National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance

Estimates for the number of trafficking victims in the United States varies widely, from 100,000 to 300,000. What is most consistently expressed is the dearth of qualified shelter care programs to aid victims in their healing and restoration back into society. As of December 2017, we have identified approximately 170+ agencies nationwide. According to a 2017 study of agencies, the average number of beds per agency is 6, or an estimated 1,560 available beds.

At present there is no credentialed, professional preparation specific to those serving victims of trafficking. There is no specific licensure for programs serving this population. There is no national accrediting body asserting standards. Therefore, the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance was established.

The National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance (NTSA) is a network of service providers committed to enhancing services and increasing access to care for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. NTSA is working to achieve this mission with a three-pronged approach:

1. Capacity Building - NTSA offers resources and training opportunities to service providers to help them enhance the quality of care they offer survivors
2. Alliance Referral System (ARS) - NTSA offers a referral system to streamline the process of connecting survivors to qualified residential programs across the US
3. Accreditation - NTSA has established Minimum Standards and is working to develop an accreditation model specific for residential service providers for survivors of human trafficking