PROJECT BEACON
Project Beacon was created in Fiscal Year 2016 with the overall aim to bridge the divide between urban Indian centers and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) victims of sex trafficking. In it's inaugural year, the program provided funding to three organizations with expertise in meeting the health, safety, and welfare needs of urban Native communities to develop the capacity of these organizations to provide direct services to urban AI/AN victims of sex trafficking.
In FY 2019, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) expanded Project Beacon by making awards under two purpose areas; Purpose Area 1 - Direct Services and Purpose Area 2 - Training and Technical Assistance. The aim of FY19 Project Beacon is to increase the quantity and quality of holistic, victim-centered services currently available to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) victims of sex trafficking who reside in urban areas. Project Beacon is meant to help bridge the divide between urban Indian centers and AI/AN victims of sex trafficking and nonprofit, nongovernmental programs that serve American Indians and Alaska Natives, Project Beacon aims to provide these victims with access to services that meet their cultural, linguistic, and spiritual needs. The Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWASC) is the current technical assistance provider for Project Beacon.
Collaborative Partnerships
Adoption of a Victim-Centered Approach to Service Delivery
Intensive Case Management Services
Specific Required Categories of Victim Services
Key Aspects of Victim-Centered Approach to Service Delivery
-
Trauma-informed approach to provision of services
-
Individualized service plans
-
Educating sex trafficking victims about their options
PROJECT BEACON SITES
First Nations Community Health Source
Albuquerque, NM, USA
First Nations Community Health Source is committed to providing a culturally competent comprehensive health delivery system integrating traditional values to enhance the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of American Indian/Alaskan Native families and other underserved populations residing in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas.
PROJECT BEACON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS
TRIBAL LAW AND POLICY INSTITUTE (TLPI)
The Sex Trafficking in Indian Country: Advocacy Curriculum (Curriculum) is designed to introduce information on sex trafficking of Native people, covering topics such as the definition of sex trafficking, red flags, trafficker tactics, screening for sex trafficking, and advocacy roles and responsibilities. The Curriculum consists of three components: Instructor Guide, Participant Workbook, and PowerPoints. (2020)
MINNESOTA INDIAN WOMEN'S SEXUAL ASSAULT COALITION (MIWSAC)
The Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) is a 501(c)(3) tribal sexual assault
coalition based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. MIWSAC was founded in 2001 with a grant from the Office on
Violence Against Women's Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition Program, and for nearly
20 years, has focused on developing the capacity of tribal communities to meet the needs of American
Indian and Alaska Native victims of all forms of sexual violence, including sex trafficking, by incorporating
traditional cultural and spiritual practices into the response to these crimes. MIWSAC's work has focused
on coordinating and promoting appropriate systemic responses to sexual violence committed against
Native women in the State of Minnesota, as well as providing training and technical assistance to a national
audience of tribes, and urban tribal nonprofits on topics related to sexual assault and sex trafficking. Additionally, MIWSAC's staff served as co-principal investigators in a ground-breaking research study on sex trafficking and prostitution involving urban American Indian and Alaska Native women in Minnesota, that has served as the basis for much of their training and technical assistance work designed to build the capacity of tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to provide trauma-informed, victim-centered services to Native victims of sex trafficking.
MIWSAC, and its collaborative partner, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, will provide day-to-day oversight and coordinate all project activities; plan and conduct an annual training and technical assistance assessment and develop a customized training and technical assistance plan for each Project Beacon grantee; plan and conduct an annual two-day grantee meeting for the Project Beacon grantees, as well as monthly webinars on topics related to developing the grantees' capacity to coordinate the provision of comprehensive services for American Indian and Alaska Native victims of sex trafficking; plan and conduct an annual two-day, on-site training and technical assistance visit for each Project Beacon direct services grantee; and assist each Project Beacon direct services grantee with completing its required award deliverables.
The Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) is a Native American operated non-profit. TLPI is dedicated to
providing free publication resources, comprehensive training, and technical assistance for Native nations and
tribal justice systems in pursuit of our vision to empower Native communities to create and control their own
institutions for the benefit of all community members, now, and for future generations. TLPI assists MIWSAC in
providing technical assistance to Project Beacon grantees.
Under Project Beacon, TLPI participates in monthly grantee calls, provides any needed technical assistance during those calls in the form of information, announcements, answering any questions and providing available resources. TLPI has also provided live webinars and trainings to Project Beacon on the following topics: Intersection of Sexual Assault and Sex Trafficking, Sustainability, Sex Trafficking in Indian Country: Advocacy Curriculum, Privacy, and Complexities and System Interactions.
TLPI Sex Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance
TLPI is please to offer the following publications, resources, and technical assistance addressing issues on sex trafficking as it impacts Native people and Indian Country. TLPI is also able to offer resources, templates, and written materials such as fact sheets, indicator lists, screening tool samples, and brochures related to sex trafficking for various disciplines such as law enforcement or advocates. TLPI also has the Sex Trafficking in Indian Country: Advocacy Curriculum available as a resource. If there is something specific that TLPI is not able to respond to internally, we can outreach to our partners and consultants to address any other questions, concerns, or information requests.