Episode Details

Dr. Sandie Morgan and Katherine Chon, OTIP Director, discuss the Office on Trafficking in Persons and their recent activities. They consider how OTIP’s mission statement and goals are aligning with current projects. They also explain the importance of data collection and the exchange of information in the fight to end human trafficking.

Katherine Chon

Katherine Chon is the founding director of the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) and senior advisor on human trafficking at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OTIP is part of the HHS Administration for Children and Families, responsible for developing strategies and implementing programs to prevent trafficking, increase victim identification and access to services, and strengthen the health and well-being of survivors. OTIP also collaborates with government and non-government partners to raise public awareness, identify research priorities, and inform policy recommendations to strengthen the Nation’s public health response to human trafficking. As the director, Katherine leads the office and determines certification and eligibility for survivors of human trafficking who may be eligible for refugee benefits and services.

She is the federal executive officer of the National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the U.S. As senior advisor, Katherine serves on multiple committees under the Senior Policy Operating Group of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. She serves on other related federal inter-agency working groups on violence against women, child exploitation, and Native American affairs. Prior to her government service in 2012, Katherine was the co-founder and President of Polaris, establishing the global organization’s innovative programs to assist survivors of human trafficking, expand anti-trafficking policies, and fundamentally change the way local communities respond to modern slavery.
Katherine received a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brown University, and a certificate in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Key Points

• The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP)  fights against human trafficking in a unique way. They look at the issues impacting every aspect of human trafficking and attack many issues at the same time. They develop strategies and implement programs to prevent human trafficking, increase victim identification and access to services, and strengthen the health and well-being of survivors.

• OTIP is creating a national human trafficking prevention framework and prevention action plan in order to connect efforts to combat human trafficking. They partnered with the CDC and other researchers to strengthen their prevention efforts.

• OTIP has created a huge emphasis on data collection. They are working on creating uniform data standards with the potential for interoperability between government departments. Meaning they are in the process of creating systems that streamline information collection, decrease the burden for the public, increase data security and create opportunities for systems to work together. This also allows for more efficient collaboration efforts.

Resources

• Office on Trafficking in Persons

• HHS Anti-Trafficking Efforts Highlighted in 2020 National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking

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