FUNDING PRIORITIES

Case Management Support for Local Youth
Maximum Funding Available: $30,000
(matching effort with local foundations - $60,000 total need for one year)

A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) caseworker dedicated to supporting youth experiencing Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) plays a crucial role in our community: offering trauma-informed outreach, educational and psycho-social support, as well as access to vital resources like transportation, legal assistance, and safety planning. By coordinating within a multidisciplinary team, they ensure comprehensive, tailored care, advocating for the youth's needs across multiple systems such as education, law enforcement, and healthcare. This role is essential for providing holistic, ongoing support, ensuring safety, empowerment, and long-term recovery for affected families. This caseworker is also crucial for building trust through sustained relationship, rather than re-traumatizing youth through sharing their story with numerous people. This caseworker would support youth primarily in South Santa Barbara County, and we plan to fund this role sustainably over three years to ensure the best outcomes for local youth.
This funding priority supports the achievement of the following Strategic Plan goals:
- Focus Category 2: Prevention, Early Intervention, and Identification of Sexual Exploitation in K-12 Schools

Multi-Agency Collaborative (MAC) Coordination
Maximum Funding Available: $30,000
(matching effort - $60,000 needed for one year)

The MAC Coordinator is an administrative role that provides vital support to case management staff working on human trafficking and exploitation cases. This role helps organize meetings, manage data collection, and improve communication between agencies. By handling funding, grants, and resources, the MAC Coordinator reduces stress on service providers, supports staff in their work, and helps improve outcomes for survivors and victims.

Transcend Documentary Part 2: Prevention and Early Intervention
Maximum Funding Available: $15,000

This short documentary – the second in our series of five short films, will delve into local efforts to prevent and intervene earlier in the lives of those at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. Through this documentary series, we aim to raise awareness in Santa Barbara County by sharing real stories and educating viewers on how to understand the root causes of human trafficking. This installment in the series focuses on proactive measures like youth education and community engagement to stop trafficking before it starts, including the importance of love, belonging, and purpose for young people at risk. The film also illustrates the much-needed collaboration between local organizations so that those at risk in our community receive the support they need.
This funding priority supports the sustainability of SAFE and the Strategic Plan efforts by educating the community about the issue of human trafficking and what is being done to address it.

Continued Survivor Flexible Funding
Maximum Funding Available: $12,000

In 2024, SAFE SB County granted funds to two local agencies (one in North County, one in South County) to address the immediate and often unique needs of survivors that restricted grant funding may not meet. In this next year, SAFE SBC plans to equip additional agencies with these flexible resources that allow them to purchase items such as clothing, hygiene products, food, and other items a survivor might need when they are seeking help. Providing the “front-line” service providers with access to wide-net, flexible funding to support survivors allows for relationship-building, a key aspect of a survivor’s journey of healing.

This funding priority supports the achievement of the following Strategic Plan goals:
- Focus Category 1: Sex Trafficking Tools and Protocols (Accessible, timely flexible funds for survivor needs)

Continued Funding for Lompoc Prevention Education
Maximum Funding Available: $20,000

In 2024, SAFE SB County funded a Lompoc-based service provider for a year-long project dedicated to providing prevention education in Lompoc schools. One piece of this project’s focus is on equipping young people with the skills and strength to understand their own resilience, build confidence in healthy relationships, and provide support and care to their peers. The other element of the project focuses on educating school-based professionals such as social workers and counselors, empowering them to better identify risk factors in students and provide better care to those youth while referring them to community-based supports. SAFE SB County plans to fund this project in the coming year.
This funding priority supports the achievement of the following Strategic Plan goals:
- Focus Category 2: Prevention, Early Intervention, and Identification of Sexual Exploitation in K-12 Schools

Continued Funding for Lompoc Care and Coordination Day
Maximum Funding Available: $25,000

• In 2024, SAFE SB County funded a Lompoc-based service provider to develop and launch a “Care and Coordination Day” to provide a relational environment and service navigation support to women experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the Lompoc region. This Care and Coordination Day is in development now and will be focused on providing care by women, for women in a safe, non-judgmental space to support them as well as provide referrals to additional systemic supports such as case management, housing, and medical care. SAFE SB County plans to fund this project in the coming year.
• This funding priority supports the achievement of the following Strategic Plan goals:
- ◦ Focus Category 1: Sex Trafficking Tools and Protocols (Dedicated CSECY and adult outreach and engagement efforts)