ADVOCACY
CAST conducts policy advocacy, media advocacy, outreach, public education and leadership development through community organizing on the local, state and national levels to raise awareness on trafficking, protect the rights of trafficking survivors and improve their access to services. CAST's advocacy work is directly informed by the real experiences of the clients we serve. CAST works closely with its first-of-its-kind Survivor Advisory Caucus to ensure that public policies are victim-centered and the public will become aware of this egregious human rights violation happening in their own back yards.

CAST works with government officials, law enforcement agents, service providers and other community-based coalitions to build a broader anti-trafficking movement.

COALITION BUILDING AND ORGANIZING
Through broad community outreach on local, state, and national levels—via media advocacy, public education, leadership development, and coalition building—CAST spotlights the issue of trafficking so that more victims will be free and empowered. CAST works with government officials, law enforcement agents, service providers, and community-based coalitions to build a broader and stronger anti-trafficking movement. CAST’s advocacy initiatives are directly informed by the real experiences of the clients it serves. By organizing survivors of trafficking, CAST launched the Survivor Advisory Caucus, a one-of-a-kind leadership development program where members of the Caucus speak publicly on behalf of all survivors of trafficking, raising awareness on important policy issues impacting victims. Since the inception of the Caucus in 2004, survivors have transformed into advocates and the sheer impact of their voices in policies and public awareness have appeared in state legislative hearings advocating for victim protections in the CA anti-trafficking law, and in the Los Angeles trafficking awareness campaign through the development of radio and television PSAs. In addition, CAST conducts public outreach at high schools, colleges, faith-based forums, community events, and conferences to raise awareness on trafficking and mobilize support for public and community action. CAST organized the Interfaith Council to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, bringing together several faith based organizations to do outreach and education about slavery and human trafficking, support survivors of trafficking, and work to stop this terrible human rights abuse. As a recognized leader in local, national, and international anti-trafficking networks, CAST has a proven track record of conducting effective outreach, grassroots coalition building, and public awareness activities that will be needed to form a system-wide solution to the growing problem of trafficking. Currently CAST is embarking on a new Capcity Building Project to maximize the favorable media and legislative climates related to the issue of trafficking and that are essential in building the public consensus around which systemic change is possible.

TRAINING
CAST provides education and practical training to law-enforcement members, social service workers, health and human service providers, attorneys, and community- and faith-based organizations that may come into contact with trafficked persons. The human rights framework of the training helps to identify trafficked persons and ensure that they will be treated as victims rather than criminals. CAST is a founding member of the national Freedom Network Institute on Human Trafficking and implements the training curriculum regionally. CAST provides training all over the world, and works with international delegations to expand global collaborations. CAST’s comprehensive Volunteer Program utilizes a professional curriculum that trains community members and professionals to work effectively with survivors of trafficking and in the community to help us in our efforts to abolish slavery.