Human Trafficking Data Collection in Florida and the New BRIGHT Project

The Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center (STAC) Third Friday Training Webinar Series is dedicated to educating everyone about the critical issue of human trafficking. This interactive series aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the various facets of human trafficking, from its root causes and methods of operation to the profound impact it has on survivors, their families, workplaces, and society both in our home towns and worldwide.

Webinar Overview:

Accurate and complete data collection has been a challenge facing our state, especially those working in human trafficking services, policy, advocacy, justice and social services systems and many more. Recently Florida has taken steps to address this need through work at the University of South Florida. Presenters from the USF will introduce and highlight the Trafficking in Persons Lab and two of the main projects housed within the lab: the Statewide Repository for Anonymous Human Trafficking Data (TIPSTR) and the BRIGHT Project. TIPSTR will provide Florida with a comprehensive and accurate picture of human trafficking incidents, hotspots, and trends. BRIGHT, a digital, vetted resource referral network will connect providers to one another while simultaneously providing and collecting information on resource availability and resource needs statewide. Taken together, these initiatives will allow for an understanding of the true scope of trafficking in Florida to inform anti-trafficking efforts across the state.

Download the BRIGHT Project Presentation Slides

Presenters:

Dr. Shelly M. Wagers

Kailey Pate Carter

Dr. Shelly M. Wagers, Associate Professor Criminology, Associate Director USF Trafficking In Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab and BRIGHT Project Director.

Dr. Shelly M. Wagers is an Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Dr. Wagers has worked in the field of interpersonal violence for over 25 years: first as an advocate, then as a law enforcement officer and now as a scholar. Dr. Wagers’ primary research interests include examining the relationship between power, control and violence, along with developing evidence-based practices for policies and programs. Dr. Wagers has published her research in numerous top peer-reviewed journals such as Crime and Delinquency, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Victims and Offenders, and Journal of Social and Interpersonal Relationships.

Dr. Wagers most recent applied work was completing a needs assessment for the USF Trafficking In Persons Lab. This consisted of hundreds of field interviews with community partners engaged in antitrafficking work throughout Florida. This led to the BRIGHT project, which seeks to address the service improvement goal of the USF TIP Lab through the establishment and maintenance of an interactive digital platform that will bring HT service providers together into an integrated coordinated network of care. Currently, Dr. Wagers is the Director of the BRIGHT project for the USF TIP Lab. Last year Dr. Wagers received funds from Hillsborough County to develop and test a pilot for BRIGHT. Recently, Dr. Wagers received funds from the State of Florida and Federal Government to expand BRIGHT statewide and develop a replicable evidence-based model.

Kailey Pate Carter, Project Manager for BRIGHT at the University of South Florida, a project of the Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab

Kailey Pate Carter is the USF Project Manager for BRIGHT, a project of the Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab. Carter obtained both her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Criminology from USF and has a passion for serving others. Carter’s research interests include human trafficking, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, ACES and domestic violence.

She has been intricately involved on the BRIGHT project with the USF Trafficking in Persons Lab since the initial needs assessment conducted in the Fall of 2020, working with community partners to tailor the platform to their specific needs. As the Project Manager, Carter is the main point of contact for all community partners and works to onboard new organizations into the network. Carter works with the Project Director to execute the larger goals for the project in addition to the management of the users of the system.

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