Bill Overview
Title: To improve services for trafficking victims by establishing, in Homeland Security Investigations, the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma Program and the Victim Assistance Program.
Description: This bill establishes a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to provide outreach and training to HSI employees and partners who have been exposed to various forms of trauma in working with victims of human trafficking. The bill also provides statutory authority for the HSI Victim Assistance Program.
Sponsors: Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals working directly or indirectly in anti-trafficking efforts
Estimated Size: 10000
- The bill targets individuals involved in combating human trafficking, particularly those within Homeland Security Investigations.
- The primary group affected consists of HSI employees and their partners who are directly exposed to situations of human trafficking and related trauma.
- The program is designed to provide support and training to help these individuals manage the trauma associated with their work.
- Indirectly, trafficking victims will also be impacted due to improved services and support from better-trained personnel.
Reasoning
- The budget allocated is focused on supporting a relatively small but highly targeted group: HSI employees and partners affected by trauma from working in human trafficking cases.
- Most of the affected individuals will be those directly working on cases related to human trafficking, thus their wellbeing could be significantly impacted by improved support and training offered by the program.
- The program's impact might extend to trafficking victims indirectly through enhancement of the wellbeing and efficacy of HSI personnel.
- Given that the number of people directly involved in anti-trafficking efforts is approximately 10,000, a high level of impact is expected within this group.
- Outside of this primary target group, the general population is unlikely to experience direct impacts from the policy.
- The program's efficacy will depend on successfully reaching and providing worthwhile support to each targeted individual in the specified budget.
Simulated Interviews
HSI Agent (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this program is essential for us at HSI. The work we do is extremely challenging, and managing the psychological impact is critical.
- Without proper support, it becomes difficult to perform our duties effectively, which can affect the victims we are trying to help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 2 |
HSI Analyst (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see the benefit in this initiative, especially for our colleagues who are on the field.
- Personally, I think it could also strengthen team cohesion and effectiveness through shared training experiences.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
U.S. Partner NGO Worker (New York, NY)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful that the improved training will lead to better collaboration between HSI and organizations like ours.
- The emotional toll is heavy, and I believe such training will help us help others more effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Senior HSI Manager (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Providing statutory authority for existing programs is crucial. It institutionalizes support that many people rely on.
- I'm optimistic this will positively impact our operations and team morale.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
HSI Trainer (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This initiative means we can develop comprehensive training that's ongoing and not just a one-time event.
- Sustained training is vital in maintaining our readiness and psychological well-being.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
HSI Field Agent (Miami, FL)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Support is much needed in our fieldwork; it can be the difference between career burnout and continued service.
- Getting proper training and emotional support on a regular basis can be life-changing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 2 |
Nonprofit Partner Organization Director (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 38 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy can strengthen the bridge between government and nonprofit organizations.
- The trauma-informed approach could foster more understanding and cooperation in our efforts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
HSI Support Staff (Seattle, WA)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's great to see care being extended to HSI ground staff. Though we're less exposed, our work is critical to operations.
- Seeing the agency take trauma seriously boosts morale across all departments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
HSI Counselor (Dallas, TX)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Formalizing funding for victim assistance programs means we can provide consistent, reliable support to those who need it.
- This stabilization can improve both the mental health of our agents and the outcomes for trafficking victims.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Federal Budget Analyst (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 46 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy looks like a step towards sensible budgeting, addressing mental health in a financially disciplined manner.
- Such programs, if managed well, can show high return on investment, not just in agent wellbeing but also in program success rates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 2: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 3: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 5: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 10: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 100: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Key Considerations
- The target population is primarily federal employees, ensuring predictability in implementation scope and scale.
- Resources allocated must address potential regional variances in trafficking-related trauma exposure and response adequacy.
- Effectiveness evaluation of the program has to extend to assessing impact on human trafficking investigations and victim support outcomes.