Freedom Requires Action Webinar
Safe House Certification: What States Need to Know
Join us on August 14, 2026 @ 1pm EST
WHAT POLICYMAKERS NEED TO KNOW
Explore how independent certification is strengthening trafficking survivor housing across the country, and what it means for states, funders, and providers.
Hear from national leaders in survivor care, state government, and residential programming in a candid conversation on what Safe House Certification is, why it matters, and what it means for states considering their own path to certification, moderated by SHP Director of Policy Cynthia Erich.
Survivors and the officials responsible for their care face the same challenge nationwide: there is no reliable, independent way to know whether a residential trafficking program will actually provide safe, trauma informed, and sustainable care.
At the same time, states and Attorneys General Offices are increasingly being asked to make placement, funding, and referral decisions without a consistent standard for evaluating program quality.
A growing number of programs and states are turning to independent certification to close that gap, and we invite you to join this timely conversation.
Please join us for a policy webinar exploring Safe House Certification, an independent, survivor centered model for verifying the quality of trafficking residential care, and what it means for state level policy, funding, and referral decisions.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Kristi Wells — CEO, Safe House Project
Monique Garvin — Director, South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, South Carolina Attorney General's Office
Keelin Washington — Senior Director of Programs, Generate Hope; Safe House Certification Review Board Member
Moderated by Cynthia Erich — Director of Policy, Safe House Project
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
● Why documentation alone cannot verify the quality of survivor care, and what independent certification adds
● What the Safe House Certification process looks like in practice, from application through an independent Review Board decision
● How South Carolina built certification into its statewide human trafficking response, and what that required from a policy and funding standpoint
● How certification helps clarify each program's strengths rather than positioning providers as competitors
● What states and Attorneys General Offices should realistically expect if they are considering this path, including timeline and funding
● Actionable steps policymakers, funders, and providers can take to make independent certification part of how survivor housing decisions are made
This webinar is designed for policymakers, legislative staff, state Attorneys General's Offices, victim service providers, funders, and state and local leaders working to strengthen survivor housing standards, improve referral confidence, and ensure trafficking survivors are connected to safe, effective care.