Evaluating the OHTS Tool and Assessing Outcomes for Human Trafficking Survivors

• In Event: Evaluating Outcomes of Services for Human Trafficking Survivors

Abstract

The OHTS instrument was developed in 2020 by RTI in partnership with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) and other service providers as an evidence-based tool to measure outcomes for survivors receiving services. It holds promise for service providers to gauge the effectiveness and impact of services to their clients. However, the tool has yet to be validated in real-world settings. Through funding from NIJ, the Urban Institute and NORC partnered to evaluate the OHTS with three service provider organizations whose clients include both sex and labor trafficking survivors (as well as domestic and foreign-born survivors). Survivor outcomes are tracked over time through the OHTS tool. Reliability assessment and validity testing compare case manager ratings of survivors using the tool with responses reported directly by survivors about key outcomes over time. We will share findings about the tool’s reliability and effectiveness for measuring outcomes for survivors receiving services across a diverse set of organizations.

Authors

• William Adams, The Urban Institute

• Jeannette Hussemann, NORC at the University of Chicago