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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Programs
To report Human Trafficking to law enforcement in Florida, call
Florida Department of Health, Violence and Injury Prevention Section
The Violence and Injury Prevention Section (VIPS) funds rape crisis centers in Florida to provide the following services 24/7 to victims of sexual violence: crisis intervention, information and referral, advocacy and accompaniment, counseling, therapy, and support groups.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, call the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence’s (FCASV) toll-free hotline at 1-888-956-7273 or visit FCASV’s website at www.FCASV.org.
Florida Department of Health, Refugee Health Program
The Refugee Health Program provides health assessment and immunization services to foreign-born victims of trafficking under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
Florida Department of Health, Medical Quality Assurance
The Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) serves as a liaison between the public and the professional boards and councils as well as between the licensees and their respective boards and councils. MQA works closely with law enforcement throughout the state to combat human trafficking by reporting suspected cases during the inspection and investigation process. MQA will be making educational information and materials available to the professional boards and the healthcare practitioners regulated by MQA. These materials will educate health care practitioners on identifying possible victims of human trafficking and will provide the steps to take when a practitioner believes someone is the victim of human trafficking. MQA is committed to the Department of Health’s efforts to educate employees and professionals and to combating human trafficking.
Florida Department of Health, Migrant Farmworker Housing
Human trafficking is related to our bureau’s mission in that the Florida Department of Health has a responsibility to promote, protect and improve the health of all people in Florida. The Migrant Housing Program is one of the few programs within Department of Health’s purview that requires inspectors to perform exterior and interior inspections on the housing units. Our local health department inspectors conduct two inspections each quarter, while the permitted camps (H-2A farmworker housing, migrant labor camps and residential migrant housing establishments) are occupied. The Department also investigates complaints of unpermitted migrant housing establishments. Given the nature of their job, the Environmental Health Inspectors may be the first ones to observe suspicious activities in a migrant camp that may be related to human trafficking, especially during the investigation of unpermitted housing, where many victims may reside. Inspectors are trained to report any suspicious activity to the Environmental Health Director and Law Enforcement. The Program Manager for the Migrant Housing Program has provided the local health departments with public health messages and educational materials such as posters and flyers on human trafficking in English, Spanish and Creole. These are distributed during is inspections. The Program Manager has been working with the Farmworker Advocacy Groups to increase public awareness about human trafficking through popular radio stations and television networks for Public Service Announcements in an effort to educate the migrant and seasonal farmworker communities regarding increase cases of human trafficking.
Local County Health Departments
The Local Health Department has trained staff that work with local law enforcement to identify potential victims to ensure the health and safety of the community.
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