Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking

Adult Trafficking Committee Meeting

                Friday, September 14, 2018        2:30 pm - 4:00 pm          

25 Van Ness Avenue, 5^th Floor Conference Room, San Francisco, CA

 

Jen Callewaert, Department of Public Health; Cristy Dieterich, Department of Public Health; Minouche Kandel, Department on the Status of Women; Antonia Lavine, San Francisco Collaborative on Human Trafficking; Sue Lockyer, San Francisco State; Kyoko Peterson, Department on Status of Women Rochelle Veloso, Department of Public Health;

 

1. Welcome, Introductions/Check-In, Agenda Review/Identify minute taker [Minouche Kandel]

 

2. Resilient Empowered Accomplished Life proposal (follow up from NCJW Analysis of Services for Sex Trafficking Survivors) [Sue Lockyer & Antonia Lavine]
   1. Sue Lockyer, a graduate student at SF State, gave a summary of the project she did for the National Council of Jewish Women on services for sex trafficking survivors. An expert group has been guiding this project and exploring ways to better coordinate and centralize services for survivors. The discussion about the best way to do this is ongoing—coordinating agency could possibly be a government agency or a nonprofit.
3. Increase input from adult trafficking survivor/trafficking affected individuals [Minouche Kandel]
   1. This was an update on efforts to increase the input of those with lived experience in the task force. Sarai Smith-Mazareigos recently gave a presentation to the Task Force on survivor leadership, and Vanessa Russell from Love Never Fails will be organizing four survivors to speak on workforce development. The Youth Advisory Board just finished their first cohort and Alia and Ifasina from the Youth Trafficking Committee will be evaluating the results.    
4. Addressing Trafficking in Massage Establishments [Cristy Dieterich & Jen Callewaert]
   1. Supervisor Katy Tang is working on amendments to Article 29 of the Health Code, which regulates massage establishments.
      1. One of the main changes are that the city will stop issuing permits for individuals and instead require that individuals get permitted through the California Massage Therapy Council.
      2. Another change is that the department will now be able to deny permits on the basis of prostitution convictions, though the director will be able to overrule that on a case by case basis. This is because some owners who had their places shut down would reapply for a permit by having a person “stand in” for them on the application. The “stand in” person often has prostitution convictions. The committee discussed this change and the impact that it would have on those who have left prostitution and want to move into a new line of work. There was concern that this rule would prevent survivors of sex trafficking from being able to start their own business. Jen Callewaert said that they will make sure to get the expertise of experts to determine if someone is a survivor of trafficking and give an exemption to the prostitution conviction policy.
      3. These amendments already went to the Small Business Commission for vote and received an unanimous vote of approval. There was no public comment in opposition. The amendments will now go to other committees to be voted on.
   2. The Newcomers Connect program continues to work with massage workers. They have been holding Tea Hours and discussing topics such as health and nutrition. They have been expanding their efforts to the Sunset, though progress has been more difficult than in Chinatown. In addition, they are also attempting to expand outreach to restaurants.
   3. There was discussion of interpretation at police raids on massage establishments. Members expressed frustration that (as far as is known) the police do not have in-person interpretation at the raids. Possible solutions were discussed.
5. Setting next meeting agenda [All]

 

 

MEETING FOLLOW-UP

Action Item	Person	Deadline	Reported Out Via
Change meeting times to not on a Friday in 2019	Minouche