How the Salvation Army, TriHealth fight human trafficking in Greater Cincinnati

The trauma of human trafficking can take victims years to recover from, and the shame can drive them into silence instead of toward help. The National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 1,000 calls from Ohio in 2016, but there could be many more. Bhumika Patel, a regional specialist with the Salvation Army's anti-trafficking program, is just one of the local women who work to help trafficking victims find resources for support and recovery. The Salvation Army has helped 150 people in 2017, finding them through outreach and assisting them as they navigate the court system in search of justice. But for many victims, the first stop isn't at a charity. It's a hospital. "They'll end up here because it's gotten to the point that they're so sick," forensic nurse examiner coordinator Jenn Hall said.  Most victims she sees through TriHealth's Center for Abuse and Rape Emergency Services -- CARES -- are malnourished and anxious to the point of not being able to make eye contact, she said. Hall has already treated 400 in 2017.