Goals and Structure of the Coalition

The HOTHTC stakeholders serve Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties. Membership is available for representatives from regulatory agencies, social service agencies, law enforcement agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and criminal justice system-based victim assistance components.

Coalition Goals

Partner agencies within the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition and Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Task Force are committed to collaborate in the fight against human trafficking by:

1. Increasing community awareness for the prevention and identification of human trafficking victims,

2. Increasing investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases at a local, state, and federal level, and

3. Providing coordinated, comprehensive, trauma-informed services to meet the individualized needs of human trafficking victims

Coalition Structure

Many service providers and law enforcement agencies work together to fight human trafficking in the coalition.  The Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition (HOTHTC) is led by the HOTHTC Chair and the Steering Committee.

The Coalition meets for quarterly roundtables to share information and increase knowledge of trafficking-related topics. Bi-monthly subcommittees also meet to accomplish tasks in specific areas. These subcommittees are: Prevention, Protection & Prosecution, Partnership, and Program Evaluation.  The co-Chair members from each of these subcommittees serve on the Steering Committee.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee, also referred to as the Task Force, consists of leaders in the six-county area that are active in the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition and are engaged in accomplishing its objectives. Leaders could include heads of law enforcement agencies, directors of victim service provision agencies, elected local and state prosecutors, and other community leaders, as necessary. All Subcommittee Co-Chairs are included in the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee is responsible for accomplishing the objectives of the Task Force and approving potential new Task Force members and Subcommittee Co-Chairs. 

Key Coalition Roles/Positions

In addition to the co-chairs of each subcommittee, key positions in the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition have been identified as essential to accomplishing the coalition goals. None of these key positions are funded by the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition. Partner agencies contribute key personnel in the positions listed below to facilitate the work of the coalition:

1. Coalition Chair - Susan Peters (susan.peters@unboundnow.org)

2. Regional Care Coordinator - Sarah Hopping (shopping@advcycntr.org)

3. Task Force Coordinator - Julie Cash (julie.cash@hothtc.org)

Partnership Subcommittee

The Partnership Subcommittee includes representatives from agencies in the coalition who provide services to human trafficking victims that include the following:      

• Survivor advocacy      

• Short term shelter and transitional residential housing      

• Provision of personal needs such as food and clothing       

• Heath care      

• Counseling      

• Residential treatment for substance abuse and/or mental health needs      

• Job training and placement      

• Legal needs

The Partnership Subcommittee is internally focused for the purpose of creating relationships and referral pathways among coalition members.  The goals of the Partnership Subcommittee are as follows:  

1. Increase partnership to better serve victims of human trafficking,

2. Provide continuing training opportunities for providers,

3. Empower service providers to equip their agencies to serve human trafficking victims,

4. Share information about available services and efforts of the coalition, and

5. Collaborate to reduce obstacles and create opportunities for survivors to heal from human trafficking.

Prevention Subcommittee

The Prevention sub-committee is public/community-based, purposed to engage community members in education and training regarding human trafficking. The goals of the Prevention Subcommittee are as follows:

1. Equip the Heart of Texas community to identify and prevent human trafficking,  

2. Empower rural communities to train their residents regarding human trafficking, and

3. Increase training regarding specialized and/or vulnerable populations including male victims, immigrants, LGBTQ youth, and homeless youth.

Program Evaluation Subcommittee

The Program Evaluation Subcommittee consists of coalition members tasked with the collection of data and with analyzing that data to evaluate the effectiveness of the Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition. The subcommittee goals include:

1. Gather and analyze victim service data to develop a comprehensive understanding of the problem of Human Trafficking within the geographic area served by the Task Force,

2. Inform the Steering Committee and Coalition of the results of the data analysis, and

3. Provide information and resources for a variety of screening tools related to human trafficking and at risk youth.

4. Collaborate with the selected research consultant to use findings to improve the Task Force performance.

Protection & Prosecution Subcommittee

The Protection and Prosecution Subcommittee consists of law enforcement officers as well as representatives from the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and private attorneys. Members of the committee work together to share relevant information as well as strategize to improve collaboration within the law enforcement community in fighting human trafficking in Central Texas.