Charm (she/her) is a public health analyst in the Victimization and Resilience Research Program in RTI International’s Division of Applied Justice Research. She has more than 8 years of experience in public health research and practice. Her areas of focus include victim services, human trafficking of minors and adults, child welfare, and sexual assault prevention. She currently supports a number of projects related to human trafficking including the Measuring Outcomes in Services to Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking study funded by NIJ and the Domestic Human Trafficking and Child Welfare project funded by ACF. Samantha holds a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina. Prior to her pursuing her master’s degree, she worked as a reproductive health educator and counselor.