Compass Connections Takes the Lead: What You Need to Know About the New National Human Trafficking Hotline Operator

In December 2025, stakeholders across the nation gathered virtually for a public Q&A session to learn about the transition of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to its new operator, Compass Connections, a nonprofit based in San Antonio, Texas. The webinar, hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP), provided an overview of the transition process, operational updates, and opportunities for engagement.

Who Is Compass Connections?

Compass Connections brings over a decade of experience in trauma-informed call center operations, family preservation, refugee services, and anti-trafficking programming. Their prior work includes running the Office of Refugee Resettlement National Call Center and operating trauma response hotlines. Their staff includes experts in mental health, law enforcement, quality assurance, and direct care.

All hotline advocates are based onsite in San Antonio, and Compass does not use bots or virtual agents. All calls, texts, and chats are answered live by trained professionals with backgrounds in trauma response, mental health, and human services.

What Has Changed?

The new contract comes with a $7 million annual budget and includes stronger expectations around:

  • Survivor engagement: Creation of a Survivor Advisory Board and anonymous post-call surveys to gather feedback.

  • Law enforcement collaboration: Development of a nationwide engagement plan to streamline how tips are shared with tribal, local, state, and federal partners.

  • Service provider vetting: A new "Suitability to Serve" tool will be used to assess, verify, and annually re-verify organizations listed in the referral directory.

  • Training requirements: Advocates receive over 120 hours of initial training, with ongoing quarterly professional development. Topics include motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, mandated reporting, and crisis de-escalation.

Hotline Operations Snapshot

  • 24/7 service, across all channels: phone, chat, text, WhatsApp, email

  • Average response time: 24 seconds to speak with a live advocate

  • Calls per day: 240 voice calls + 50 text/chat contacts

  • Less than 1% call abandonment rate

  • Bilingual coverage: English and Spanish live coverage, with interpretation available in 200+ languages

  • Strict confidentiality: Only minimal necessary information is collected, and no call data is shared unless legally required or with consent

How to Update Your Organization’s Info

Compass encourages service providers and state-level contacts to ensure their referral and reporting information is up to date. Email:
📩 NHTH@compassteam.org

Victim service providers can also contact this address to join the referral network or verify existing listings.

Looking Ahead

Compass is actively developing protocols to strengthen cross-system partnerships and expand national outreach. They plan to:

  • Host law enforcement engagement roundtables

  • Collaborate with state-level hotlines

  • Conduct quality assurance reviews of service delivery

  • Release an annual public report using aggregate hotline data and stakeholder input

Final Thoughts

This new phase of the National Human Trafficking Hotline emphasizes transparency, survivor voice, and cross-sector accountability. Stakeholders are encouraged to stay engaged as Compass rolls out its full engagement strategy in 2026.

Contact & Questions:
🔗 https://humantraffickinghotline.org
📩 NHTH@compassteam.org

Institute for New Juvenile and Family Court Judges

📅 November 3–7, 2025 | 📍 Reno, NV

A 4½-day institute tailored for new or returning state and tribal judicial officers handling juvenile and family cases. This intensive program includes training on trauma-informed justice, judicial ethics, child development, domestic violence, juvenile justice, and more. Participants will build a national network of peers and gain practical resources to take back to the bench. Highlights Include:

  • Judicial ethics & decision-making

  • Child development & parenting

  • Juvenile justice & trauma-informed practice

  • Mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence

  • Working with self-represented litigants

  • Judicial leadership & cultural considerations

Registration:

  • NCJFCJ Members: $1,495

  • Non-Members: $1,595
    (Includes a free copy of Reasonable Efforts – A Judicial Perspective, 2nd Ed.)

Lodging:
Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel & Spa – $239/night
Hotel Info | (775) 682-3900

Register Now

Survivor Voices: What They Want You to Know

The most powerful session of the 2025 Bakken Human Trafficking Summit came from those with lived experience. In a rare and moving keynote, survivors of human trafficking shared their stories—not for shock value, but to show what it means to endure, to escape, and to rebuild.

Their courage offered more than testimony; it was a call to action for every system and every attendee in the room.

When Kids Run: The Overlap Between Trafficking and Interstate Compact Rules

At the 2025 Bakken Human Trafficking Summit, presenters Jessica Wald and Trissie Casanova brought a vital conversation to the forefront—how the Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) intersects with runaway youth and human trafficking. Their message was clear: missing youth aren’t just skipping school or rebelling—they may be running from real harm or being pulled into exploitation. Systems must slow down, ask better questions, and work together across jurisdictions to protect them.

Bakken Summit KEYNOTE ~ Labor Trafficking: Investigating a Hidden Crime, BCA

In a powerful keynote at the 2025 Bakken Human Trafficking Summit, a veteran investigator from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) shared urgent insights from over three decades in law enforcement. Labor trafficking, she explained, remains alarmingly under-identified—and often far more violent than the public realizes. Yet systems, agencies, and communities still struggle to respond effectively.

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Labor Trafficking in North Dakota: What You Should Know About the H-2A Guest Worker Program

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North Dakota is no stranger to agricultural success — but behind every field harvested is a labor force that often goes unseen, and sometimes, unheard. Many of the workers who support our state’s farming and food production come on H-2A guest worker visas, a federal program intended to supply seasonal labor when domestic workers are unavailable.

But with that system comes vulnerability — and in some cases, labor trafficking.

What Is the H-2A Visa Program?

The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs if they can show a lack of available U.S. labor. Employers must provide housing, transportation, and an employment contract detailing wages and working conditions.

While legal on paper, in practice the program can create an imbalance of power — and North Dakota is not immune.

Labor Trafficking: What It Looks Like in Our State

Our Labor Trafficking Specialist at the North Dakota Human Trafficking Task Force (NDHTTF), Rwatie Matsika, monitors regional trends and offers support to potential victims. Based on recent cases in North Dakota, here’s what we’ve seen:

  • Most labor trafficking cases involve foreign nationals on H-2A visas or other temporary work permits.

  • Many are recruited by middlemen or subcontractors — some of whom charge illegal fees, withhold documentation, or misrepresent working conditions.

  • Victims may live in overcrowded housing, work far longer hours than promised, or be denied access to food, medical care, or fair wages.

  • The majority of victims are reluctant to speak with law enforcement or even service providers — often out of fear of retaliation, deportation, or blacklisting from future work.

  • Some disappear or leave the state, making it difficult to provide help or build trust.

In recent years, labor trafficking in North Dakota has expanded beyond the hospitality sector to include agriculture, oil and gas, construction, and even domestic work in private homes.

Why It's Hard to Speak Up

Even when workers are brought into the U.S. legally, their immigration status is tied to a single employer. If that employer is abusive, quitting or reporting mistreatment often means losing the legal right to stay — a dangerous catch-22.

Other barriers include:

  • Language differences, especially for Indigenous-language speakers

  • Physical isolation on rural properties

  • Lack of access to phones, internet, or transportation

  • Misinformation or fear of authorities

As Rwatie notes, “Many of the individuals we meet express deep uncertainty and fear. Even those who begin to open up may change their minds before support can be provided.”

Trafficking vs. Exploitation: What’s the Difference?

Some cases fall under labor exploitation — such as wage theft or housing violations — but do not meet the legal threshold of trafficking, which requires evidence of force, fraud, or coercion.

Yet even in these cases, the harm is real. In 2023, nearly all labor trafficking cases reported in North Dakota involved:

  • Unpaid or underpaid wages

  • Unsafe or overcrowded housing

  • Manipulation through fear or misinformation

  • Victims with little or no ability to change their situation

What North Dakotans Can Do

We all have a role to play in preventing labor trafficking in our state.

Be aware

  • If you work in agriculture, construction, or energy — know who’s on your site.

  • Look out for individuals who seem controlled, isolated, or fearful of interaction.

  • Report suspicious situations to a regional NDHTTF Navigator (see Contact Us).

Support trust-building efforts

  • NDHTTF works closely with law enforcement, nonprofits, and Tribal leaders to support victims — but trust takes time.

  • If you’re a service provider, join our training sessions or case staffings to stay connected.

Continue learning

  • National Farmworker Ministry provides educational resources on H-2A systems and exploitation.

  • Cierto and similar groups advocate for ethical recruitment and transparency in farm labor.

  • Ask where your food and products come from — and support employers committed to ethical hiring.

Final Thoughts

Labor trafficking isn’t just something that happens "somewhere else." It happens here — in North Dakota’s fields, homes, and job sites.

By staying informed and connected, we can begin to protect those most vulnerable, build better systems, and ensure that everyone working in our state has the safety and dignity they deserve.

📞 For help or to report a concern, visit www.ndhttf.org/contactus

2025 Bakken Human Trafficking Summit – May 20–21 in Bismarck, ND

Human trafficking does happen in North Dakota and responding to it takes all of us.

Whether you're in law enforcement, healthcare, education, advocacy, social work, tribal leadership, faith-based outreach, or simply a concerned community member, this summit is for you.

👥 Who Should Attend?

✔️ First responders & law enforcement

✔️ Healthcare providers & mental health professionals

✔️ Teachers, counselors, and youth workers

✔️ Tribal leaders and advocates

✔️ Legal and justice system professionals

✔️ Service providers and nonprofit staff

✔️ Anyone passionate about protecting vulnerable people in our communities

Why Attend?

Join hundreds of professionals and advocates to hear keynotes, survivor panels, and expert-led breakout sessions.

Continuing Education Credit Available

Scholarships available for those in need

Location: St. Mary’s Central High School, Bismarck

Hosted by: 31:8 Project

👉 Register today and be part of the solution.

➡️ https://www.eventbrite.com/.../2025-bakken-human...

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