The Role of Occupational Therapy within the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States

ABSTRACT

The occupational injustices experienced by human trafficking survivors lead to immediate occupational performance deficits and promote long-term instability. Experience and previous patterns of behavior contribute to the deficits and instability. The occupational manifestations of complex trauma are reflected in the inability to participate in meaningful and necessary occupations. Occupational therapy intervention can be a means of empowering victims of human trafficking by using the occupational therapy process, occupational therapy theories, and models of practice. Occupational therapy practitioners can enable survivors to address the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to achieving increased overall well-being and occupational performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational injustice
• human trafficking
• empowerment
• occupational therapy